Competition Issues Discussed at the EEC with Representatives of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Center

Modern trends in competition law and law enforcement in the Eurasian Economic Union and the BRICS countries were discussed at the headquarters of the Eurasian Economic Commission by Maxim Ermolovich, EEC Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation, and Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Center with the participation of officials and experts of the parties.

Alexey Ivanov presented the activities of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Center, noting the interest in comprehensive cooperation both with the competition authorities of the EAEU countries and with the specialized EEC unit.

The parties exchanged views on relevant matters in the field of competition, specifically in the regulation of digital markets, the relationship between competition and intellectual property, and methods for assessing the state of competition in commodity markets. They also discussed the problems of regulating competition in cross-border EAEU markets, including the powers of the EEC to assess the behavior of major foreign companies and the consequences of economic concentration (mergers of market participants).

Following the meeting, the parties noted as one of the important areas of further cooperation the involvement of independent experts from the Center and the BRICS countries in the EEC work concerning competition. In addition, it was agreed to organize working meetings and seminars on the exchange of information and experience in law enforcement in the BRICS and EAEU countries, as well as to participate mutually in events and other areas of cooperation.

“We are interested in cooperation with the Center not only in the already established format, but also in new areas,” the Minister said. "In particular, we propose to deepen interaction through the participation of EEC representatives in the Center’s research work. An important component of the effective work of a competition authority is the constant improvement of personnel qualifications, so we are working on the creation of a training center based on the BRICS Center for professional training and exchange of experience between EEC specialists and the competition authorities of the EAEU and BRICS Member States. There are also other agreements, the implementation of which will serve to increase the EEC efficiency and develop competition in our countries.”

The BRICS Competition Law and Policy Center was established as an independent division in 2019. The BRICS Center conducts research aimed at preparing recommendations and developing approaches to competition policy in the interests of developing the BRICS economies.

EEC

Source: eec.eaeunion.org