Structure of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Antimonopoly Policy and Support of Entrepreneurship

Russia

The Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 25 1998, N 1564 "Issues of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Antimonopoly Policy and Support of Entrepreneurship" states that MAP Russia is a federal body of executive power, carrying out the state policy in the field of:

- prevention, limitation and suppression of monopolistic activity;

- unfair competition;

- development of entrepreneurship and competition on goods markets;

- supervision over legislation on consumer rights protection and on advertising;

- regulating the activity of natural monopolies in the fields of communication and transportation.

The basic tasks of the Ministry are as follows:

1. prevention and suppression of monopolistic activity and unfair competition,
2. assistance in creating market relations based on competition and entrepreneurship,
3. exercising state control over legislation in the field of antimonopoly policy, consumer rights protection and advertising,
4. carrying out state control, aimed to support entrepreneurship, as well as to assist in formation and strengthening of entrepreneurship sector in the economy of the Russian Federation, state regulation, inter-sectoral and inter-regional coordination in the sphere of development and support of small entrepreneurship,
5. state regulation of the activity of natural monopolies in communication and transportation in compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

To carry out the above tasks the Ministry has been authorized with corresponding functions and wide powers. The Ministry has the right:

- to give obligatory directions within the limits of its competence as stipulated by the legislation;

- to investigate cases on administrative delinquency and impose fines within the limits of its competence as stipulated by the legislation;

- to appeal to the court, or to the court of arbitration as stipulated by the legislation and to participate in case investigation;

- to determine the presence of dominant position of economic subjects and to take decisions on including them into the Register of economic subjects having a market share more that 35%;

- to take a decision on a compulsory division of economic subjects having a dominant position on the market and carrying out monopolistic activity,

- to regulate the activity of the subjects of natural monopolies in the field of communication and transportation as stipulated by the legislation,

- to check up prices and tariffs on communication and transportation services, rendered by the subjects of natural monopolies,

- to prepare recommendations and conclusions on issues concerning providing state guarantees to foreign investors, investing their sources into the development of small entrepreneurship, etc.

Human Resources

On 01.01.2001 1804 people were engaged in the Ministry (386 people - in the Ministry's central body, 1418 - Regional Offices), of them - 589 are economists, 408 - lawyers.

In 2000 more than 900 people were engaged in central MAP Russia body and Regional Offices on the issues of the anti-competition legislation control in the trade and financial markets, 100 -advertising legislation, 320 - consumers' rights protection.