1. Organizational Structure and the basic functions and powers
FAS Russia is an authorized federal executive power body responsible for prevention,
restriction and suppression of monopolistic activity and unfair competition,
for supervision of observance over Federal Law "On Competition and Limitation
of Monopolistic Activity at Commodity Markets", Federal Law "On natural monopolies",
Federal Law "On protection of Competition on Financial Services Markets" and
Federal Law "On advertisement". FAS Russia executes functions on developing
and introducing legal acts and draft federal laws of its competence, control
and supervision over competition at commodity markets, protecting competition
at financial markets, control over the activity of natural monopolies and supervision
over advertisement.
Head of the FAS Russia is appointed by and subordinated directly to the Prime
Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation. Head of FAS Russia has
four Deputy Heads.
FAS Russia consists of a Central Office and 75 Regional Offices that
are located all over the Russian Federation. Central office investigates cases
with larger economic impact or involving national economic issues, and is responsible
for organizing law enforcement activities and for providing of functioning
of the system in general, including legislative work, analytical work and creation
of methodological guidance for investigations, international cooperation, budgetary
support, education measures. FAS Russia is composed of a number of departments
responsible for legislation enforcement (Laws "On Competition", "On protection
of Competition on Financial Services Market", "On advertisement") and departments
for specific functions within the Service (legal department, finance, staff,
office administration).
Regional Offices are responsible for law enforcement in one or more of the
Subjects of the Russian Federation, and take part in analytical work, policy
development, and forecasting of economic conditions in their regions.
2. Human Resources:
Total amount - 1827 employees,
350 employees - in the Central Office of FAS Russia,
1477 employees �� in 75 Regional Offices of FAS Russia.
3. Background of the Russian Competition Authority
The first Russian competition authority - State Committee of the
Russian Federation for Antimonopoly Policy and Support of New Economic Structures was
established in August 1990.
Influence of time and changes taking place in Russian economy demands improvement
of legislation basis and institutions. Thus federal status of Russian competition
authority changed for several times. In 1997 the State Committee
of the Russian Federation for Antimonopoly Policy and Support of New Economic
Structures was divided into two authorities, one of them - State Antimonopoly
Committee (SAC Russia) inherited competition issues and the State
Committee of the Russian Federation for Support and Development of Small Business
inherited functions in the field of small business support. Following severe
financial crisis in 1998, the Government of the Russian Federation was restructured. In
1998, pursuant to a Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the
Ministry of the Russian Federation for Antimonopoly Policy and Support of Entrepreneurship
(MAP Russia) was established. It succeeded in carrying out the functions
of the former State Antimonopoly Committee of the Russian Federation as well
as the functions of the Federal Service for Regulation of Natural Monopolies
in the fields of Transportation, Communication, and the State Committee of
the Russian Federation for Support and Development of Small Business.
In May 2004 in accordance with the Decree of the President
of the Russian Federation of March 9, 2004 No314 "On system and structure of
executive power bodies" Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) was
established. Its predecessor, the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Antimonopoly
Policy and Support to Entrepreneurship was abolished by the same Decree. Functions
of the abolished Ministry were passed to FAS Russia with the exception of functions
in the sphere of consumer rights protection, small business support, setting
of tariffs in the sphere of communications and control over exchanges activity.
Functions of control and supervision over natural monopolies�� subjects activity
in the sphere of transport and energy of the reorganised Federal Power Commission
of the Russian Federation were added to FAS Russia.