European
Antitrust Agencies unite to urge suspension of Russia from International
Competition Network
A week after
Russia invaded Ukraine, competition authorities in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia
and the Netherlands have urged the International Competition Network (ICN) to
suspend Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) from taking part in its
future events “in any form”.
The Dutch
competition authority has stated today that the Russian actions infringe
fundamental values protected by competition policy, i.e., the well-being of
citizens, businesses and society as a whole.
They say that the invasion is a blatant transgression of the fundamental
values on which market functioning depends and as such is something that the
antitrust community cannot ignore.
The Lithuania
Competition Council has applauded other agencies for supporting its own plea for
suspension and says that it will boycott future events if the ICN does not take
swift action.
The Estonian
Competition Authority said there is “no place” for Russian participation in
events which are designed to foster good relations between countries with
similar values. A significant showcase
event is the upcoming May ICN conference but there are other ongoing events
such as webinars and video-conferences..
The ICN’s steering
group chaired by Andreas Mundt, who leads Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, is
charged with making a final decision on suspension of members.
The Latvia’s
Competition Council cannot understand the ICN’s “wait and see” position where a
number of sports bodies have spoken out and taken a stand against what it describes
as the “unimaginable aggression” that has unfolded over the past week.
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