Antimonopoly regulation

A charge for Internet advertising is not an April Fool’s Day joke Pepeliaev Group advises that less than in a month, starting from 1 April 2025, the new version of the Law on Advertising will introduce mandatory charges for advertising on the Internet.

Criminal liability has been strengthened for actions connected with concluding an agreement that restricts competition

Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 13 December 2024, the Russian President signed Federal Law No. 467-FZ aimed at improving criminal law mechanisms in the area of combating anti-competitive agreements.

The State Duma has passed amendments to the Law on Protecting Competition Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 17 December 2024, the State Duma passed in the third reading a Law which establishes an additional mechanism of control over economic concentration transactions by large financial organisations.

The Federation Council has approved amendments to the Law on advertising

Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 20 December 2024, the Federation Council (the upper house of Russia’s parliament) approved the Law on how the advertising of loans should be labelled and on mandatory charges for disseminating advertising on the Internet. In addition, the Law specifies the procedure for how social advertising should be distributed.

The provisions have been updated of the Code of Administrative Offences and Criminal Code in the field of procurement

Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 20 December 2024, the Federation Council approved the Law amending the Code of Administrative Offences to the extent of administrative liability for a breach of Russian procurement legislation. At the same time, the corresponding amendments have been made to the Criminal Code.

The State Duma has prepared amendments to the law on protecting competition

Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 1 October 2024, the State Duma (the lower chamber of Russia’s Parliament) adopted in its third reading a Draft Law to specify the definition of a ‘business entity’ and to adjust the procedure for determining a monopolistically high (low) price.

The State Duma is preparing extensive amendments to Law No. 44-FZ Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 9 July 2024, a draft federal law was put before the State Duma, which proposes to amend Federal Law No. 44-FZ “On the contractual system in the area of the procurement of goods, work or services to secure state and municipal needs” dated 5 April 2013 with a view to optimising the procedure for making purchases.

The business of marketplaces will be regulated

Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 5 March 2024, draft law No. 568223-8 has been put before the State Duma. It provides for the unified legal regulation of marketplaces’ business.

A draft law has been put before the State Duma which amends the Law on Protecting Competition

On 29 February 2024 a draft federal law was put before the State Duma which proposes removing from the Law on Protecting Competition the provisions that make possible identifying that a self-employed individual holds a dominant position, clarifying the procedure for identifying a monopolistically low price of a product and changing the procedure for how state control is exercised over economic concentration.

A law has been adopted prohibiting advertising from being placed on foreign agents’ resources On 28 February 2024 the State Duma adopted in the third reading Draft Law No. 553750-8, which provides for a prohibition on advertising being placed on foreign agents’ resources, and on advertising of foreign agents’ resources being placed in the Russian media.

The Russian Federal Antitrust Service has prepared a draft law aimed at changing the current mechanism of reconsidering instructions that have been issued

On 18 October 2023 the draft law “On amending ‎the Federal Law “On protecting competition" was published for public discussion on the federal portal of drafts of legal and regulatory instruments.

The Fifth Package of Amendments to Antitrust Legislation has been signed

On 10 July 2023, the Russian President signed Federal Law No. 301-FZ “On amending the Federal Law “On Protecting Competition”, which is a part of the ‘fifth package of antitrust amendments’.