The State Duma has adopted in the first reading bill on amendments to the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition.” The document aims to create a state information system for detecting and suppressing antitrust violations, including cartel agreements.
The bill was submitted by the government in December 2024. It proposes the development of a digital platform that, with the help of artificial intelligence and big data analysis, will be able to identify signs of anti-competitive practices. The operator of the system will be the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia.
The system will aggregate and analyze information on purchases and tenders in order to identify violations of antitrust legislation. The State Duma believes that this will increase market transparency and create equal conditions for all participants, including pharmaceutical companies. It is assumed that the introduction of the system will allow the state to more effectively control pricing in key industries, including pharmaceuticals.
If the bill is adopted, the government will have to develop a corresponding decree regulating the operation of the new system. The FAS of Russia will be responsible for its launch and integration with existing databases. The deadline for preparing the necessary regulations will be 6 months from the date of adoption of the law.
