Targets and Prospects of the Russian Competition Policy under Deglobalization

The article explains the current and expected changes in the competition policy of the Russian Federation. In order to highlight the specific features of competition policy and antitrust enforcement in Russia, the article compares the objectives and instruments of the Russian enforcement with those under normative concept of competition policy and design of competition policy globally. Two challenges that Russian competition enforcement faces are international sanctions and deglobalization and restructuring of the markets under the impact of large digital platforms. History of competition policy development explains the response of competition policy on these challenges. Cut of administrative costs of business, amplifying the on-going reform of control and supervisory system in Russia, became probably the most effective competition-enhancing measure. Export restrictions in the form of quotas and tariffs partially replaces the enforcement against excessive pricing under the law “On protection of competition” aimed at the decreasing pass-through of commodity prices from international to the domestic markets. Competition enforcement towards digital platforms mostly uses the general provisions of the law “On protection of competition” in spite of the persistent desire to adopt the sector-specific antitrust provisions. Complete or partial exit of the international digital platforms from the Russian market (or at least from business in Russia) partially smooths the severity of the issue of monopolization in domestic market. The Russian digital platforms in particular segments still compete with the domestic as well as international rivals.

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