Cooperation within the Interstate Council for Antimonopoly Policy

The Interstate Council for Antimonopoly Policy (hereinafter – ICAP) was established in 1993 in accordance with the Treaty on Implementation of Coordinated Antimonopoly Policy signed by the heads of the governments of all member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (hereinafter – the CIS). The ICAP is aimed conducting a coordinated antimonopoly policy and the development of competition, as well as at the prevention of monopolistic activities of economic entities that are detrimental to the economic interests of the CIS member states.

The ICAP is one of the few bodies of branch cooperation within the CIS; its meetings are held on a regular basis alternately in the capitals of the CIS member states. The meetings of the ICAP allow its participants to exchange views on the latest trends in the development of antimonopoly law and on a general economic situation in the countries, the information about the most interesting cases from the law enforcement practice with the purpose to establish common approaches to the development of competition law and the practice of its application.

The most important field of the ICAP work is the development of practical cooperation between the antimonopoly authorities of the CIS member states. Work in this field is carried out under the Headquarters for Joint Investigations of Violations of the Antimonopoly Law in the CIS Member States (hereinafter referred to as the Headquarters) established within the ICAP. The socially important markets (passenger air transportation, telecommunications, retail trade, pharmaceutical markets, etc.), the successful functioning of which has a direct impact on the well-being of the citizens of the CIS, are examined by the Headquarters. Another priority area of ​​the Headquarters work is the improvement of methods for combating cartels.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the CIS member states, the activity of the ICAP is becoming a reliable tool for overcoming violations in the field of competition at the transnational level.

In accordance with subclause 14.1 clause 14 of the Minutes of the 47th ICAP Meeting as of September 20, 2017 and as agreed with the CIS Executive Committee and other interested parties, the 48th ICAP Meeting was held in Minsk on May 28 - May 31, 2018.

Following the Meeting, Vladimir Koltovich, the Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of the Republic of Belarus, was elected as the Chairman of the ICAP.