ANTI-COMPETITIVE CONCERTED ACTIONS OR CARTEL CONSPIRACIES (DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES AND PROBLEMS OF PROSECUTION)

Author
, assistant lecturer, Kharkiv, Pushinska, 77

In heading

 Law;

Signed print

 21.09.2018

Issues number

 2018 - № 3 (34)

Page

 119-132

Type of articles

 Scientific article

Code UDK

 346.546

ISSN print

 2411-5584

Abstract

 Problem setting. In order to deal with the practical issues of prosecution and applying sanctions to offenders for anti-competitive concerted actions, it is necessary to understand the nature of this offense and to do an analysis with identifying the components (object, objective side, subject, subjective side). It will provide an opportunity for a detailed analysis of this offense and implementation of mechanisms for identifying, proving and prosecution alongside with the introduction of the algorithm for calculating fines.
Resent research and publications analysis. The problems of offense in the field of economic competition, in particular cartel conspiracies are studied by Z. Borysenko, S. Valitov, T. Udalov, H. Riabtsev, K. Smyrnova, and other scientists. But the question of the elaboration of a mechanism for combating and detection cartels, and the development of a methodology for bringing offenders to justice requires modernization and improvement.
Paper objective. The purpose of the article is to consider the theoretical and practical aspects of identify, prove, and application of responsibility for anti-competitive concerted actions. The task is to analyze this type of offense, identify the main components and develop an algorithm for prosecution.
Paper main body. The tasks of anti-trust and competition policy of the state are protection of economic competition and prevention of competitive offenses implemented by the antitrust authorities. The legislation of Ukraine provides a list of offenses in the protection of economic competition, one of which is anti-competitive concerted actions. The concept of cartel conspiracies, or cartels, is often found in foreign literature.
The element of an offense is the basis for the application of responsibility. The object of anticompetitive concerted actions is socio-economic relations arising from the operation of the market. The objective side is the unfair interaction of actors in conspiracy form. It can also include a common action, direction, and agreement. The subjective side implies a purpose, motive and guilty. The general purpose is to eliminate or restrict competition. The cartel may exist in the form of an express or tacit collusion with a direct or indirect intent. The motive for creating a cartel is the desire to increase profits.
Anti-competitive concerted actions can be classified according to different criteria. Conspiracy can be formal and informal, written or oral, secret or explicit; horizontal and vertical; conglomerate and mixed; national and international.
Conclusions of the research. Combating anti-competitive concerted actions are one of the priority tasks not only for the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, but also for the antimonopoly bodies of the European Union and the United States of America. Severe sanctions in the form of administrative and criminal liability are provided by the legislation of many countries around the world.
The main function of responsibility for cartel conspiracies is a warning. Unfortunately, the mechanism for determining of the amount of fines in Ukraine does not have a clear algorithm; the law sets only the maximum limit of the fine.
The Antimonopoly Committee has the ability to define different size of penalties to offenders for the same offenses.
An important task for the anti-trust authorities is their successful cooperation with law enforcement agencies and other state bodies.
Short Abstract for the article
Abstract. The article is devoted to the analysis of such type of competitive offenses as anti-competitive concerted actions, or cartel conspiracies. The author of the article analyzes the composition of this offense and provides the classification of anti-competitive concerted actions depending on various criteria. This type of offense has many shortcomings concerning legislative provisions and practical application of sanctions to violators, procedural moments of revealing and proving the existence of conspiracies.

Keywords

 economic competition; anti-competitive concerted actions; cartels; conspiracies; competitive offenses.

Reviewer

External reviewer

Article in PDF

 119

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Code DOI

 10.31359/2411-5584-2018-34-3-119

15.09.2018