A team from EPAM’ Competition Law practice successfully represented the interests of Mondi Syktyvkar before the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation. Mondi Syktyvkar is a subsidiary company of international group Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper and Russia’s largest producer of offset paper.

Following an audit of major producers of pulp and paper products, the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) initiated legal proceedings against Mondi Syktyvkar on the grounds that it had abused its dominant market position by setting monopoly prices for offset paper. The basis for the investigation was a significant increase in the cost of offset paper between January and December 2015, the pulp and paper products market being recognised by FAS as socially significant.

The Firm’s legal team successfully proved that, in the period of Mondi Syktyvkar’s price increases, a new company, Archangelsk PPM, had entered the market. This had led to a significant redistribution of market shares between competitors and to the loss of Mondi Syktyvkar’s dominant position.

As a result, FAS ceased its proceedings against Mondi Syktyvkar due to the absence of a violation of competition law.

The Client was represented by Partner Anna Numerova, Counsel Denis Gavrilov, Senior Associate Alexey Rodionov and Associate Maria Kryuchkova.