Court acknowledged illegal FAS’ decision on the purchase of pipes by Gazprom

In May, the Ninth Moscow Arbitration Court declared illegal the decision of the FAS on the case of Gazprom on the purchase of large diameter pipes with large lots, the court reports. The FAS' opinion that in 2008-2011 Gazprom violated the competition law was found unproven by the Court of First Instance, and the Appellate Court agreed with this conclusion.

The FAS accused Gazprom in the fact that in 2008-2011 the gas monopoly bought LDP at tenders with too big lots that exceeded the production of Russian pipe plants separately, and thus, the company didn’t allow them to directly participate in tenders. Gazprom included pipes or joints in some smaller lots that Russian companies didn’t produce, and therefore excluded them from tendering, a source close to the FAS says.