Translated material
Import without bugs
The Antimonopoly Service has declared phytosanitary control over the import of foreign cars illegal
The Federal Antimonopoly Service demanded the abolition of phytosanitary control over the import of used foreign cars. On July 15, Rosselkhoznadzor established a new list of goods subject to mandatory quarantine inspection for the presence of harmful insects. Among other things , the list included used cars imported from abroad . Since mid-summer, at the request of Rosselkhoznadzor and the Federal Customs Service, foreign cars had to undergo phytosanitary control twice: when crossing the border and when delivering to their destination. The list of “regulated products and goods subject to state phytosanitary control” included all types of cars, trucks and buses.The Antimonopoly Service, having carried out an inspection, found in the joint decision of the two departments a violation of the law on the protection of competition, namely a violation of the “prohibition of agreements restricting competition and coordinated actions of government authorities.” As Sergei Abyshev, deputy head of the FAS government control department, emphasized, in this way officials created unreasonable obstacles for the activities of importing companies and citizens trying to import used cars into Russia. From the conclusion of the antimonopoly agency it follows that “anti-bug” control can lead to an unreasonable increase in the cost of importing goods.
Among other things, as Mr. Abyshev noted, Rosselkhoznadzor, by approving the lists of regulated products, exceeded its authority.” As the FAS representative explained, only the government had the right to establish such restrictions, but not a separate federal agency.