The first open meeting of the inter-branch advisory council for the development of the consumer market (IAC) was held on December 6, 2010 in the Chamber of Commerce of Russian Federation.

During the first month of work the IAC has received a significant number of proposals and comments from the suppliers, processors and retailers on possible amendments to the Federal Law № 381 "On the base state regulations of commercial activities in the Russian Federation" and the tax laws regulating consumer markets. All of them have been discussed by the advisory council. Among them were issues including fees paid to commercial network as construction costs for the calculation of income tax, taxation of trade losses, and the revision of the maximum period of price changes approval between distribution networks and suppliers, regulation of distribution, as well as ban on the sale of goods below the purchase price. During the discussion IAC members achieved consensus on some controversial issues, while several other matters are still to be analyzed.

Members of the IAC (The Agriculture Union of Russia, ACORT, RF CCI Committee for Consumer Market Development, the Public Council under the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, RusBrand, Rusprodsoyuz, SOUZMOLOKO, The National Meat Association) invited all the participants of the first public meeting to further public debate of the proposals in order to develop overall consolidated position on these issues.

Subsequently all advisory council offers, that will be supported by all members of IAC will be forwarded for consideration to the Russian Government, the State Duma and The Federation Council.

A. Borisov, the Chairman of the IAC and the Chairman of the RF CCI Committee for Consumer Market Development, emphasized that the goals of the advisory council are not limited only to the elaboration of a consolidated position on the Federal Law, but also include the analysis of the industry problems in general and maintaining of the balance of interests between producers, processors and retailers.

According to Andrey Danilenko, the Chairman of the Public Council of the Ministry of Agriculture, we are now at the beginning of the historical path to formation of self-regulated consumer market.