Russia’s downgrade comes against the backdrop of Western sanctions resulting from the crisis in Ukraine and the countermeasures adopted by Russia in response. The Russian authorities have introduced a one-year import ban with effect from August 2014 targeting EU food products. Separate measures include a ban on imports of Ukrainian food products, including dairy and confectionery. In addition, a number of temporary measures have been adopted over the past year that affect agricultural and manufacturing imports. As a result, Russia’s score has been reduced from 4 to 4-.

Meanwhile, Croatia has been upgraded from 3 to 3+ in the area of competition in light of the country’s accession to the EU and the important amendments to the country’s Competition Act that entered into force in mid-2013. These amendments include the provision of greater clarity regarding the separation of powers and responsibilities between the competition authority and the courts. Croatia has also strengthened the procedures governing raids conducted by the competition authority, which may be associated with firmer and more frequent enforcement of antitrust rules. In Montenegro, the establishment of a fully independent competition authority has led to an upgrade of the competition policy indicator from 2 to 2+. This upgrade is underpinned by signs of increasing prosecution of cartels, despite deficiencies in terms of resources and the resulting enforcement levels.