Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 22.05.2002

Federal Law No. 55-FZ of May 20, 2002 on the Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation on the Privatisation of the Housing Fund in the Russian Federation

Institutes the right of the citizens of the Russian Federation to privatise the separate dwelling space (rooms) in communal apartments occupied by them, as well as institutes the mechanism of alienation by the owner of the dwelling space in a communal apartment taking into account the priority right of its purchase by owners of other dwelling space in the same apartment.
Sets forth, in particular, that the owner of the privatised dwelling space in a communal apartment possesses the share in the property right for the common property in the communal apartment. This share is proportional to the share of the area of the owned by him dwelling space in the communal apartment, if otherwise is not specified by the agreement of all owners of the privatised dwelling space in the communal apartment.
Citizens that privatised the dwelling space being their only place of permanent residence may hand over their owned and free from obligations dwelling space into the state or municipal property, with the appropriate bodies of executive power, bodies of local government or their authorized persons being obliged to accept it as property and conclude social lease agreements for this dwelling space.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 54-FZ of May 20, 2002 on the Temporary Prohibition to Clone the Human Being

Introduces the temporary - for the term of five years - prohibition to clone the human being. It is also prohibited to import and export the clones of human embryos within the specified time limits. The Federal Law does not apply to the cloning of other organisms.
The Federal Law is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 53-FZ of May 20, 2002 on the Amendments to Articles 5, 6 and 21 of the Federal Law on the Fundamentals of Labour Safety in the Russian Federation

The state expert evaluation of the working conditions shall be carried out by the federal body of executive power and bodies of executive power of the subjects of the Russian Federation in charge of labour safety issues (earlier, the All-Russia State Expert Commission for the Working Conditions and the state export commissions of the subjects of the Russian Federation). The Law also refines the sphere of reference of the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation in the sphere of labour safety.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 52-FZ of May 20, 2002 on the Amendments to Article 13 of the Federal Law on the Principles and Procedure of Delimitation of the Sphere of Reference and Authority between the Bodies of State Power of the Russian Federation and the Bodies of State Power of the Subjects of the Russian Federation

Defines clearly the issues of participation of the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation in the consideration of the draft federal laws in common sphere by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. In particular, regulates the issues of creation and functioning of the conciliation commission involving representatives of the subjects of the Russian Federation to work over the draft federal laws opposed by more than one third of the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The commission may be created only to prepare the draft law for consideration by the State Duma in the first reading. The effective period of the commission may not be greater than one month from the day of adoption of the decision on its creation.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 326 of May 20, 2002 on the Invalidation of the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 532 of July 14, 2001 on the Introduction of Special Duties for Individual Commodities Originating in the Republic of Hungary

In view of the termination of application by the Hungarian Republic of measures violating economic interests of the Russian Federation and Russian enterprises, abandons the rates of special duties for the imported frozen vegetables, fruit and vegetable juices, ready-made soups and bouillons, as well as rape oil and other commodities originating in the Hungarian Republic.
The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 324 of May 20, 2002 on the Licensing of Activities in the Sphere of Hydrometeorology and Adjacent Spheres, As Well As Works in Active Interference in the Hydrometeorological and Geophysical Processes and Phenomena

The licensing applies to the determination of meteorological, climatic and other characteristics of the natural environment; determination of the level of pollution of the natural environment; presentation of information on the condition of the natural environment to consumers. The licensing shall also apply to the works in active intervention in the hydrometeorological and geophysical processes and phenomena, including protection of agricultural plants against hail, regulation of precipitation, fog dissipation, prevention or reduction of ground frost.
The licensing is vested in the Federal Service of the Russian Federation for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. The license is issued for 5 years. The earlier issued licenses preserve their force until expiry.

Decision of the State Standards Committee of the Russian Federation No. 31 of April 22, 2002 on the Invalidation of the Normative Documents on the Licensing of Works in Obligatory Certification

Invalidates the rules of issue of licenses to carry out works in obligatory certification and application of the compliance sing endorsed by the Decision of the State Standards Committee of the Russian Federation No. 12 of May 26, 1994. The given measure is adopted pursuant to the Federal Law on the licensing of individual types of activities that does not envisage the licensing of works in obligatory certification and application of the compliance sign.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on May 20, 2002. Reg. No. 3457.

Order of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation No. 442 of April 30, 2002 on the Invalidation of the Order of the State Customs Committee of Russia No. 349 of April 10, 2001

Beginning with July 1, 2002, invalidates the Order of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation endorsing the Instruction on the procedure of prolongation of proceedings in the cases of violation of the customs rules. The given measure is adopted pursuant to the entering into force from July 1, 2002 of the Code of Administrative Violations.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on May 20, 2002. Reg. No. 3455.

Order of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation No. 443 of April 30, 2002 on the Invalidation of the Direction of the State Customs Committee of Russia No. 01-50/55 of June 5, 1992

Beginning with May 1, 2002, invalidates the Direction of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation No. 01-50/55 on the procedure of customs registration of commodities dispatched form localities significantly detached form the structural customs divisions.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on May 20, 2002. Reg. No. 3454.

Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 320 of April 4, 2002 on the Amendments to the Instruction No. 605 of September 15, 1997 Endorsed by the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

Amends the Instruction on the procedure of issue, replacement, registration and storage of the passports of the citizens of the Russian Federation. Specifies, in particular, that besides personal information of the citizens, the passport shall be used by the bodies of internal affairs to enter records of the earlier issued main documents identifying the citizens of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Russian Federation. Besides, if the citizen wishes so, appropriate tax bodies may also enter the taxpayer identification number in the passport.
The Order also provides the sample stamp of the military duty status, marriage registration stamp entered by the special printer, stamp of the earlier issued main documents identifying the citizen of the Russian Federation.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on May 20, 2002. Reg. No. 3452.

Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 390 of April 27, 2002 on the Working Out and Endorsement of the Specimens of Special Products Permitting the Access of Transport Vehicles and Drivers to Participation in Traffic

Endorses the Instruction on the procedure of working out and endorsement of the specimens of blank driver's licenses, certificates of registration of transport vehicles and other special printed products permitting the access of transport vehicles and drivers to participation in traffic. Also endorses the Instruction on the procedure of endorsement of the specimens of the state registration plates for transport vehicles, coordination of technical specification and design documentation for making them for legal entities and independent entrepreneurs.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on May 18, 2002. Reg. No. 3451.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 15n of March 4, 2002 on the Limiting Norms of Reimbursement of Lodging Expenses during Short-Term Business Trips on the Territories of Foreign Countries

The issue of the new norms of the lodging expenses during short-term business trips pertains to the introduction of euro as the national currency in a number of European countries. The earlier Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 51n of July 11, 2001 on the limiting norms of reimbursement of the lodging expenses during short-term business trips on the territories of foreign countries is invalidated.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on May 15, 2002. Reg. No. 3435.