Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 16.06.2003

Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of June 11, 2003 on the Case of Constitutionality of the Federal Constitutional Law on the Amendments to the Federal Constitutional Law on the Referendum of the Russian Federation

The applicants claim that the adoption of the given Law increases the period prohibiting the initiative of the referendum and the referendum itself, which is in violation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, in particular, its Articles 3, 16, 32, 55. The request pertains only to the referendum initiated by the citizens of the Russian Federation.
The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation recognised the mentioned Federal Constitutional Law, inasmuch as it specifies the period prohibiting the citizens to initiate a referendum of the Russian Federation and the referendum itself, as not contradicting the Constitution of the Russian Federation, since the period permitting the citizens to initiate a referendum of the Russian Federation and directly participate in it must be at least two years long, so as to permit an opportunity to arrange at least two referendums within the four year long election cycle.
The Constitutional Court proceeded from the fact that the periods permitting the citizens to show their free will at elections of the federal bodies of state power and referendums of the Russian Federation must be commensurable.
The Decision is entered into force immediately after annunciation.

Federal Law No. 69-FZ of June 9, 2003 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the State Registration of the Rights for Immovable Property and Deals with It

Amends a great part of the articles of the Law. The changers are aimed at improving the registration procedure, including a more complete protection of civil rights and legal interests of participants of the real estate market. In this connection, the Federal Law extends the authority of the legal institutions in charge of the registration of rights, as well as the authority of tipstaves.
Individual norms have been changed pursuant to the adoption of the normative legal acts of the Russian Federation pertaining to activities of the bodies (organisations) in charge of the state registration and technical inventory of the objects of immovable property.
The Federal Law is entered into force three months after the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 68-FZ of June 9, 2003 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Budget of the Federal Fund of Obligatory Medical Insurance for the Year 2002

The Federal Fund of Obligatory Medical Insurance is permitted to allocate up to 10% of the financial resources of the Fund earmarked to equalise the financial conditions of activities to finance the target regional programs of maternity and childhood protection.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 71-FZ of June 9, 2003 on the Ratification of the Treaties between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Armenia on the Transfer of the Property Owned by the Republic of Armenia to Redeem the Debt in State Credits Granted by the Government of the Russian Federation to the Government of the Republic of Armenia

Ratifies the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Armenia on the procedure of transfer of the state property owned by the Republic of Armenia to redeem the debt in state credits granted by the Government of the Russian Federation to the Government of the Republic of Armenia singed in Yerevan on July 17, 2002 as amended by the Protocol of November 5, 2002.

Federal Law No. 70-FZ of June 9, 2003 on the Ratification of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Lithuanian Republic on the Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf in the Baltic Sea

Ratifies the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Lithuanian Republic on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf in the Baltic Sea singed in Moscow on October 24, 1997.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 335 of June 9, 2003 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Form of the Visa, Procedure and Terms of Its Drawing up and Issue, Prolongation, Reinstatement in Case of Loss, As Well As Revocation

The visa is drawn up on the blank form or using a mastic stamp according to the forms endorsed by the present Decision. The visa is issued by the authorised state body of the Russian Federation (the list being provided in the endorsed Regulation) to a foreign citizen who may apply to this body personally or through an authorised representative.
The drawing up of the visa, including its prolongation and reinstatement, is charged with a state duty and other fees specified in the legislation of the Russian Federation. The time limit to draw up the visa is fixed to within 20 working days from the day of appeal of the foreign citizen. The date of applying for the visa is the day of submission of all appropriately drawn up documents envisaged in the present Regulation.
The Regulation applies to all categories of visas.

Order of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation No. 515 of May 14, 2003 on the Amendments to the Order of the State Customs Committee of Russia No. 848 of December 16, 1998

Changes the rules of filling the cargo customs declaration pertaining to individual columns if a structural division acts on behalf of the Russian legal entity.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 9, 2003. Reg. No. 4665.

Order of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation No. 500 of May 13, 2003 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of the Customs Registration and Customs Control of Commodities of Individual Category Moved across the Customs Border of the Russian Federation

Endorses the procedure of customs registration and customs control of commodities of individual categories including: spare parts, components, parts of a transport vehicle, including added equipment, auxiliaries and service means (including automobile chemicals and cosmetics), lubricants and liquids, except for motor oils, troubleshooting and maintenance equipment and tools, servicing and repair technical documents including guides for transport vehicles, spare parts and accessories (on any medium), accompanying products, promotion items on any medium.
The Order provides the list of the terms to be met by the mentioned commodities to apply the mentioned procedure.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 6, 2003. Reg. No. 4646.

Decision of the Federal Commission for Securities Market No. 03-17/ps of April 1, 2003 on the Distribution and Circulation of Emission Securities of Russian Issuers outside the Russian Federation

Endorses the Regulation on the procedure of issue of the permission of the Federal Commission for Securities Market for distribution or circulation of emission securities of the Russian issuers outside the Russian Federation. Specifies the list of the documents required to get the permission. The documents may be presented together with the documents for the state registration of the issue (additional issue) of emission securities of the Russian issuer to be placed outside the Russian Federation.
The permission of the Federal Commission for Securities Market is issued no later than within 30 days from the date of submission of all documents.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 6, 2003. Reg. No. 4644.