Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 25.06.2003

Federal Law No. 85-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Amendment to Article 36 of the Federal Law on Political Parties and Amendments to the Federal Law on the Elections of the Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Refines the procedure of participation of electoral blocks in the election of the deputies of the State Duma. All-Russia public organisations and movements will participate as a part of electoral blocks only in the nearest election of the deputies of the State Duma. The Law specifies the list of all-Russia public organisations and movements prohibited from participation in the electoral blocks.
After the nearest election of the deputies of the State Duma, there will be no opportunity to participate in the election to the bodies of state power for public associations other than political parties.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 84-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Amendments to Subitem 2 of Item 4 of Article 98 of the Federal Law on the Elections of the Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

According to introduced amendments, political parties created by transformation of public associations, including those forming part of the electoral blocks, with debts to TV and radio broadcasting organisations and editorial boards of periodicals as of the day of the official publication of the election decision may not enjoy free air time during this election. This provision applies also to electoral blocks created with participation of the mentioned political parities, other all-Russia public associations with the mentioned debt as of the day of the official publication of the election decision.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 83-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Amendments to Subitem "g" of Item 5 of Article 40 of the Federal Law on the Main Guaranties of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in the Referendum of the Citizens of the Russian Federation and Subitem 8 of Item 4 of Article 49 of the Federal Law on the Elections of the Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Refines the list of actions qualified as the use of advantages of the official position of candidates being simultaneously deputies of representative bodies of state power and local government by elective officials. The notion of the "use of advantages of the official position" in the publication of the reports of the deputies and elective officials is restricted to publications in mass media and promotion printed matter.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 82-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Amendments to Item 2 of Article 5 of the Federal Law on the Elections of the Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Specifies that the day of the vote in the election of the deputies of the State Duma is the first (earlier, the second) Sunday of the month of the expiry of the constitutional term of service of the State Duma of the previous convocation.
The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 81-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic on Avoidance of Double Taxation for the Income Taxes

Ratifies the Agreement signed in Damascus on September 17, 2000.

Federal Law No. 80-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Ratification of the Convention between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Iceland on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Evasion of the Income Taxes

Ratifies the Convention singed in Reykjavik on November 26, 1999.

Federal Law No. 79-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the New Zealand on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Evasion of the Income Taxes

Ratifies the Agreement singed in Wellington on September 5, 2000

Federal Law No. 78-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Amendments to Article 97 of the Federal Law on the Federal Budget for the Year 2003 and Article 245 of Part 2 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation

Employees undergoing service in the bodies of control over circulation of narcotic and psychotropic substances are subject to the norms on the monetary foodstuff compensation. Besides, the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Control over Circulation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances is exempted from the uniform social tax.
The Federal Law is entered into force from July 1, 2003.

Federal Law No. 77-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Amendment to Article 4 of the Federal Law on Obligatory Insurance of the Civil Responsibility of the Owners of Transport Vehicles

Specifies that the duty to insure the civil responsibility does not apply to both the owners of transport vehicles of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the owners of transport vehicles of other troops, military formations and bodies envisaging military service. Still preserves the duty to insure for the owners of buses, cars and trailers to them, other transport vehicles used to provide for the economic activities of the mentioned bodies and troops.
The Federal Law is entered into force from July 1, 2003.

Federal Law No. 76-FZ of June 23, 2003 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the State Registration of Legal Entities

The amendments specify the procedure of state registration of independent entrepreneurs taking into account the uniform principles, forms, methods of registration and keeping of the State Register used in this Law. Chapter VII.1 "State Registration of Independent Entrepreneurs" is introduced in the Law. The Law lists information on independent entrepreneurs to be contained in the Uniform State Register of Independent Entrepreneurs. Specifies that information on the place of residence of the particular independent entrepreneur may be granted by the body in charge of the registration only on the basis of the request submitted directly to the body in charge of the registration by a natural person having presented his identification document. The body in charge of the registration must present information at the request of the independent entrepreneur on the persons having applied for information on his place of residence.
The Law lists the documents to be submitted to the body in charge of the registration before January 1, 2005 by the natural person registered as an independent entrepreneur before the entry into force of the Law. If this duty is not fulfilled, the state registration of the given person as an independent entrepreneur loses its power from January 1, 2005.
The Federal Law is entered into force from January 2004 with the exception of the Order to the Government of the Russian Federation to adopt normative legal acts in elaboration of the adopted amendments to be entered into force from the day of the official publication of the Law.

Order of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation No. 532 of May 16, 2003 on the Classification of Individual Commodities According to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation and Confirmation of the Country of Origin of Individual Commodities

Endorses the rules of classification by the customs bodies of individual imported commodities according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation and the procedure of confirmation of the country of origin of these commodities. Lists all information to be contained in the request sent to the customs body to take the decision on the classification of the commodity. Reduces the time of consideration of the request - from 30 to 20 days from the day of registration of the request. The total time of consideration of the request may not be greater than 45 days (earlier, 3 months). As before, the effective period of the decision of the classification of the commodity is 1 year from the moment of issue.
The Order is entered into force thirty days after its official publication.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 20, 2003. Reg. No. 4800

Direction of the Central Bank of Russia No. 1283-U of May 28, 2003 on the Procedure of Fixing of the Book Prices for Refined Precious Metals by the Bank of Russia

Defines the rules of fixing of the book prices for refined precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and palladium) applied for accounting purposes in credit organisations. The book prices are fixed by the Bank of Russia on each working day at 14:00 Moscow time.
For accounting purposes in credit organisations, the book prices are applied from the calendar day following the day of their fixing and preserve their force till the day when the Bank of Russia fixes the new values inclusive.
The Direction is entered into force 10 days after the day of its official publication in the Herald of the Bank of Russia.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 19, 2003. Reg. No. 4759.

Decision of the Federal Commission for Securities Market No. 03-27/ps of May 21, 2003 on the Amendments to the Regulation on Internal Control of a Professional Participant of the Securities Market Endorsed by the Decision of the Federal Commission for Securities Market No. 16 of July 19, 2001

Specifies that if the number of employees of the branch of the professional participant executing the functions directly associated with professional activities at securities market carried out by the branch is less than 12, the functions of the controller of the branch may be executed by the controller of the parent organisation of the professional participant. Earlier, the number of such employees must have been at least 7.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 19, 2003. Reg. No. 4758.

Order of the Ministry of Taxation of the Russian Federation No. BG-3-07/260 of May 22, 2003 on the Endorsement of the Blank From of the Permission to Institute an Excise Duty Warehouse

Endorses the form and description of the blank permission to institute an excise duty warehouse introduced from July 1, 2003. Specifies that an integral part of the permission is the general diagram of the territory housing the rooms used by the taxpayer for production and/or distribution of the alcohol products and indicating the place of location of the excise duty warehouse certified with the signature of the authorised official of the tax body having issued the permission and the seal of the tax body.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 19, 2003. Reg. No. 4745.