Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 4.07.2003

Federal Law No. 90-FZ of July 2, 2003 on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Azerbaijani Republic on the Delimitation of the Adjacent Parts of the Bottom of the Caspian Sea

Ratifies the Agreement signed in Moscow on September 23, 2002.

Federal Law No. 89-FZ of July 2, 2003 on the Ratification of the Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms in the Member-States of the Commonwealth of Independent States

Ratifies the Convention signed in Kishinev on October 7, 2002.

Federal Law No. 88-FZ of July 2, 2003 on the Creation and Abolishing of the Regional Courts of the City of Moscow and on the Amendment to Article 21 of the RSFSR Law on the Judicial System in the RSFSR

Abandons intermunicipal (regional) people's courts of the city of Moscow and creates 33 regional courts. Lists the territories of the regions of the city covered by the newly created regional courts.

Also changes Article 21 of he Law on the judicial system. According to the introduced amendments, the regional court is created in a court region covering the territory of one region, city or other appropriate administrative territorial unit of the subject of the Russian Federation. The regional court may be created also in a court region with the territory covering common (adjacent) borders of the territories of several regions or other appropriate administrative territorial units of the subject of the Russian Federation.

The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication with exceptions.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 392 of July 2, 2003 on the Amendments to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 828 of July 8, 1997

The Regulation on the passport of the citizen of the Russian Federation is extended to include the norm stating that the passport issued in violation of the established procedure or drawn up on the lost (stolen) blank passport form must be withdrawn by the body of internal affairs of the Russian Federation having revealed such passport.

The Decision also specifies that until December 31, 2004, if the citizen of the Russian Federation travelling by the railway transport from the territory of the Russian Federation to the Kaliningrad Province in transit through the territory of Latvia and back wishes so, his passport may be used to paste in the photographs of children under 14 years of age.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 390 of June 26, 2003 on the Endorsement of the Method of Determination of the Aggregate Weighted Value (Rating) of the Specialised Depositary in the Contest of 2003 for the Specialised Depositary and the Requirements to the Participants and Officials of Participants of the Contest Choosing Management Companies to Conclude Contracts with the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation for Services of a Specialised Depositary and Trusteeship Control of the Resources of Accumulated Pensions

Specifies the procedure of determination of the aggregate weighted value (rating) of the mentioned specialised depositary. Also specifies the requirements to the participants and officials of participants of the contest of 2003 choosing management companies to conclude with the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation contracts of trust for the resources of the accumulated pensions.

Order of the Ministry of the Railways of the Russian Federation No. 38 of June 18, 2003 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Transportation by the Railway Transport of the Cargo Escorted or Guarded by the Consignors, Consignees and the List of Cargo Requiring Obligatory Escort or Guarding

Defines the procedure of obligatory escorting or guarding of cargo in travel by consignors, consignees when transported by the railway transport. Cargo escorting is vested in the conductors represented by the consignor, consignee or their authorised persons including the agency guards of the Ministry of the Railways of Russia and other federal bodies of executive power.

The Order lists the cargo requiring obligatory permanent escorting by the consignors, consignees during the whole of their travel from the point of loading to the point of unloading. Also lists the cargo requiring obligatory escorting and guarding in shifts while in travel.

The rules are entered into force from October 1, 2003.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 30, 2003. Reg. No. 4864.

Order of the Ministry of Taxation of the Russian Federation No. BG-3-03/317 of June 16, 2003 on the Amendments to the Order of the Ministry of Taxation of Russia No. BG-3-03/716 of December 17, 2002 on the Endorsement of the Declaration for Excise Duty Taxes and Its Filling Instruction

Form 4 of the declaration for excise duty taxes is extended to include new sections reflecting the procedure of payment of excise duty taxes in compliance with the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of Turkey on supplies of Russian natural gas to Turkey via the Black Sea of December 15, 1997. Appropriate amendments are introduced in the filling instruction for this declaration.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 30, 2003. Reg. No. 4863.

Order of the Committee of the Russian Federation for Financial Monitoring No. 72 of June 16, 2003 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Decision Taken by the Committee for Financial Monitoring of Russia to Suspend Operation(s) with Monetary Resources or Other Property in Cases Envisaged in the Federal Law on the Countermeasures against Legalisation (Laundering) of Incomes Obtained in a Criminal Way and Financing of Terrorism

The Decision is issued by the Committee for Financial Monitoring of Russia after checking the substantiation of information on suspended operations presented by the organisation carrying operations with monetary resources or other property in compliance with the Federal Law No. 115-FZ of August 7, 2001 on the countermeasures against legalisation (laundering) of incomes obtained in a criminal way and financing of terrorism. The Decision on suspension of operations is issued for up to five working days. No later than the working day following the day of signing of the decision, the Committee for Financial Monitoring of Russia shall send information on suspended operation(s) to the law enforcement bodies.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 30, 2003. Reg. No. 4862.

Order of the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation No. 688 of June 24, 2003 on the Fixing of the Norms of Import of Individual Types of Commodities Permitted for Import without Customs Duties and Taxes According to the Simplified, Exemption Procedure

Reduces the quantity of tobacco items permitted for natural persons to import to the Russian Federation according to the simplified, exemption procedure without customs duties and taxes. It is permitted to import per person up to 50 cigars, up to 100 cigarillos, up to 200 cigarettes and up to 0.25 kg of tobacco. Earlier, it was permitted to import 400 pieces of tobacco items (with tobacco not listed in the mentioned tobacco items).

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 30, 2003. Reg. No. 4861.

Order of the Committee of the Russian Federation for Financial Monitoring No. 64 of June 4, 2003 on the Amendments to the Order of the Committee for Financial Monitoring of Russia No. 62 of September 3, 2002

Changes the procedure of submission to the Committee for Financial Monitoring of Russia of information on operations with monetary resources or other property subject to obligatory control. Endorses the new forms of submitted information for operations, their filling recommendations, as well as the guides of the types of operations and the types of organisations submitting this information. Besides, introduces the guide of the types of unusual operations and the guide of precious metals and precious stones, jewellery of them and scrap of such items information of which being submitted to the Committee for Financial Monitoring of Russia.

Introduces opportunity to transmit the mentioned information via modem communication.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on June 26, 2003. Reg. No. 4832.