Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 17.05.2004

Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of May 13, 2004 on the Case of Constitutionality of Part 2 of Article 16 of the Law of the Pskov Province on the Protection of Population and Territories against Emergency Situations of Natural and Technical Nature Pursuant to the Request of the Administration of the Pskov Province

The subject under consideration is the norm of the Law stating that the Chief of the Directorate for Civil Defence and Emergency Situations of the Pskov Province is empowered with the status of the Deputy Chief of the province Administration. It was assessed by the court in essence and from the viewpoint of the specified in the Constitution of the Russian Federation 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 its subjects. Earlier, this provision of the Law was recognised as invalid by the decision of the Pskov regional court.

The Constitutional Court confirmed the constitutionality of the given norm with a reservation stating that it may not be interpreted as permitting to empower the mentioned official with the duties other than those corresponding to the nature of his position or the functions of the body headed by him, regulation of the fundamentals of state service specified on the basis of the Constitution of the Russian Federation by the federal laws, as well as the status of serviceman, and other than those stipulated by the need to coordinate the activities of the bodies of public power, organisations and their officials in the solving of the tasks of civil defence, tasks in prevention and elimination of emergency situations. Besides, the court emphasised that dismissal from the position of the Deputy Chief of the Administration of the Pskov Province initiated by the Chief of the Administration (Article 43 of the Charter of the Pskov Province) does not imply simultaneously dismissal from the position of the Chief of the Di rectorate for Civil Defence and Emergency Situations of the province.

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 613 of May 14, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Department of the Press Service and Information of the President of the Russian Federation

The new department is formed in replacement of the two earlier available bodies - Information Department of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation and the Department of the Press Service of the President of the Russian Federation. The main tasks of the department include:

- providing for the implementation of the presidential authority in the sphere of the state information policies;

- providing information on the activities of the President to mass media;

- operative informing of the President of the position of mass media on the decisions and speeches of the head of the state, on the reaction on them in mass media;

- information support of the state, official and other visits, meetings, negotiations.