Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 22.12.2004

Federal Law No. 168-FZ of December 20, 2004 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on Political Parties

The minimum size of political parties is increased five times: from 10,000 to 50,000 members. In more than half of the subjects of the Russian Federation, the party must have regional divisions numbering at least 500 members (earlier, 100). In the rest of the regional divisions, the amount of each of them may not be less than 250 (earlier, 50) members.

The earlier registered political parties must bring the number of their members in compliance with the mentioned requirements until January 1, 2006. In cases of failure to observe the mentioned requirement, the political party must either reorganise into a public association of another organisational and legal form or be liquidated.

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

Federal Law No. 167-FZ of December 20, 2004 on the Amendments to Article 23 of the Federal Law on the Physical Culture and Sports in the Russian Federation

The amendments eliminate individual inaccuracies in Article 23 "Rights and Duties of an Amateur Sportsman". Amateur sportsmen must avoid using the means (doping) and/or methods prohibited in sports.

Federal Law No. 164-FZ of December 20, 2004 on the Execution of the Budget of the Federal Fund of Obligatory Medical Insurance for the Year 2003

Endorses the report of execution of the budget of the Federal Fund of Obligatory Medical Insurance for the year 2003 with incomes amounting to Rbl 5,795.3 million and expenses amounting to Rbl 5,806.9 million, the excess of expenses over incomes being Rbl 11.6 million.

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

Federal Law No. 163-FZ of December 20, 2004 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Advocacy in the Russian Federation

Specifies that an attorney may not engage in labour relations as an employee except for the scientific, teaching and other creative activities, as well as occupy state positions in the Russian Federation, state positions in the subjects of the Russian Federation, state service positions and municipal positions. The attorney may combine advocacy with the work of the head of an advocacy formation, as well as the work in elected positions of the chamber of attorneys of the subject of the Russian Federation, the Federal Chamber of Attorneys of the Russian Federation, as well as the all-Russia and international public associations of attorneys.

To get the status of an attorney, there exists the following rule: with the persons with the higher legal education being the first higher professional education, the length of work in a legal speciality begins no earlier than after graduation from the appropriate educational institution.

The Law specifies that the chambers of attorneys may not be reorganised. Their liquidation may take place on the basis of the federal law only.

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

Federal Law No. 162-FZ of December 20, 2004 on the Ratification of Protocol 4 between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on the Amendments to the Treaty of March 16, 1995 between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on the Russian Military Base on the Territory of the Republic of Armenia

Ratifies Protocol 4 signed in Yerevan on November 11, 2003.

Federal Law No. 161-FZ of December 20, 2004 on the Ratification of the Protocol on the Amendments to the Agreement on the Main Principles of the Military and Technical Cooperation between the Member-States of the Collective Security Treaty of May 15, 1992

Ratifies the Protocol signed in Yalta on September 19, 2003.

Order of the Federal Agency for Construction and the Housing and Communal Sector No. 197 of November 5, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Receiving, Registration, Storage and Destruction of the Blank Certificates Handed out to Citizens Participating in the Subprogram "State Housing Certificates" for the Years 2004-2010 Forming Part of the Tied Federal Program "Housing" for the Years 2002-2010

Regulates the rules of receiving, registration, storage and destruction of the blank housing certificates. Registration of the blank certificates is arranged on the basis of numbered records. Registration of the blank certificates in the bodies of executive power handing out them is arranged in the logbook of endorsed form.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6211.

Order of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation No. 701 of November 24, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Preparation and Endorsement of the Act of the On-Site Technical Investigation of the Plot of the Forestry Fund

Within one calendar month from the day of endorsement of the act of selection of the plot of the forestry fund, the forestry enterprise shall arrange an on-site technical investigation of the requested plot of the forestry fund and draw up the act of such investigation refining the forestry planning materials. The forestry enterprise may attract a specialised forestry planning organisation to participate in the on-site technical investigation. The act is endorsed within 2 weeks by the head of the forestry agency of the appropriate subject of the Russian Federation.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6207.

Order of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation No. 702 of November 24, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Form of the Act of Selection of the Plot of the Forestry Fund

Endorses the form of the act of selection of the plot of the forestry fund used to convert the forestry lands into non-forestry ones for their use for the purposes other than the forestry activities and use of the forestry fund.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6206.

Order of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation No. 36 of November 22, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Blank Forms of Licenses, License Cards, Access Certificates and Access Cards

Endorses the blank forms of licenses for commercial passenger transportation by cars, passenger transportation in vehicles carrying more than 8 persons, cargo transportation by vehicles carrying more than 3.5 tons (except for the cases when such activities are carried out for the own needs of the legal entity or independent entrepreneur).

Also endorses the blank form of the license card for the motor vehicle, the blank form of the certificate of access of Russian carriers to international highway transportation and the blank form of the access card for the motor vehicle to international highway transportation.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6204.

Order of the Federal Service of Tariff Rates No. 296-t/5 of December 16, 2004 on the Fixing of Exclusive Tariff Rates for Cargo Railway Transportation for the Year 2005

Specifies exclusive tariff rates in the form of reduction coefficients to the actual tariff rates for the return of empty own (leased) cars of the Pricelist No. 10-01 "Tariff Rates for Cargo Transportation and the Services of the Infrastructure Provided by the Russian Railways" to calculate the cost of cargo transportation of specified weight and length out of own (leased) multi-purpose cars. Also specifies individual exclusive tariff rates in the form of coefficients to the actual tariff rate of the Pricelist No. 10-01 and the special rates for cargo railway transportation. The period of validity of the mentioned exclusive tariff rates is fixed from January 1 through December 31, 2005 inclusive.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6201.

Order of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation No. 711 of November 29, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Examination of Requests for the Right of Use of Subsoil Resources for the Purposes of Collection of Mineralogical, Palaeontology and Other Geological Collection Materials

Defines the procedure of processing of requests for the right of use of subsoil resources for the purpose of collection of mineralogical, palaeontology and other geological collection materials, including the samples of minerals, rocks and ores, petrified residues of fauna and flora that may be used to create and replenish collections of scientific, decorative art and other destination, as well as materials for popular crafts. The endorsed procedure does not apply to collection of geological collection materials containing precious metals and precious stones.

Materials of applications for the right of use of subsoil resources are examined within 30 days from the date of receiving of the mentioned materials.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6196.

Order of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation No. 712 of November 29, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Examination of Requests for the Right of Use of Subsoil Resources to Form the Specially Protected Geological Objects

Defines the procedure of processing of requests of the right of use of subsoil resources to form the specially protected geological objects of scientific, cultural, aesthetic, sanitary and rehabilitation and other significance (scientific and educational fields, geological sanctuaries, reserves, monuments of nature, caves and other subsoil cavities). The request is submitted to the Federal Agency of Use of Natural Resources or its territorial body which must examine the expediency of creation of the specially protected geological object within 30 days from the date of receiving of the materials.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6194.

Order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation No. 192 of December 8, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Instruction on the Procedure of Assigning of Conditional Numbers to the Objects of Immovable Property at the State Registration of the Rights for Immovable Property and Transactions with It That Do Not Have Cadastral Numbers Assigned According to the Procedure Specified in the Legislation

Identification of the object of immovable property in the Joint State Register of the Rights for Immovable Property and Transactions with It is arranged using the conditional number in cases when the object of immovable property was not assigned a cadastral number according to established procedure. Identification of the land plot in the Joint State Register of the Rights for Immovable Property and Transactions with It is arranged using the cadastral number assigned to it by the body in charge of the keeping of the State Land Cadastre. The conditional number has the following structure: A-B-C-D, where: A is the two-digit number of the subject of the Russian Federation, B is the two-digit number of the registration district, C is the eleven-digit number of the logbook of incoming documents, D is the three-digit ordinal number of the record in the logbook of incoming documents.

The Order is entered into force from January 1, 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 17, 2004. Reg. No. 6193.