Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 5.12.2005

Federal Law No. 150-FZ of December 2, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Operative Investigation Work

The amendments remove a number of gaps and controversies. Since the criminal legislation envisages responsibility for the publicly dangerous actions and failure to act, appropriate changes are introduced in the articles defining the tasks of the operative investigation work, the grounds and terms of operative investigation work.

Federal Law No. 149-FZ of December 2, 2005 on the Amendments to Article 47 of the Federal Law on the Military Duty and Military Service

A serviceman with expired length of service in the military grade who has a scientific degree or grade and occupies a position in the teaching staff in a military educational institution may obtain one step higher military grade for the personal achievements, however, not higher than colonel or captain 1st grade. Earlier, such restriction was set at the level of major or captain 3rd grade.

The Federal Law is entered into force from January 1, 2006.

Federal Law No. 148-FZ of December 2, 2005 on the Ratification of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Russian-Kazakhstan State Border

Ratifies the Treaty signed in Moscow on January 18, 2005. The Treaty provides the description of the state border between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Federal Law No. 147-FZ of December 2, 2005 on the Amendment to Article 2 of the Federal Law on the State Regulation of Tariff Rates for Electric and Thermal Power in the Russian Federation

The Government of the Russian Federation shall specify the limiting levels of tariff rates for electric and thermal power supplied by power-supply organisations to consumers, including the limiting levels of tariff rates for the population, before introduction of the draft federal law on the federal budget for the subsequent fiscal year to the State Duma. The given change will permit to take account of the impact of the limiting levels of tariff rates for electric and thermal power on the parameters of the federal budget for the subsequent fiscal year in the course of discussion of the draft federal law on the federal budget before its introduction in the State Duma.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 710 of December 1, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rate of the Import Customs Duty for Rice and Mills and Groats of It

From January 10, 2006, the rate of the import customs duty for rice and mills and groats of it (codes according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of Russia 1006, 1103 19 500 0, 1103 20 500 0, 1104 19 910 0, 1108 19 100 0) is preserved in the amount of EUR 0.07 per kg. The given rate shall apply on unlimited basis. Earlier, the mentioned rate was introduced by the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 115 of March 3, 2005 for 9 months.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 706 of November 30, 2005 on the Measures to Arrange an Obligatory Audit Check

Defines the procedure of carrying out of an open contest to select the audit organisation to carry out the obligatory annual audit check of the organisation with the share of the state property or the property of the subject of the Russian Federation in the registered (shared) capital being at least 25%. The contest shall be arranged to reveal an audit organisation providing for better terms of obligatory audit check of financial (accounting) reports of the organisation. The contest shall be arranged at least once in three years. The Decision defines the procedure of preliminary selection of audit organisations, requirements to the notification and the request for participation in the contest, procedure of arranging the contest and determination of the winner. Thus, the request for participation in the contest must contain a technical and financial proposals of the audit organisation, as well as information on its compliance with the requirements to the contest participants (if there was no preliminary select ion).

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 705 of November 30, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Reimbursement of Expenses to Pay for the Home Telephone to Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation, Bearers of the Order of Glory, Widows and Parents of the Mentioned Persons in Cases of Their Death (Being Killed) and to Pay for the Telephone to Public Charitable Associations (Organisations) Created by the Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation and the Bearers of the Order of Glory

To get compensations, the mentioned persons and associations (organisations) shall submit at the place of residence/place of registration to the body in charge of social protection application to get the compensation while indicating their user telephone number, postal address, requisites of the organisation of the federal postal communication or requisites of the account opened by the recipient of the compensation in a credit organisation.

The authorised body shall take the decision within 15 days from the date of submission of the application with all necessary documents to register the applicant as a recipient of the compensation or refuse to pay the compensation.

Recipients of the compensation shall make payments for the telephone use and submit payment documents to the authorised body directly or by postal dispatch. The compensation will be paid out in full amount according to expenses indicated in the payment documents no later than within 2 months from the date of submission of the payment documents by the recipient of the compensation.

The Decision is entered into force from January 1, 2006.

Order of the Federal Tax Service No. SAE-3-21/551@ of October 31, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Forms of Tax Notifications

Provides the forms of tax notifications for the payment of the following taxes by natural persons: property tax, land tax and transport tax. The tax notifications shall indicate the amount of the tax due for payment, calculation of the taxable base, as well as the time limit for the payment of the tax. The tax notification shall be sent by the tax body to the taxpayer no later than 30 days in advance of the time limit of payment. The tax notifications shall be sent simultaneously with the payment documents (tax).

The Order shall enter into force from January 1, 2006.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on November 30, 2005. Reg. No. 7216.

Order of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation No. 289 of October 25, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Lists of Objects of Flora Entered in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and Excluded from the Red Book of the Russian Federation (As of June 1, 2005)

Endorses the list of objects of flora entered in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, as well as the list of objects of flora excluded form the Red Book as of June 1, 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on November 29, 2005. Reg. No. 7211.