Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 6.02.2006

Federal Law No. 23-FZ of February 2, 2006 on the Amendment to Article 52 of the Fundamentals of Legislation of the Russian Federation on Protection of Health of Citizens

The Government of the Russian Federation is entitled to define the procedure of determination of the degree of damage to health of citizens.

The mentioned authority is implied in Article 16 of the Federal Constitutional Law No. 2-FKZ of December 17, 1997 on the Government of the Russian Federation stating that measures to implement the right of citizens for protection of health, sanitary and epidemiological well-being are taken by the Government of the Russian Federation.

Federal Law No. 22-FZ of February 2, 2006 on the Handing over to the Hungarian Republic of the Books from the Library of the Sarospatak Reformed College of the Pritissaisk Eparchy of the Hungarian Reformed Church Moved to the USSR after World War II and Stored in the Nizhny Novgorod State Provincial Universal Scientific V.I.Lenin Library

The mentioned cultural values are handed over to the Hungarian Republic. The given books were moved to the USSR after World War II and are returned to satisfy the demand of the Hungarian Republic to return to the Sarospatak Reformed College of the Pritissaisk Eparchy of the Hungarian Reformed Church the books qualified as cultural values of unique nature, special historical, art and scientific value.

Federal Law No. 21-FZ of February 2, 2006 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Hydrometeorological Service

The amendments envisages a delimitation of the sphere of reference between the federal bodies of state power and the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation in the sphere of hydrometeorology. Besides the works of federal significance, there will also be appropriate works of regional significance implied to be the ones providing for the implementation of the authority of the subjects of the Russian Federation to prevent emergency situations of inter-municipal and regional nature, natural disasters, epidemics and elimination of their consequences, as well as arrange and implement inter-municipal programs and projects in the sphere of protection of the environment and ecological safety.

The Law provides definitions of the notions of "storm warning", "storm information", "natural hazard", "hydrometeorological safety" and refines definitions of some other notions.

The federal body of executive power in charge of the hydrometeorology shall endorse according to established procedure the list of works of federal significance, organise and provide for execution, work together with other federal bodies of executive power within their sphere of reference and maintain interaction with the bodies of executive power of the subjects of the Russian Federation.

Federal Law No. 19-FZ of February 2, 2006 on the Amendments to Some of the Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation and Invalidation of Individual Provisions of Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Pursuant to Adoption of the Federal Law on the Placing of Orders for Supplies of Commodities, Carrying out Works and Rendering Services for State and Municipal Needs

Introduces 38 amendments to legislative acts pertaining to the placing of orders for supplies of commodities, carrying out works, rendering services for state and municipal needs. The amendments remove controversies and inconsistencies having emerged pursuant to the adoption of the Federal Law No. 94-FZ of July 21, 2005 on the placing of orders for supplies of commodities, carrying out works, rendering services for state and municipal needs.

According to the Federal Law, the placing of orders for state and municipal needs regardless of their type, including the orders for audit, bank and other services, may be arranged not only through contests, but also in other ways. An opportunity is envisaged to conclude state and municipal contracts for more than one year.

Besides, an administrative responsibility of officials of the state and municipal orderers is introduced for the violation of the requirements of the Federal Law on the placing of orders for supplies of commodities, carrying out works, rendering services for state and municipal needs.

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

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 56 of February 1, 2006 on the Endorsement of the Rate of the Import Customs Duty for Some Types of Furniture Auxiliaries

The rate of the import customs duty for furniture auxiliaries and similar parts of non-precious metals (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 8302 42 900 0) is fixed in the amount of 5% of the customs cost on unlimited basis. Earlier, the similar rate was introduced by the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 177 of April 4, 2005 for 9 months.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 51 of February 1, 2006 on the Endorsement of the Rates of Export Customs Duties for Commodities of Oil Exported from the Territory of the Russian Federation outside the Member-States of the Customs Union Agreements

The rate of the export customs duty for propane, butanes, ethylene, propylene, butylenes, butadiene, other liquefied gases, xylenes, light and medium distillates, gas oils, benzene and toluene is reduced form USD 133.5 to USD 120.7 per ton. The rate of the export customs duty for lubrication oils, liquid fuels, spent oil products, petrolatum, paraffin, wax, petroleum bitumen and coke is reduced from USD 71.9 to USD 65 per ton.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 865 of December 31, 2005 on Additional Measures to Implement the Tied Federal Program "Housing" for the Years 2002-2010

Provides a new wording for the tied federal program "Housing" for the years 2002-2010.

The second stage of the mentioned program (2005-2010) will continue reforms in the housing sphere. Analysis of results of the first state of implementation of the program "Housing", as well as the entry into force of a packet of federal laws to build a market of affordable housing, permitted to introduce amendments to the program to provide for implementation of the main directions of the state housing policy in the framework of the national priority project "Affordable and Comfortable Housing to Citizens of Russia". The goals and tasks of the tied federal program "Housing" at the second stage are determined by the goals and tasks of the mentioned national project. To achieve this goal, the main tasks of the tied federal program are refined: creation of conditions for development of the housing sector and improvement of available dwelling space figures through increased volumes of construction with necessary communal infrastructure, development of financial and credit institutions and mechanisms; creation of conditions to bring the existing housing fund and communal infrastructure in compliance with the quality standards providing for comfortable living; providing affordability for the population of the housing and communal services at the level corresponding to their solvent demand and social standards.

Solution of the given tasks will be provided through implementation of a complex of normative and legal, organisational and financial measures in the four main directions: development of housing construction, improvement of the housing and communal complex; development of the mortgage housing crediting and the housing market; providing social dwelling space and execution of state obligations to provide dwelling space to individual categories of citizens.

Four priorities are isolated in the framework of the national project at the first stage of implementation (2006-2007) that will provide for the best achievements: increased volumes of mortgage housing crediting; increased affordability of dwelling space; increased volumes of housing construction and modernisation of communal infrastructure; implementation of state obligations to individual categories of citizens.

The total volume of financing of the tied federal program in 2006-2010 will amount to Rbl 902.4 billion from all sources.

The program must provide for the growth of the newly built and reconstructed housing to 80 million square meters a year, affordability of the dwelling space with the average cost of a standard 54 square meter apartment being equal to the average aggregate monetary income of the family of three members for three years. A reduction of the waiting time to get social dwelling space for low-income citizens is expected to be from 15-20 years to 5-7 years.

Decision of the Federal Service of State Statistics No. 107 of December 23, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Uniform Forms of Initial Registration Documents of Registration of Employees Going and Coming on Business Trips in the Federal State Bodies

Endorses uniform forms of initial registration documents to register employees going and coming on business trips in the federal state bodies: TK-1 (gos) "Ledger of Employees Going on Business Trips"; TK-2 (gos) "Ledger of Employees Coming on Business Trips".

The given forms shall apply to all federal state bodies to register federal state civil servants and other employees going on business trips to other state bodies and organisations and coming on business trips from other state bodies and organisations.

According to the Statement of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation No. 01/438-Ye3 of January 25, 2006, the Order does not need the state registration.