Introducing amendments to the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union

While working on a client's project, our customs law and foreign trade regulation practice identified legal uncertainties in provisions of customs legislation and inconsistencies between them and provisions of the Federal Law “On the state border of the Russian Federation”. In order to eliminate them, amendments need to be introduced to the Customs Code of the EAEU concerning the release from customs operations for water vessels used in coastal shipping of cargoes, passengers and luggage, including to destinations on the continental shelf.

Our lawyers have prepared amendments and a statement of reasons for them, and followed up the consideration of them in the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Russian Federal Customs Service, Russian Ministry of Finance, in member states of the Eurasian Economic Union and in the Eurasian Economic Commission. The concept underlying the amendments changed twice because of differences in the parties’ positions. Pepeliaev Group's partner Alexander Kosov was authorised to represent Russia when the amendments were discussed at the working group of the Eurasian Economic Commission. The amendments were approved by the Panel of the Eurasian Economic Commission and have been agreed at the national level in Russia.

These amendments will eliminate the need to perform certain customs operations, as well as administrative, legal and criminal law risks connected with the non-performance of them.