A law has been adopted on the handling of secondary raw materials Pepeliaev Group advises that, on 14 July 2022, a law was published that determines the legal regime for secondary resources, secondary raw materials and industrial by-products.

A law has been adopted that contains mechanisms for blocking the actions of foreign companies that may pose a threat to the uninterrupted and rational use of subsoil resources or of facilities of cross-border gas transportation infrastructure Pepeliaev Group advises that on 6 July 2022 the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation adopted a Law that provides for a mechanism for the mandatory transformation of a branch (representative office) of a foreign company whose activity relates to using subsoil resources into a Russian limited liability company (an LLC), and for a mechanism limiting the rights of foreign investors having membership of a Russian company whose activity relates to using subsoil resources. 

The Tax Code has been supplemented with chapter 3.6, which establishes taxation specifics of implementing an APECI Pepeliaev Group advises that on 28 June 2022, two federal laws were adopted that amend the Tax Code and Federal Law “On protecting and encouraging capital investments in the Russian Federation” and that are aimed at improving the mechanism of APECIs.

The State Duma has adopted a law that grants the lessor a number of additional rights in a situation when the lessee is a commercial and/or public catering organisation and is connected with a hostile state/territory On 28 June 2022 the Russian State Duma adopted a Law whereby lessors, under certain conditions, are granted the right to charge a larger rent from lessees that are connected with hostile states/territories and the right to withdraw from lease agreement with such lessees unilaterally.

A law has been signed to the effect that only Russian persons may use subsurface resources The Law was signed and officially published on 28 June 2022. It provides that foreign persons no longer have the right to use subsurface resources in the Russian Federation.

Prosecutors are being vested with the right to challenge business entities’ transactions closed in violation of russian legislation The State Duma has passed the law to considerably extend the supervisory functions of prosecutors in controlling transactions in terms of their compliance with sanctions , anti-money laundering, customs, tax and currency legislation.

Administrative liability has been introduced for sellers (providers, or owners of aggregators) for groundlessly compelling consumers to provide personal data On 28 May 2022, the Russian President signed the Law on amending article 14.8 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences[1] (the “Law”) in terms of additional measures of administrative liability being introduced for compelling consumers to provide personal data.

Starting from 1 September 2022, a new system will be introduced for keeping a record of advertising in the Internet The individual provisions of the Federal Law on Advertising will come into force which are aimed at improving relationships in relation to advertising published on the Internet information and telecommunications network (the “Internet”).

A prohibition has been introduced on the inclusion in the contract of conditions that infringe on the rights of consumers, and a prohibition on the unreasonable collection of a consumer's personal data On 1 May 2022, the President of the Russian Federation signed the Law amending article 16 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On the Protection of Consumers' Rights”.

The deadlines for the payment of insurance premiums have been extended by a year for a number of categories of payers

The Government’s Decree No. 776 dated 29 April 2022.

The Russian Government has extended the deadlines for the payment of insurance premiums by a year for a number of categories of payers.

The Government put before the State Duma a draft law on the taxation of digital rights On 14 April 2022 the Government put before the State Duma a draft law on the taxation of digital rights (transactions with digital financial assets).

A draft law has been submitted to the State Duma for the protection of personal data subjects to be enhanced On 6 April 2022, a draft law  was submitted to the State Duma providing for amendments to be introduced to Federal Law No. 152-FZ “On personal data” (the “Draft Law”). The draft law intends to enhance the protection of Russian citizens’ rights to the sanctity of their private life.