Analytics Legal analytics Commercial practice

SPIC 1.0. Investors are given back the proven mechanism and the right to extend contracts due to the sanctions

On 14 March 2022, a law came into force reviving the SPIC 1.0 mechanism for new investment projects, and allowing extending the terms of contracts already concluded due to foreign sanctions. The amendments were developed by the Government as part of a package of anti-crisis measures.

As part of the development of this law, the Government has also clarified the rules for concluding SPIC 1.0. The updated rules came into effect on 1 April 2022.

Antitrust Compliance Law Adopted

On March 1, 2020, the President of the Russian Federation signed a law amending the Law on the Protection of Competition and at the level of federal legislation defines the concept of antitrust compliance and the basic requirements for it.

From equivalence to interchangeability and vice versa

Interchangeability of medicines has always been of concern to pharma market participants. However, year by year, this issue brings up more questions than answers. From January 2018 the information on interchangeability of medicines will be subject to inclusion into the state register of medicines.

Personal data protection in Russia: a brief overview

The protection of personal data is becoming one of today’s most pressing issues, resulting in modernization of national legislation on personal data. Federal Law No. 152-FZ dated July 27, 2006 "On Personal Data" (as amended) (hereinafter The Law
Personal Data) defines the basics of personal data regulation in Russia. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will take effect in May 2018, gives rise to more discussion than any other supranational act. The GDPR will be directly applicable to a number of Russian companies, since they collect data of European citizens.

VEGAS Academy: regulatory updates for the Russian pharmaceutical sector, September 2017

Within the framework of VEGAS Academy platform, we continue our monthly series of video updates on the key regulatory developments in the Russian pharmaceutical sector (in English language).

VEGAS Academy: regulatory updates for the Russian pharmaceutical sector, July 2017

Within the framework of VEGAS Academy platform, we continue our monthly series of video updates on the key regulatory developments in the Russian pharmaceutical sector (in English language).

Differentiation of liability for anti-competitive agreements

Federal Law No. 135-FZ dated July 26th, 2006 and entitled “On protecting competition” established several types of anti-competitive agreements that are prohibited (cartels, vertical agreements, and other agreements). These varieties differ significantly from each other in terms of the degree of their negative impact on competition and the threat they present for the public. However, until just now the measures for administrative enforcement that could be taken with people who signed any one of these anti-competitive agreements did not differ from each other in any way.

Trade Act: new rules

In July of this year, substantial changes were made to the Federal Law dated 28.12.2009 No. 381-FZ “On the Basis of State Regulation of Commercial Activities in the Russian Federation”. The most controversial and debated turned out to be a new provision, which provides for the limitation of the total amount of remuneration payable to suppliers of food products to retail chains for the acquisition of a certain number of goods, and the payment for additional services.

Preferences for Russian goods during procurement, according to law No. 223-FZ

On 16 September 2016, the Russian Government adopted Decree No. 925 "On the priority of goods of Russian origin, works and services carried out or rendered by Russian entities in relation to goods originating from a foreign country, works and services carried out or rendered by foreign entities". This decree states the priority be given to Russian goods / Russian entities during procurement, carried out under the Federal Law of 18 July 2011 No. 223-FZ "On procurement of goods, works and services from certain kinds of legal entities". The decree shall enter into force on 1 January 2017.

Purchases under new preference rules in exchange for investments

On 1 September 2016, shall come into force changes to the Federal Law “On the contract system in the procurement of goods, works and services for state and municipal needs”, made by the Federal Law dated 3 July 2016 No. 365-FZ.