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Quick FAQ on Russian Legal System
Overview of Russian Regulatory Structure
Government Structure
The Russian Federation (RF) is a federal state composed of subjects of the Federation: republics, krais (territories), oblasts (regions), cities of federal significance, autonomous okrugs and an autonomous oblast. The division of powers between the Federation and its subjects is defined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, primarily Articles 71–73.
Executive power is structured on two levels:
- the federal level, represented by the Government of the Russian Federation and federal executive bodies (ministries, federal services, federal agencies);
- the regional level, represented by governments and administrations of the subjects of the Federation.
Federal executive bodies operate in three main forms:
- Federal ministries – develop and implement state policy and legal regulation in designated sectors.
- Federal services – perform supervision, control, permitting and enforcement functions.
- Federal agencies – provide public services and manage state property in specific areas.
Executive bodies may have different types of jurisdiction (competence):
- general jurisdiction – full scope of public administration on a given territory (e.g. RF Government, regional government);
- sectoral jurisdiction – authority over a specific sector (e.g. energy, construction, health, transport);
- intersectoral jurisdiction – authority over cross-cutting matters (e.g. environmental protection, technical regulation, statistics);
- intrasectoral jurisdiction – authority over specific functions within a sector (e.g. licensing, inspections);
- special jurisdiction – supervisory, permitting and enforcement functions in defined areas (e.g. industrial safety, sanitary supervision).
Additional coordination and consultative mechanisms include governmental and interagency committees, commissions, and councils created by presidential decrees or government resolutions.
Each executive body operates under a charter (regulation) approved by presidential decree or government resolution, which defines its status, mandate, authority and responsibility.
Government and Key Federal Executive Bodies
Government of the Russian Federation
The Government of the Russian Federation is the highest federal executive authority. It consists of the Chairman (Prime Minister), deputy prime ministers and federal ministers. The Government:
- ensures unified state policy in major areas of governance;
- directs activities of federal ministries, services and agencies;
- issues binding governmental decrees and orders to implement federal laws;
- creates interagency commissions, councils and other coordination bodies.
Official website (EN): https://government.ru/en/
Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
The Ministry of Economic Development (Minekonomrazvitiya Rossii) is responsible for:
- economic policy and investment climate;
- regional development and SME policy;
- socio-economic forecasting and strategic planning;
- public–private partnerships and special economic zones;
- participation in the review of strategic investment projects.
Website (EN): https://en.economy.gov.ru/
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Minprirody Rossii) regulates:
- use, protection and rehabilitation of natural resources (subsoil, water, forests, fauna and habitats);
- environmental protection policy, including waste management and protected areas;
- state environmental assessment and environmental monitoring.
Subordinate bodies include:
- Rosprirodnadzor – environmental and natural-resource supervision and enforcement;
- Rosnedra – subsoil licensing and oversight;
- Rosvodresursy – state water-resource management.
Website (EN): https://www.mnr.gov.ru/en/
Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor)
Rostekhnadzor is a federal service that performs special supervisory and permitting functions in the fields of:
- industrial safety at hazardous industrial facilities;
- nuclear and radiation safety of civil nuclear installations;
- safety of electric and thermal power installations and networks;
- technical aspects of subsoil-use safety.
It issues industrial safety rules, conducts inspections and participates in expert reviews of technically complex facilities.
Website (EN): https://en.gosnadzor.ru/
Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation
The Ministry of Energy (Minenergo) regulates the national energy sector, including:
- oil and gas industry;
- coal sector;
- electric power industry and energy strategy.
Website: https://minenergo.gov.ru/
Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities (Minstroy) and Glavgosexpertiza
The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities (Minstroy Rossii) regulates:
- construction, architecture and urban development;
- housing and communal services;
- technical regulation in construction (SNiP, SP and related documents).
The Federal Autonomous Institution “Glavgosexpertiza of Russia” conducts state expert appraisal of design documentation and engineering surveys and verifies estimated construction costs.
Websites: https://minstroyrf.gov.ru/, https://gge.ru/en/
Ministry of Finance and Federal Tax Service (FNS)
The Ministry of Finance (Minfin Rossii) is responsible for:
- fiscal, budget and tax policy;
- currency-control policy;
- financial regulation and state programs.
The Federal Tax Service (FNS Rossii) administers taxes and levies and is responsible for tax collection, audits and taxpayer registration.
Websites: https://minfin.gov.ru/en/, https://www.nalog.gov.ru/eng/
Federal Customs Service (FCS)
The Federal Customs Service administers state customs policy and is responsible for:
- customs control and clearance of goods;
- application of tariff and non-tariff measures;
- customs aspects of import/export compliance.
Website (EN): https://eng.customs.gov.ru/
Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM)
EMERCOM is responsible for:
- civil defence;
- emergency prevention and response;
- supervision of emergency preparedness at hazardous facilities.
Website (EN): https://en.mchs.gov.ru/
Ministry of Health and Rospotrebnadzor
The Ministry of Health (Minzdrav Rossii) regulates the national healthcare system and public health policy.
The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) performs sanitary and epidemiological supervision and:
- approves sanitary rules and norms (SanPiN);
- approves hygienic norms (GN) and related documents;
- issues sanitary-epidemiological conclusions for facilities and activities.
Websites: https://minzdrav.gov.ru/en, https://www.rospotrebnadzor.ru/en/
Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo)
Rosrybolovstvo regulates the use and protection of aquatic biological resources and fisheries, classifies fishery areas and enforces fisheries protection legislation.
Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr)
Rosreestr is responsible for:
- state registration of rights to real estate;
- maintenance of the Unified State Register of Real Estate;
- cadastral registration and land supervision.
Website: https://rosreestr.gov.ru/
Legislative and Regulatory Framework
Hierarchy of Laws and Regulations
The hierarchy of Russian legislation and regulations reflects the federal structure of the state.
Federal legislative authority is vested in the Federal Assembly, which consists of the Federation Council and the State Duma. They adopt federal constitutional laws and federal laws. Regional legislative bodies adopt laws effective within their subjects of the Federation.
The President, the Government and various executive bodies are authorized to issue sublegislative acts (bylaws) to implement federal laws and regulate matters within their competence. Sublegislative acts must conform to the Constitution and laws.
In case of conflicts of laws, the following rules generally apply:
• Conflict between the Constitution and any other legal act: the Constitution takes precedence.
• Conflict between a law and a sublegislative act: the law takes precedence.
• Conflict between a federal act and an act of a subject of the RF: for matters of joint jurisdiction, the federal act prevails; for matters of exclusive regional competence, the act of the subject may prevail.
• Conflict between two acts issued by the same body: the more recent act generally takes precedence.
• Conflict between two acts issued by different bodies: the act with higher legal force prevails.
• Conflict between a general act and a specific act: the specific act applies unless superseded by a later general act.
The system of Russian legislation and regulations consists of the following sources (in descending order of legal force):
Laws
- Constitution of the RF – has supreme legal force and direct effect throughout the territory of the Federation. No law or other legal act may contradict the Constitution.
- Universally recognized principles and norms of international law and international treaties of the RF – form part of the Russian legal system. If a ratified treaty establishes rules different from domestic law, the treaty rules apply.
- Federal constitutional laws – regulate matters of particular constitutional importance (e.g. constitutional court, government, state of emergency).
- Federal laws – including codified acts (Civil Code, Land Code, Water Code, Forest Code, Urban-Planning Code, etc.) and other sectoral laws.
- Laws and constitutions/charters of subjects of the Federation – adopted by regional legislatures and applicable within the relevant subject of the RF.
Sublegislative Acts
- Presidential decrees (ukazy) and orders (rasporyazheniya) – address important state matters and organizational issues.
- Government resolutions (postanovleniya) and orders (rasporyazheniya) – adopt rules of general effect and specific decisions within the Government’s jurisdiction.
- Normative acts of federal ministries, services and agencies – departmental acts (orders, rules, instructions) adopted within their competence.
- Normative acts of subjects of the RF and municipalities – laws, decrees, and local acts regulating regional and local matters.
Departmental rule-making is regulated by federal acts on the procedure for development, state registration and publication of normative legal acts of federal executive bodies. Departmental acts that affect citizens’ rights or regulate intersectoral matters are subject to mandatory state registration by the Ministry of Justice and official publication. Unregistered and/or unpublished acts do not acquire legal force.
Departmental and Technical Normative Documents
Federal ministries and government agencies issue auxiliary technical and sectoral documents regulating specific topics within their jurisdiction. Common types include:
Name (Russian Acronym) / Issuing Body
State Standard (GOST / GOST R) – Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart)
Sectoral Standard (OST) – Federal executive bodies in specific sectors
Construction Norms and Rules (SNiP) – Ministry of Construction (Minstroy); many SNiP have been updated as SP
Codes of Practice / Collections of Rules (SP) – Ministry of Construction (Minstroy)
Construction Guidelines (RDS) – Ministry of Construction (Minstroy) and subordinate institutes
Sanitary Rules and Norms (SanPiN) – Rospotrebnadzor and the Chief State Sanitary Doctor
Sanitary Norms (SN) – Rospotrebnadzor / sanitary-epidemiological system
Hygienic Norms (GN) – Rospotrebnadzor / Chief State Sanitary Doctor
Guidelines (RD, methodological documents) – Federal executive bodies (Minprirody, Minstroy, Rospotrebnadzor, Rostekhnadzor, Minenergo, Rosstandart, etc.)
Safety Rules (PB) – Rostekhnadzor, Minstroy, Minenergo and other competent authorities
- Under the Constitution and federal law on local self-government, municipal administrations and representative bodies may issue local acts to regulate matters of local significance, including introduction of local taxes and dues, land allocation and construction planning within their territories.
- Under federal laws on the judicial system, plenums of the Supreme Court issue interpretative rulings that clarify application of legislation by courts. While not laws, these rulings are an important source of official interpretation for regulators and businesses.
- USSR legislation remains applicable only where it has not been expressly repealed and does not conflict with the Constitution of the RF and current Russian legislation; in most key sectors it has been largely superseded.
