Russia to remove references to entrepreneurial activities from laws that affect CSOs?
The Russian Ministry of Justice proposes to remove references to entrepreneurial activities from laws that affect CSOs
30.10.2024
Article published on the ASI website
This is seen as necessary in order to bring legislation in line with the Federation’s Civil Code which refers to CSO income-generating activities.
The Government Commission on Legislative Activity has approved a Ministry of Justice bill that includes amendments to several laws that affect CSOs. This was reported on 29 October by the newspaper Vedomosti, who have seen a copy of the bill.
The Ministry of Justice bill includes amendments to the following legislation:
- On Civil Associations;
- On charitable activities and volunteerism (volunteering);
- On Non-Profit Organisations;
- On trade unions, their rights and work guarantees;
- On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations;
- On Political Parties;
- On the State Development Corporation;
- On the State Corporation for Assistance to the Development, Production and Export of High-Tech Industrial Products (Rostec).
Under the amendments, references to CSO entrepreneurial activities will be removed from these laws. According to the Federation’s Civil Code, CSOs can only be involved in income-generating work. Irina Mersiyanova, Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Non-Profit Sector Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told Vedomosti that that the change was purely a technical one but necessary in order to avoid “a confusion of definitions”. The purpose of the amendments is to bring CSO legislation in line with the Federation’s Civil Code.
Provisions relating to non-profit partnerships and civil institutions/charities will also be excluded from the laws as they are not separate organisational or legal forms of CSOs. If the bill is approved, the Ministry will explain how Civil Code rules are to be applied to non-profit organisations.
