The Federation Council at a meeting on June 7 approved the law on comprehensive regulation of the tobacco market. The document was initiated by the Government of the Russian Federation.
The law is intended to improve state regulation of the production and turnover of tobacco products, nicotine-containing products and raw materials for their production, and establishes specialized control (supervision) in this area.
The document provides for licensing activities in the field of production and turnover of tobacco, nicotine-containing products and raw materials, setting requirements for equipment for their production, including the obligation for its state registration and conservation in case of non-use, regulation of accounting of products and raw materials, which will be based, among other things, on the "Honest Mark" labeling system. In addition, specialized state control in this area is being introduced, as well as the suppression of illegal production and turnover of products and raw materials.
To prevent the illegal production of tobacco products, tobacco and nicotine-containing products and raw materials, it is proposed to establish requirements for the main technological equipment for their production. The obligation for its mandatory state registration is introduced. To account for the volume of production and turnover of tobacco products, it is envisaged to use the state information system for monitoring the turnover of goods subject to mandatory labeling by means of identification.
Seized or confiscated tobacco products, tobacco products, raw materials, nicotine-containing products, packaging, labels are removed from the place of seizure and destroyed by a court decision. The equipment is also subject to disposal after a court decision.
The law gives Rosalkogolregulirovanie the authority to control (supervision) in the field of production and turnover of tobacco products, tobacco and nicotine-containing products, as well as raw materials for their production.
Marking exceptions
The production and turnover of tobacco and nicotine-containing products should be carried out only with identification means applied to such products. Exceptions are: samples and samples of tobacco and nicotine-containing products taken for testing in order to assess compliance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation and international standards; products withdrawn from illicit trafficking.
In addition, identification means may not be applied if the goods are intended for diplomats, consuls, international organizations, as well as if information about the transaction for the purchase of the relevant products is a state secret. Citizens can import tobacco and nicotine-containing products without means of identification for personal use. At the same time, there are restrictions on the quantity: no more than 200 cigarettes, 200 products with heated tobacco, 50 cigars, 250 g of tobacco per individual.
A phased entry into force of the law is planned. From September 1, 2023, the requirements for license applicants, including in terms of registration of the main technological equipment, will come into effect. From March 1, 2024, the provisions on state control, on the withdrawal of products and equipment from illicit trafficking, on the requirements for accounting for production and turnover of products and raw materials will begin to apply.
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