New developments in the regulations of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation: continuity and change

ABSTRACT

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Russia has repeatedly attempted to regulate the socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic zone. The 2020s are marked by the adoption of a series of new policy documents and laws related to the development of this territory. The previous legal and conceptual basis of Russia’s AZRF strategy became obsolete and inadequate to the changing realities and needed to be updated and refocused. This article critically reviews the recent conceptual and legal documents on the AZRF and identifies the distinctive features of the current regulations on the AZRF socioeconomic activities. The overall aim of this article is to examine whether the new acts reflect the adoption of a new approach to the regulation of the Russian Arctic zone. The study identifies distinctive features, some pros and cons of the 2020 Federal law ‘On the State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation’. The author concludes that Russia has refused the idea of adopting a comprehensive law establishing the integrated regulation of the Russian Arctic zone. Instead, Russia relies on laws aimed at regulating specific issues of the socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic. In the final part, the article evaluates the possible effect of the 2020 Federal law ‘On Tax Incentives for Hydrocarbons Production in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation’. The possibility of creating a new state corporation Roshelf is analysed.

KEYWORDS:

• Arctic zone of the Russian Federation
• policy documents
• distinctive features
• Federal Laws
• continental shelf

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

^1. Melnikov, “The population in the Arctic decreased over 15 years by 300,000 people”.

^2. Kovrov, “Features of the development and coordination of strategic documents of the Arctic regions,” 163.

^3. Zakharchuk et al., “Households’ Arctic areas: cash balance of income and expenditure”.2018.

^4. Klimenko. “Russia’s new Arctic policy document signals continuity rather than change”; Buchanan, “The overhaul of Russian strategic planning for the Arctic Zone to 2035”; Laruelle, “Russia’s Arctic Policy: A Power Strategy and Its Limits” ;Devyatkin, “Russia’s Arctic Strategy: Aimed at Conflict or Cooperation? (Part I).

^5. The Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic to 2035, paragraph 5.

^6. The Rules of Navigation in the Water Area of the Northern Sea Route, paragraph 2.

^7. The Regulations for Navigation on the Seaways of the Northern Sea Route, parargaph 7.

^8. The Rules of Navigation in the Water Area of the Northern Sea Route, paragraph 10.

^9. The Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic until 2020, paragraph 11.

^10. The Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic until 2035, paragraph 22.

^11. The Strategy 2035, Par. 30-34.

^12. Korchak and Serova, “Polar Views on the Arctic: Arctic Policies of Russia and Circumpolar Countries,”152.

^13. Government of Canada, “Budget 2019: Arctic and northern summary.”

^14. Kovrov, “Features of the development and coordination of strategic documents of the Arctic regions,” 163.

^15. Federal law “On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation.”

^16. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “About the approval of the rules of coordination for drafting strategies … ”

^17. Nia-Federaciya, “The results of the public discussion of the Arctic-2035 strategy have been summed up.”

^18. The use of information and communication technology(ICT) in political and governance processes.

^19. Emelyantsev, Valentey, “Arctic in the light of the latest legislative initiatives,” 140.

^20. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 1.

^21. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 2.

^22. Decree of President of Russia No. 296.

^23. Decree of President of Russia No. 287.

^24. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 19.

^25. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 14.

^26. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 17.

^27. Draft federal law “On Development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation”. Art. 4 -18.

^28. Kapustin, “From fragmentation to regulation. Law and development of oil and gas resources of the Russian Arctic and continental shelf,”24.

^29. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 9.

^30. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 24.

^31. Ibid.

^32. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 28.

^33. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 5.

^34. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 6.

^35. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 9.

^36. Federal law “On State Support of Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”. Article 7.

^37. Alekseev, “Legal fundamentals of the Arctic Policy,” 32.

^38. The draft federal law “On the Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”.

^39. Egorenkov, “Stages of developments and results of public discussion of the draft federal law “On the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation,” 99.

^40. Leksin, “Current state and goals of public administration of the Russian Arctic socio-development,” 122.

^41. The Federal Law “On amending Tax Code to provide extractive industries with tax privileges”.

^42. “State Programme for the Development of the Continental Shelf in the Period up to 2030”

^43. RBC, “Trutnev proposed to allow foreigners access to the shelf according to the Norwegian model.”

^44. Kommersant, “Roshelf is being drowned by the whole world.”

^45. Interfax, “Trutnev proposed to allow foreigners access to the shelf.”