Digest | 4 December – 11 December 2025

The restrictions on transactions involving stakes held by investors from "unfriendly" countries in a number of Russian companies have been extended. The government has established a working group on the platform economy, while major retailers have backed banks in their dispute with marketplaces. Sellers will soon receive fines automatically based on data from the national product labeling system. The launch of the localization scoring system for pharmaceuticals is also expected to be postponed.

The Russian President has extended, through the end of 2027, the ban on transactions involving shares held by investors from "unfriendly" countries in the authorized capital of strategic enterprises, energy companies, banks, and subsoil users. The restriction preventing Russian residents from acquiring stakes in foreign companies without approval from the Central Bank has also been extended through the end of 2026.

Both presidential decrees were originally introduced in 2022. One is aimed at limiting the withdrawal of foreign investors from strategic projects in Russia, while the other is intended to prevent capital outflows from the country.

The government has appointed 24 experts to the new working group, including representatives of digital platforms, business associations, and major retailers. Maksim Kolesnikov, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development, will co-chair the group on behalf of the government.

The working group will review secondary legislation related to the Law on the Platform Economy, as well as regulatory requirements affecting the sector.

Russia's largest retailers have called for stricter regulation of marketplaces to curb aggressive price competition. Their proposals include limiting the amount of money marketplaces can spend on discounts and creating more equal competitive conditions for sellers. Retailers have also urged the government to speed up the introduction of VAT on goods purchased abroad by individuals.

The Government Commission on Legislative Activities has approved amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses that would allow violations to be detected automatically through the Chestny ZNAK digital labeling system starting March 1, 2026.

The first businesses affected will be sellers of cigarettes and vaping products. Violations such as selling expired products or selling goods above or below regulated prices will be identified automatically.

The system will gradually expand to other industries. From March 1, 2026, manufacturers of dietary supplements, beer, and low-alcohol beverages will also be subject to automatic fines for selling expired products. Beginning July 1, 2026, the mechanism will apply to all expired labeled goods. Administrative penalty notices will be issued electronically, similar to traffic fines.

The Russian government is expected to delay the introduction of the localization scoring system for pharmaceuticals by six months.

Under draft amendments to Government Resolutions No. 1875 of December 23, 2024, and No. 1392 of September 10, 2025, manufacturers will be able to continue confirming the country of origin for medicines and medical devices using either an ST-1 certificate or a registry entry without localization points until July 1, 2026, instead of January 1, 2026.

The postponement is intended to align the rollout of the localization scoring system with the launch of the "second extra" procurement mechanism for strategically important medicines, which the Ministry of Finance has also proposed delaying until July 1, 2026.

The rules and criteria for compiling the list of strategically important medicines are expected to be approved by March 24, 2026, with the final list to be adopted by June 10, 2026. Medicines and medical devices that score at least 50 localization points will qualify as Russian-made and receive priority in public procurement under the "second extra" mechanism. This is the second postponement of the initiative, giving manufacturers additional time to adapt to the new requirements.