The Russian Ministry of Transport has published a draft bill "On amendments to some RF’s federal legislative acts in the part of state regulation of commercial navigation on the route in the waters of the Northern Sea Route". As the explanatory note to the document says, in particular, to make changes to four federal laws: dated April 30, 1999 N81-FZ "Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation"; dated July 31, 1998, N 155-FZ "On the inland sea waters, territorial sea and contiguous zone of the Russian Federation”; dated August 17, 1995 N147-FZ "On Natural Monopolies"; dated 3 April 1996, N 29-FZ "On the financing of high radiation-dangerous and hazardous nuclear plants and facilities."

The bill is aimed at taking measures to ensure the safety of navigation on the Northern Sea Route. These measures include the provision of piloting of merchant vessels by ice-breakers, navigational, hydrographic and hydrometeorological services support of the merchant fleet, as well as measures to prevent and eliminate hazardous effects of pollution of the northern coast of the Russian Federation and the monitoring of the vessels and other floating crafts, which is likely to be sources of contamination.