Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a law that regulates the relations connected with the use of small boats, the Kremlin press service said.
The Federal Law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation with regard to the definition of a small-sized vessel” was adopted by the State Duma on April 13, 2012, and approved by the Federation Council on April 18, 2012.
The law is aimed at improving the legal norms the Russian Federation regulating relations connected with the use of small boats, as well as the harmonization of federal laws, using the concept of "small size craft."
With adoption of the law a new definition of "small size craft" will be included in the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation, Code of Inland Water Transport of the RF and the RF Code of Administrative Violations. The term "small-sized vessel" in the legislation of the Russian Federation is widely used, but the definition of this concept is currently included only in the Code of Administrative Offences.
Established by federal law the "small-sized vessel" definition is correlated with the definition of this concept, according to the rules of navigation on the inland waterways of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
This document specifies the procedure of state registration of vessels (including boats) in the registers of ships of the Russian Federation, the authorities are determined, which exercise State registration of vessels, as well as the types and kinds of vessels (watercrafts) that are not subject to such registration.
In order to enhance the registration process and make changes in the registry lists of ships of the Russian Federation (the term "ship book" is replaced by the term "register of small vessels"). In addition, the federal law specifies the classification and certification of ships. Sports and recreational sailing vessels are singled out in separate categories (due to design features of sport sailing ships they are subject to different requirements with regard to their classification and certification).
The federal law also made amendments to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation in respect of payment of state registration fees.