The Russian State Duma has passed in the first reading amendments* to the Consumer Protection Law. The draft law has been supported by the Russian Government and is highly likely to be adopted in the second and third readings before the end of the Spring parliamentary session in 2026. Under the draft law, the changes are to take effect on 1 March 2027.
The draft law is targeted at manufacturers of technically complex goods, primarily automotive vehicles, from China and other “friendly” countries. However, it may also affect manufacturers from “unfriendly” countries that continue to maintain presence in Russia.
What will change?
The current version of the Consumer Protection Law requires the manufacturer to ensure repair and maintenance, as well as production and supply of spare parts, throughout the service life.
The amendments introduce an additional obligation for the manufacturer to provide information (technical documentation) necessary for the maintenance and repair of the goods.
This applies in particular to vehicles that have been imported into the country in the absence of an official dealer, or in respect of which official dealers have not been supplied with the documentation required to arrange repairs, or do not share that documentation with independent service centres.
Access to the information will be granted to organisations and individual entrepreneurs engaged in trade, repair and maintenance. It is not yet clear who in particular will be entitled to receive the technical documentation, nor what the consequences will be for failing to provide it.
The procedure for the transfer and the scope of the technical documentation to be transferred will be determined by the Russian Government.
What is the main risk?
Under the draft law, the manufacturer must provide the information throughout the entire production run of the goods. Once production has been stopped, the obligation will continue to apply until the end of the service life.
The main risk is that if no service life has been set for the product, the obligation will apply for ten years from the date the product was handed over to the consumer.
Similar rules currently apply to the obligation to ensure the supply of spare parts.
Recommendations for businesses
Manufacturers should give careful consideration to setting service lives. To avoid the application of the ten‑year period, it is important to clearly record a justified service life for all categories of goods.
It is also necessary to assess the risks associated with transferring sensitive information to a practically unlimited circle of third parties engaged in repair and maintenance and to prepare service manuals that are sufficiently detailed to comply with the new requirements.
Possibly, the Government would later narrow the scope of such persons to so‑called official or authorised service organisations. We will keep you informed as to the status of this draft law and the adoption of bylaws by the Russian Government.
*In Russian
The draft law is targeted at manufacturers of technically complex goods, primarily automotive vehicles, from China and other “friendly” countries. However, it may also affect manufacturers from “unfriendly” countries that continue to maintain presence in Russia.
What will change?
The current version of the Consumer Protection Law requires the manufacturer to ensure repair and maintenance, as well as production and supply of spare parts, throughout the service life.
The amendments introduce an additional obligation for the manufacturer to provide information (technical documentation) necessary for the maintenance and repair of the goods.
This applies in particular to vehicles that have been imported into the country in the absence of an official dealer, or in respect of which official dealers have not been supplied with the documentation required to arrange repairs, or do not share that documentation with independent service centres.
Access to the information will be granted to organisations and individual entrepreneurs engaged in trade, repair and maintenance. It is not yet clear who in particular will be entitled to receive the technical documentation, nor what the consequences will be for failing to provide it.
The procedure for the transfer and the scope of the technical documentation to be transferred will be determined by the Russian Government.
What is the main risk?
Under the draft law, the manufacturer must provide the information throughout the entire production run of the goods. Once production has been stopped, the obligation will continue to apply until the end of the service life.
The main risk is that if no service life has been set for the product, the obligation will apply for ten years from the date the product was handed over to the consumer.
Similar rules currently apply to the obligation to ensure the supply of spare parts.
Recommendations for businesses
Manufacturers should give careful consideration to setting service lives. To avoid the application of the ten‑year period, it is important to clearly record a justified service life for all categories of goods.
It is also necessary to assess the risks associated with transferring sensitive information to a practically unlimited circle of third parties engaged in repair and maintenance and to prepare service manuals that are sufficiently detailed to comply with the new requirements.
Possibly, the Government would later narrow the scope of such persons to so‑called official or authorised service organisations. We will keep you informed as to the status of this draft law and the adoption of bylaws by the Russian Government.
*In Russian
Contacts:
- Leonid Zubarev, Partner, Head of Insurance & Dispute Resolution, leonid.zubarev@sl-legal.ru
- Georgy Daneliya, Partner, Attorney-at-law, Head of Asian Desk, georgy.daneliya@sl-legal.ru
- Igor Sokolov, Senior Associate, igor.sokolov@sl-legal.ru