Business programme

Business programme

29 June–01 July 2022

Law, Business, and Sanctions
People and Law
Law in International Relations
Digital Transformation
Control, Oversight and Regulation
Justice and Litigation
Plenary Session
Law, Business, and Sanctions
+6
Law, Business, and Sanctions
People and Law
Law in International Relations
Digital Transformation
Control, Oversight and Regulation
Justice and Litigation
Plenary Session
10:00 29.06.2022
29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

The Responsibility of Senior Executives in the New Reality

Law, Business, and Sanctions
Congress Centre, conference hall B1
In an environment where sanctions and countermeasures are affecting the majority of Russian businesses, the responsibility attached to senior management has become an even more pressing issue to corporate lawyers. A wide range of issues needs to be addressed, including those related to sanctions compliance, the responsibility of company management to keep their business going in the new environment, and interaction with government bodies during inspections on how business support packages have been used. The responsibility attached to senior executives with regard to anti-sanction legislation: are there new roles, objectives, targets, etc.? The responsibility attached to senior executives with regard to keeping business going. How should work be structured in the new environment? What should be done to reconcile the clear economic steps taken by companies internally with the need to consider the challenges facing the country (such as maintaining production, avoiding job losses, etc.)? How should internal restructuring be linked to receiving support? What should be done to avoid risks during inspections by oversight and accounting bodies on the use of business incentives, subsidized loans, etc.?
Moderator
Alexandra Nesterenko
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

Open Dialogue. On Legal Matters, Arising During Dispute Considerations Between Consumers and Providers of Financial Services

People and Law
Congress Centre, conference hall B2
• Issues of legal qualification of the payment made by the insurer under the Mandatory Liability Insurance contract (OSAGO) in cash (insurance compensation or losses).
• Issues of in-kind compensation for various motor vehicle insurance products in the context of a spare parts shortage in the Russian market arising due to international economic sanctions.
• Issues of fulfillment of obligations by insurance companies under life investment insurance contracts in regards to payment of investment income.
• Issues arising during the consideration of disputes between consumers of financial services and credit institutions related to the return of fees (in whole or in part) paid by consumers for providing them with additional services in the conclusion of credit agreements.
• Novel appeals topics received by the Financial Ombudsman in relation to credit institutions due to changes in the economic situation in the country.
• Issues related to the peculiarities of interaction between the Financial Ombudsman Service, financial institutions, and consumers of financial services including the introduction of new and development of existing digital services aimed at simplifying the interaction with the Financial Ombudsman.
Moderator
Yury Voronin
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

The Fight against Information Crime: International Legal Tools

Law in International Relations
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
The booming electronic device market has changed the way we spend our leisure time and do business. Today, issues surrounding the protection of personal and confidential data are more important than ever before. And while IT and security systems continue to be developed, the number of cybercrimes is growing in tandem. How is cooperation between nations in efforts to counter cybercrime legally regulated around the world? What role do international organizations play in efforts to counter cybercrime? How can universal terminology in information and communications technology (and ICT security) help the international community prevent cybercrime? What are the main tools which can be employed to improve efforts to counter cybercrime?
Moderator
Boris Miroshnikov
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

Our People are our Everything: Training and Development of Digital Economy and Cybersecurity Regulation Specialists

Digital Transformation
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
It is the task of the government to acknowledge and protect people’s digital rights from possible infringements, while upholding identity security, public safety, and state security as set out in legislation and the constitution. Most people deal with aspects to do with digital law in their day-to-day lives. However, when they enter a legal arrangement, they usually do so unconsciously, despite the fact that such arrangements concern a great many actions online, as well as the provision of digital services. Cybercrime, privacy infringements, and other issues are all on the rise as a result of many services and opportunities moving to the digital realm. It is therefore of great importance that efforts are made to educate people and raise awareness of digital law and digital transformation. In addition, lawyers need to be trained in issues surrounding IT.
Main topics for discussion:
• Tools to help educate people and raise awareness of digital rights and digital transformation. Tools to help train lawyers in IT-related issues.
• Building a pool of partner organizations to provide informational and organizational support in efforts to raise awareness of digital law in Russia.
• Organizing events where specialists and professionals can hold discussions in an attempt to identify new experts on the topic and to raise awareness of digital law.
• Training digital law specialists at universities and subsidizing study programmes.
• Raising awareness of institutions acting to protect digital rights (such as the Arbitration Court for Protecting Digital Rights operating under the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs).
• Training lawyers specializing in the digital realm and acting as a line of defence against cybercrime.
Moderator
Olga Binda
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

The Development of Forms and Methods of Tax Control

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
Given the trend for reducing the number of on-site inspections, the main way of supplementing public coffers through tax administration has been through pre-inspection measures. However, there is no regulation underpinning the way these measures are undertaken. Similarly, there are no official requirements with regard to evidence of possible infringements. As a result, the potential for abuse and corruption exist. Pre-inspection control: is it possible to circumvent regulation in public law relationships? Incentives following pre-inspection analyses: ensuring that dialogue with the taxpayer does not turn into an instrument of pressure. A one-sided game: can a taxpayer be sure that the tax authorities will not reconsider their actions?
Moderator
Ksenia Litvinova
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

Non-Profit Organizations: Trends in the Development of Legal Status and Regulation of Activities

People and Law
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
Today, non-profit organizations make up a fast-growing sector, and play an important social and economic role in nation-building. And this is why the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation (the main body overseeing control and legal regulation of non-profits) is working constantly to improve legislation in this field, including through regularly analysing law-enforcement practice. This session will examine the most important issues related to the activities of non-profit organizations. These will include the following:
• New developments in civil law (the institution of personal funds, holding meetings of non-profit bodies using information technology, and the use of the word “Russia” and related terms in the names of religious organizations).
• The development of a new concept for improving corporate governance of non-profits, and the potential to implement it; the institution of mandatory pre-trial complaints to the central office of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in relation to decisions made by the ministry’s regional branches when providing state services.
• Interaction between the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation and the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia on matters concerning antimonopoly law violations involving non-profits.
• The potential for the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to work with the academic community on matters concerning the activities of non-profit organizations.
Moderator
Viktor Blazheyev
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

Arbitrators: Who Are They? Constitution of Arbitral Tribunals in the Current Reality

Justice and Litigation
Congress Centre, conference hall E11
One of the unconditional advantages of arbitration is the possibility for the disputing parties to choose decision-makers, taking into account their specialization, experience, and interests. At the same time, in today's realities the process of appointing arbitrators can be complicated by a number of factors. Those include the search for qualified professionals, the payment of fees, the need for fair trial guarantees, and the equal rights of both parties in the selection of arbitrators. The roundtable will discuss whether the restrictive measures being introduced today have had a destructive effect on arbitration in Russia and abroad? Or has the procedure for appointing arbitrators remained unchanged due to the special principles of arbitration and the supranational nature of this form of dispute resolution? The experts will also assess the soft ethical norms that currently exist and are being developed to guide arbitrators in exercising their powers in order to avoid violations of the fundamental principles of independence, impartiality, and equal treatment of the parties to a dispute.
Moderator
Mikhail Demin
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

A Concept for Securing the Rights and Freedoms of People in the Digital Realm

Digital Transformation
Congress Centre, conference hall E12
A draft concept for securing the rights and freedoms of people in Russia’s digital realm has been drawn up by the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Government of the Russian Federation. The document was drafted in pursuance of the fourth item under clause 3 of the list of presidential directives No. Pr-133 dated 28 January 2021. It offers a response to challenges and threats to the rights and freedoms of the individual in relation to the complete digitalization of social relations. Today, the digital environment is highly complex, making it difficult to predict how it will develop. In spite of this, the digital realm in Russia has evolved at great speed. These factors have raised some concern among the human rights community. Indeed, digitalization processes are moving so rapidly that it can be hard for society, the public, businesses, and government bodies to keep up, leading to the creation of a rift. This gives rise to increased opportunities for fraud, corruption, and other crimes in the digital realm. It also enables transnational corporations that control global digital platforms to promote their own economic and political interests. The need to counter cyberthreats in the interests of national security is outlined in both the Russian constitution, and Russia’s strategic planning documents; however, these threats are not specified. What’s more, the aforementioned documents do not set out principles, goals, objectives, and mechanisms for ensuring the protection of human and civil rights and freedoms in Russia’s digital realm. The proposed draft concept addresses these problems and can serve as a foundation for the further implementation of Russia’s legal policy with regard to digitalization.
Moderator
Valery Fadeev
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29.06.2022
10:00–11:30
Broadcast

Legal Aspects in Relation to Urban Development: Tools to Regulate Infrastructure, the Economy, and the Social Sphere

People and Law
Pavilion F, conference hall F1
The topic of spatial planning is receding more and more into the background. Discussions about comprehensive planning are also becoming less relevant. The Law on Strategic Planning needs to develop, especially in the face of changing geopolitical conditions. One can observe a strong tendency for more and more exceptions to be made to the general rule. The focus is shifting to the development of preferential regimes, which are being tasked with driving spatial development. Integrated spatial development has firmly established itself as the topic of the day. However, spatial regulation must not leave the urban context, outside spatial planning and the regulation of urban development. This raises many interconnected issues concerning how to deal with situations for which general regulations for spatial planning and urban zoning do not apply to local areas. How, then, can we balance development of varying scales – agglomerations, urban and local – when attracting investment? How can we ensure the integrated development of individual areas and the sustainable development of the city as a whole? What mechanisms and tools will be needed to accomplish the task? What role should local communities play in the process?
Moderator
Leonid Bandorin
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12:00
29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

Cryptocurrencies and Their Place in the Economy of the Future

Digital Transformation
Congress Centre, conference hall B1
Over the course of the current year, regulation of cryptocurrencies has gone from a topic of discussion to the stage where specific proposals are being drafted. The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation has drawn up a draft bill and submitted it to the government for consideration. Meanwhile, regulation of cryptocurrencies continues to be discussed. What are the benefits of integrating digital currencies in the economy as a legal instrument? What can be done to ensure control and minimize risks during this process of integration? It is essential to develop a common approach for the government, business sector, and the public with regard to issuing digital currencies and operations involving them. Tools will also need to be developed to protect investors and the financial market from potential risks.
Moderator
Ivan Chebeskov
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

Notary Participation in Corporate Governance: Do Businesses Need Notarial Protection?

Law, Business, and Sanctions
Congress Centre, conference hall B2
As international experience has shown, notaries can play a vital role in protecting businesses when it comes to corporate relations. The mandatory notarization of decisions taken at limited liability company shareholder meetings which resulted in the redistribution of shares in their authorized capital has led to a number of positive outcomes. It has reduced the number of raids, eliminated fraudulent schemes, and made Russian companies more attractive to investors. Indeed, these and other benefits have led to the role of notaries expanding in corporate life. Today, they help formalize the departure of shareholders, formalize individual corporate decisions, certify convertible loan agreements, and more. Initiatives have been put forward to continue this trend with regard to corporate legal relations. These encompass the certification of decisions taken at meetings held remotely, and the introduction of a mandatory notarial form for decisions relating to changes to sole executive bodies. However, the introduction of binding rules regarding the mandatory notarial certification of certain procedures can in some cases make the process of corporate governance less flexible. What’s more, it generally contradicts the discretionary nature of how civil legal relations are regulated. What factors should legislators take into account when deciding whether to introduce mandatory notarial certification of corporate decisions?
Moderator
Viktor Blazheyev
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

Tax Monitoring: Outcomes Seven Years on, and the Future Outlook

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall B3
• Tax monitoring outcomes: the results after 7 years.
• Preparations for a tax monitoring transit: stages, tasks, costs.
• Key specifics for organizing the internal administration system during the transit to tax monitoring.
• New era in the digital interaction of tax authorities and taxpayers.
• Tax monitoring digitalization strategy and its development prospects for the coming years.
• New approach to tax administration automation.
• Tax monitoring as an impetus to improve technological maturity of business processes and accounting systems in a company.
• The role tax monitoring plays in a digital transformation of state management.
Moderator
Natalia Kovalenko
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

The Aesthetics of Legal Design: Current Achievements

Digital Transformation
Congress Centre, conference hall B4
Growth has been put under threat. Under the current sanctions, competition on the domestic market has intensified across a number of sectors, and the legal environment has become increasingly complicated. What can be done to make legalese understandable to the client, and promote the sale of a legal product? More than 90% of lawyers believe that good legal design can help increase earnings. What impact can legal design have on client loyalty, the speed of decision-making processes, and operational efficiency? What new opportunities are emerging for the B2C and G2B/C sectors during the current turbulence in the market? How does aesthetic design affect consumption, and can it serve as an additional factor for sales? What visual representations of complex information do businesses and users require? Who can act as a communicator between the state and users? What specific features characterize legal communication for Russian businesses in new markets? Do the content and style of a document have an effect on the decision a client ends up taking? How is legal design being implemented in Russia today?
Moderator
Maria Doroshenko
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:15
Broadcast

Lecture by Valery Zorkin, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation Russian Law: Alternatives and Risks During a Global Crisis

Congress Centre, conference hall D1
More
29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

The World Today and Human Rights in the Future

People and Law
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
The pandemic of 2020–2022 and the Ukraine crisis of 2022 have highlighted the clear shortfalls of a unipolar world when it comes to ensuring global peace and sustainable development for all. It is evident that in the new geopolitical and legal reality, a unilateral reading of the rights and freedoms of the individual (both in terms of specifics and how they are generally characterized) cannot work. Indeed, attempts by the collective West to impose its interpretations on the entire world lead to socioeconomic crises with global implications. Current international institutions (such as the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the G7, etc.) do not full reflect the diversity of cultural and spiritual values around the world. What’s more, they bear little relation to population distribution and the spread of economic resources. It has therefore become pertinent to consider a new model of individual rights and freedoms based on a plurality of approaches to subject matter and interpretation. Such an approach should still take into account the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, it should also encompass regional documents, such as the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, and the 2012 ASEAN Human Rights Declaration. This roundtable will focus on the main aspects of this new model.
Moderator
Valery Fadeev
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

The Russian Financial Market: What Lies Beyond the Horizon of Sanctions? (dialogue between the regulator and regulated)

Law, Business, and Sanctions
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
The Russian financial market is currently attempting to adapt to the new reality. Familiar ways of interacting with global institutions have either already disappeared, or are doing do before our eyes. Demand for services inside Russia are also changing. The transformation of the financial market is already a tangible phenomenon, both in part, and as a whole. What can be done to ensure that this process goes as smoothly as possible, with minimal impact on the financial market, consumers of services, and society? When might this period of adaptation come to an end? What kind of market will emerge as a result, both in terms of quality, and framework? What legal mechanisms might be required to support the transition and to build this new framework?
Moderator
Alexey Guznov
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

Legal Guarantees Ensuring Entrepreneurial Freedom

Law, Business, and Sanctions
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
In light of the sanctions imposed on Russia, a range of steps needs to be taken to overcome current economic problems and to protect overall economic stability. The private and legal sectors in Russia have been allocated a special role in this regard. The country could respond to the economic storm by giving entrepreneurial initiatives as much freedom and support as possible, reducing red tape, and so on. How can the legal field positively impact entrepreneurial freedom in Russia and boost cooperation with other countries? What forms of legal protection have shown themselves to be most effective today? What steps related to the field of law need to be taken to strengthen the position of Russian business?
Moderator
Vladimir Gruzdev
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

Land and Property Legislation

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall E11
In the current time of rapid change, real estate is one of the most valuable private property assets that exists. Real estate encompasses aspects to do with public law, private law, and economic matters. As work continues apace to develop various spaces, it is becoming crucial to use land more efficiently and intensify land management processes. This can be done in part through land and property regulation. The current reality makes it essential to react on the spot and take instant action. Laws which meet the needs of society are required right now. What can be done to guarantee property rights? What new legislative developments will help make land and real estate procedures more accessible? What mechanisms and services will lead to improved access to housing and higher housing quality? How will efforts to process spatial data facilitate the rational use of real estate?
Moderator
Maksim Stepanov
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

Driverless Vehicles: New Developments in Regulation

Digital Transformation
Pavilion F, conference hall F1
The digital development of the transportation industry would be impossible to imagine without the introduction of unmanned transport, which promises to improve the reliability and safety of transport, increase the country’s transit potential, and expand integration of the domestic transport industry into the global transport space. The rapid development of information technology and widespread automation call for radically new approaches to legal regulation in the transport sector. One of the key tasks in the development, introduction, and wide-spread application of all types of unmanned transport for passenger and freight transportation is to address technical, technological, and infrastructural issues while also creating a legal framework that takes into account the interests of federal executive authorities and transport organizations.
• Preparing the legal and regulatory framework for the introduction of autonomous maritime and river transport navigation – what else needs to be done?
• Legal regulation in the field of unmanned air transport: proposals and regulations adopted.
• What other steps need to be taken to get unmanned vehicles on public roads?
• Unmanned trains: the introduction and development of unmanned railways.
Moderator
Andrey Neznamov
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:45
Broadcast

Peace and Law

Law in International Relations
Pavilion F, conference hall F3
This session will focus on the viability (or indeed, necessity) of reforming the current world order, and on Russia’s role in helping to shape a multipolar world order. This discussion will mark a new stage of interdisciplinary fundamental research of the state and law during this period of crisis facing civilization – a crisis which is set to go down in history as a struggle between the great powers. Consideration will be given to legal analyses of the laws, strategies, and doctrines of Russia, the US, China, the UK, Germany, France, the UN, NATO and the European Union. Participants will also examine work by leading Russian and international academics, experts, and politicians on a range of issues. These will include the world order, relations between members of the nuclear club, criticism of legislative expansion and legal intervention, cyber and technological security, and when politics takes precedence over law. Perspectives on the role and significance of law are predicated on attempts to find ways of overcoming the crisis facing civilization. The latest data is being employed to construct reasoned assessments and judgements on the facts and phenomena behind today’s global legal reality.
Moderator
Aleksandr Savenkov
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29.06.2022
12:15–13:00
Broadcast

Foreign Agent: The Concept and Legislative Regulation of the Status

Презентация

People and Law
Passage, Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation stand
The concept of a foreign agent was initially introduced into legislation in 2012. At first, the term was to be used for certain non-profit organizations. This step was taken due to the need to inform society about organizations conducting political activities while receiving funding from outside Russia. Later, the term was expanded to cover individuals and unregistered associations, as well as Russian and foreign legal entities. This was due to the fact that participation in political or outreach activities while receiving money and property from foreign sources was not restricted to non-profit organizations. This session will examine the following aspects in relation to foreign agents:
• Regulating the activities of foreign agents.
• The concept of a foreign agent and criteria for adding them to a register.
• Grounds for exempting an entity/individual from the register of foreign agents.
• The obligations of foreign agents.
• Restrictions applied to foreign agents.
• Liability for violating Russian law on foreign agents.
Moderator
Maria Butina
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13:00
29.06.2022
13:15–14:45
Broadcast

The Right to a Decent Life: Issues of Adaptation for People in the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics

Passage, Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation stand
Moderator
Vladimir Pligin
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14:00
29.06.2022
14:30–16:00
Broadcast

A Subject, or an Algorithm? Legal Regulation of AI Systems

Digital Transformation
Congress Centre, conference hall B1
More and more, artificial intelligence is being used across an entire range of fields, including services, management, transport, and communications. Despite the fact that specialists do not consider these systems as particularly sophisticated versions of AI, they can still have a significant impact on individuals and groups. This in turn carries implications in relation to rights and responsibilities. As a result, there are numerous questions regarding how AI systems work, and how they should be regulated. Should AI be considered a legal subject? Who should assume responsibility for the actions of an AI system? Who owns the results of intellectual activity performed by AI? What can be done to ensure that AI is effectively regulated without hindering the development of new technology and the introduction of relevant technological solutions in areas of public life?
Moderator
Vadim Vinogradov
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29.06.2022
14:30–16:00
Broadcast

Anti-Monopoly Legislation and Economic Support Under the Current Conditions

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall B2
Under the current circumstances all branches of federal government need to react swiftly in order to mitigate the pressure from the economic sanctions and increase internal economic stability. Anti-monopoly agencies play an active role in supporting the economy in various ways, including by means of anti-monopoly regulation. For instance, in 2022 the Russian Federation introduced a number of legal initiatives, that permit parallel import. In particular, the Government of the Russian Federation was given the authority to establish a list of goods (groups of goods) in relation to which certain provisions of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation on protection of exclusive rights to the results of intellectual activity expressed in such goods and means of individualization, by which such goods are marked, cannot be applied, which gives prerequisites for development of parallel imports in Russia. In addition, as list of priority measures for the development of the Russian economy includes a proposal to introduce restrictions in terms of orientation to foreign currencies and foreign exchange indicators of the participants of the Russian commodity markets in determining the value of goods. Foreign jurisdictions, including the PRC and the EU, are also taking various measures to improve the effectiveness of antitrust enforcement under the current circumstances. During the session participants are invited to consider issues related to the development of competition, improvement of antimonopoly legislation and methods of antimonopoly regulation in the Russian Federation and abroad in the current economic environment.
Moderator
Sergey Puzyrevsky
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29.06.2022
14:30–16:00
Broadcast

SMEs: Finding a Legal Balance in Anti-Crisis Measures

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall B4
The Russian government has taken a number of anti-crisis measures in the current period of structural change. These are helping to support small and medium-sized enterprises and prevent a major socioeconomic fallout. The success of the government in fulfilling its economic growth objectives and ensuring entrepreneurial freedom depends on these measures being sufficient and effective. The regulation put in place needs to guarantee equal legal opportunities for entrepreneurs to receive support upon encountering difficulties. Efforts are under way to restructure the economy and bring about a resurgence in economic activity. The speed at which this is done depends on the chosen areas of focus. Striking a balance between the interests of public law and investors when implementing anti-crisis measures. The role of anti-crisis measures in fostering an environment enabling SMEs to adapt to the new economic reality. Reducing legal risks for entrepreneurs: what steps need to be taken looking forward?
Moderator
Elina Sidorenko
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29.06.2022
14:30–16:00
Broadcast

State Justice in Human Service

Pavilion F, conference hall F1
More
29.06.2022
14:30–16:00
Broadcast

Relevant Issues Pertaining to Third-Party Funding in Court and Arbitration Proceedings

Justice and Litigation
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
Litigation and arbitration third-party funding is becoming increasingly popular internationally: it allows parties who do not have the financial capacity to pay litigation and arbitration costs to exercise their right to judicial protection through recourse to a third party. Despite the obvious advantages, the provision of funding can be complicated by certain problems related to the complexity of obtaining and returning funds, the risks of conflicts of interest, acceptable forms of granting funds, etc. During the round table, experts will discuss the development and usage of third-party funding from different points of view: from the perspective of an arbitrator, a representative of a party, a public authority, as well as an arbitral institution. Such approach will diversify the discussion and allow the participants to form their own opinion on the future development of this institution. The speakers will also discuss the prospects of using third-party funding in the current economic situation, as well as possible problems and their solutions in the context of arbitration in Russia and abroad.
Moderator
Andrey Gorlenko
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29.06.2022
14:30–16:00
Broadcast

Law and Order: Values and Principles Amidst the Global Challenges of Our Time

People and Law
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
As the legal field continues to evolve, so legal values are changing over time. It is crucial to underscore the importance of law as a universal social regulator, and all the more so at this difficult time. Law and society are undergoing a transformation brought about by a multitude of factors and events. We are, to an extent, witnessing the disintegration of the international legal framework. This session will focus on identifying the legal guidelines and legal education fundamentals required to uphold stable legal systems and increase cooperation between countries on legal matters. What awaits the field of law and order in the immediate future? How can law act as a shield against global upheavals? What legal principles and values will society place at the fore in the future?
Moderator
Denis Smola
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29.06.2022
14:30–16:00
Broadcast

Regulation of the Pharmaceutical Market: Law in Search of a Balance

Law, Business, and Sanctions
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
Access to medication is a crucial aspect of public health, maintaining quality of life for patients, etc. And it is essential to ensure both availability and affordability. A range of legal tools have been employed to these ends. These include protecting intellectual property rights, price regulation for certain items, incentives for participating in government procurement schemes, and so on. The key legal issue in this regard is striking the right balance between the interests of various players in the market, while doing everything possible to meet societal needs.
• Ensuring access to medication: striking a balance between protecting intellectual property rights and meeting societal needs.
• Employing antimonopoly regulation as part of efforts to ensure availability of medication (registration of prices for vital and essential medicines, unscheduled inspections of business entities, amendments to rules underpinning government procurement procedures).
Moderator
Konstantin Sharlovsky
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15:00
29.06.2022
15:00–16:30
Broadcast

Genetics and Law: The Challenges of 2020–2030

People and Law
Congress Centre, conference hall E11
Bioresource collections together with technologies for preservation and research thereof, form the foundation for bioeconomics, food security, and biosafety. Against the background of globalization and modern challenges, creating and preservating the unique genetic diversity of bioresource collections and biobanks becomes a task of paramount importance for fundamental science in various fields and industries. Achieving these goals is possible if the legal regulation of bioresource centers is improved. If accomplished, it will provide uniform rules and requirements for the formation of genetic resource collections, storage, and provision of samples in accordance with global standards, as well as for the creation of Russian bioinformation and genetic databases.
Moderator
Maria Vorontsova
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16:00
29.06.2022
16:45–18:15
Broadcast

Balancing Public and Private Interests Amidst Mutual Limitations

Law, Business, and Sanctions
Congress Centre, conference hall B1
Mutual limitations pose an interesting question: can states, businesses, and citizens continue to rely on basic guarantees enshrined at the national and international legal levels, such as inviolability of property, fair trial, inviolability of contract, and freedom of economic activity? These and other principles have come to be considered the basics in the rule of law, a decision-making factor for investors and other stakeholders. However, restrictive measures, usually considered an exception, are now leaving less and less room for general rules, abolishing what was once regarded as immutable. At a time when restrictive measures are rapidly changing the content of the law, the state and law practitioners face the challenge of maintaining understandable rules for market participants: not necessarily the same as before, but stable, predictable, and realistic. In order to articulate these rules, it is necessary to evaluate the fundamental system of coordinates for the legal regulation of relations in the current new normality. What should this new system be guided by? What can be placed in its foundation? What constraints should ensure balanced regulation? Balancing public and private interests is a topic of legal debate that has been recurring from one era to another, each time with a new angle. The current galloping growth of reciprocal restrictive measures shows that it seems to be time to talk about this balance again.
Moderator
Vladislav Starzhenetsky
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29.06.2022
16:45–18:15
Broadcast

Protection of Consumer Rights in Modern Civil Transactions: Ways of Finding a Balance

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall B2
• What can be done to protect the consumer as foreign companies withdraw from the market? What new challenges exist, and how should they be addressed?
• Unfair practices – what will change on 1 September 2022, and what are the implications of the amendments to the law on protecting consumer rights?
• Specific aspects related to federal state control (supervision) of consumer protection this year. What are consumers most dissatisfied with?
• Software products as technically sophisticated consumer goods. What should take precedence – intellectual property rights holders or consumers of digital content?
• Consumer litigation practice: key aspects.
Moderator
Alexey Bobrovsky
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29.06.2022
16:45–18:15
Broadcast

Defining the Boundaries of Crime as a Way to Decriminalize Economic Activity and Improve the Business Climate

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has set out official clarifications regarding tax infringements. However, in practice there is insufficient information to prevent unjust criminalization. Tax legislation is still full of ambiguities, omissions, and contradictions. It is also subject to constant change, and yet fails to take into account the many forms of doing business when it comes to the application of criminal law. Requirements set out in customs legislation are often not sufficiently clear and understandable. As a result, importers are left to take their own decisions regarding customs valuations or how to classify certain goods, thereby entering into a legal grey area. And with the transition to customs post-control, situations such as these are being encountered more and more frequently. Unlike the tax-related items included in article 194 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, there are virtually no official clarifications, leading to law enforcement bodies failing to distinguish between customs violations and crimes. As a result, there have been unjustified acts of criminalization in the field of customs. Economic-related disputes regarding the collection of taxes and customs duties therefore carry with them the tinge of criminality. This has a negative impact on the business climate in Russia, and makes entrepreneurs feel that their rights are not necessarily guaranteed. Meanwhile, law-enforcement bodies end up making unjustified intrusions into the way companies operate and how government control is undertaken. The initiation of proceedings under article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation has become a commonplace method of coercing entrepreneurs to fulfil their obligations. It is also used as a means of conducting raids – something which is a genuine scourge that hinders business while having nothing to do with the objectives of criminal law.
• Factoring in the danger to the public as a key criterion when defining criminal behaviour.
• Identifying the boundaries between crimes, administrative violations, and civil tort cases, with the aim of clearly demarcating one from another.
• Methods of differentiation: legal clarifications and official explanations.
Moderator
Vadim Zaripov
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29.06.2022
16:45–18:15
Broadcast

Logic and the Strategy of Lawmaking

Control, Oversight and Regulation
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
The rapidly changing living conditions are facing Russia today with tasks involved in minimizing crisis consequences in order to respond promptly and effectively to the changes taking place, including by improving society’s legislative framework. During discussions of the pressing problems, strategy and prospects for developing modern Russian law-making, it is proposed to look at questions associated with the basic principles and actual organization of the law-making process, determination of the most effective methods and counter-crisis aspects of its implementation both as a whole and in individual spheres of law enforcement, improved law making, and the role of special legal regimes as a means for responding rapidly to modern challenges. In addition, also proposed for discussion are the limits to legal regulation, the corelation between federal and regional legislation, and legal succession of historical, geopolitical and moral values themselves.
Moderator
Andrey Loginov
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29.06.2022
16:45–18:15
Broadcast

Force Majeure and the Inability to Fulfil Obligations in the Context of Sanctions

Law, Business, and Sanctions
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
In light of the current sanctions, legal issues related to fulfilling contractual obligations have become a major topic of discussion across various levels. A number of aspects have become particularly pressing. These include determining when obligations can no longer be fulfilled, when to exempt a party from liability for not fulfilling their obligations, and freeing a party from an obligation. This discussion will focus on current legislative solutions which were drafted to address these issues, as well as on their practical implementation, including with regard to the pandemic.
• Agreeing on concepts such as force majeure, impossibility of performance, and substantive change of circumstances.
• Rules governing exemption from liability in relation to force majeure events and termination of obligations due to impossibility of performance.
• Force majeure invoked by the debtor as a justification for being exempt from liability.
• Force majeure and monetary liability.
• The right to withdraw from a contract due to force majeure events.
• Impossibility of performance: can parties assume such a risk in advance?
Moderator
Dmitriy Dozhdev
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29.06.2022
16:45–18:15
Broadcast

Your Data Please: Legal Regulation of Databases

Digital Transformation
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
In order for Russia to undergo a successful digital transformation, more work needs to be done with big data, and artificial intelligence technology needs to be employed. Digitalization is an immensely broad topic, covering all areas of life, with law being no exception. The amount of data being processed is constantly growing – a fact not lost on the private or public sector. At the same time, the threat of data leaks and human rights violations remains. This session will focus on bringing information security requirements up to date, improving ways in which data is processed, developing a special regime for using anonymized data, and more. What developments can we expect to see in the foreseeable future with regard to legal regulation, and what will be done to improve data processing? What is the most effective approach to protecting personal data? What is the potential of data sets for the state and big data for the private sector?
Moderator
Vladimir Pligin
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29.06.2022
16:45–18:15
Broadcast

The Digitalization of Justice: Problems and Prospects

Justice and Litigation
Pavilion F, conference hall F1
The pandemic has given a new boost to digital transformation across all areas of society. And justice is no exception. At the same time, there are numerous options when it comes to implementing modern technologies in the courts, and each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. A degree of experience has already been amassed in the administration of online justice. With this in mind, it is a fitting moment to discuss the problems which have accumulated, as well as future prospects. What can be done to strike a balance between the right to physically and remotely attend court sessions? What can be done to ensure the security and authenticity of transmitted data? What steps can be taken to prevent the substitution of participants through deepfake-style technologies? Does transnational participation violate national sovereignty, and is it possible to move international cooperation in justice online?
Moderator
Dmitry Ter-Stepanov
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29.06.2022
16:45–17:45
Broadcast

Interactive Discussion ‘The Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Control and Supervisory Activities of Rosselkhoznadzor’

Passage, Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation stand
No need to wait for global digital surveillance to hit the food sector – it’s already here. Rosselkhoznadzor has been preparing to transition to a digital system for more than 10 years and now possesses all the unique tools necessary to begin: 11 information systems, analytical modules, and an AI model recognised by the OECD as an outstanding global example of innovative development. Rosselkhoznadzor is applying technical solutions to create a global information environment that makes the processes of production, turnover, and the verification of quality and safety of agricultural products absolutely transparent according to the ‘field to market’ principle recognised in the developed world. The agency has automated process for identifying unscrupulous business and high-complexity schemes aimed at defrauding consumers. The point at issue is the introduction of an online service that allows customers to choose a product on the basis of the status and reliability of its manufacturer. The only question that remains unresolved is how to ensure effective regulation of the AI systems without creating barriers to their introduction into public and government life.
Moderator
Pavel Poteev
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