MOSCOW, 19 January (BelTA) – The regulation of the digital economy and the protection of historical memory have been suggested as the topics the first model laws of the Union State of Belarus and Russia might focus on. The initiative was put forward during the two-day parliamentary hearings launched by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia on 19 January to discuss the development of model legislation within the framework of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the press service of the lower chamber of the Russian parliament told BelTA.
Harmonizing the legislation of the Union State member states is one of the main tasks of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The development of model legislation is one of the ways to accomplish the goal. “We've concluded that in some matters it is necessary to switch from the soft harmonization of legislation to the formation of the unified legal environment within the framework of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The adoption of model regulatory acts by the Parliamentary Assembly should become the first step in this direction,” said Artyom Turov, Chairman of the Legislation and Regulations Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
Priority spheres of model legislation were discussed on the first day of the parliamentary hearings in addition to the experience of model lawmaking in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Topics for the model legislation that has to be developed in 2021-2022 were suggested. “We believe that in the course of defining topics for the model laws we have to proceed from the Union State scope as specified by the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State of Belarus and Russia,” said Sergei Sivets, Deputy Chairman of the Legislation and Regulations Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. In his opinion, it is necessary to focus on ensuring equal rights of citizens and on enabling equal conditions for commercial entities. “The first model regulatory acts could focus on matters of current interest and on hotly debated matters such as the regulation of development of the digital economy and the protection of historical memory,” the MP noted.
The parliamentary hearings are expected to produce recommendations that will be discussed by the Legislation and Regulations Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
