Confiscated unmarked drugs are planned to be transferred for humanitarian purposes

In the explanatory note to the bill, the developers indicated that products subject to mandatory labeling with identification means include, among other things, "highly demanded consumer goods." For this reason, the amendments proposed by the bill "are aimed at creating legal certainty" on issues of further use of such goods by the state after confiscation (their removal from illegal circulation due to violation of labeling rules) and at preventing the re-entry of unmarked goods into illegal circulation. According to the authors of the initiative, the possibility of using such products to provide humanitarian aid will correspond to the "social function of the state."

The accompanying documents also indicate that at the moment, property can be transferred free of charge for the purposes of humanitarian response at the request of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, as well as the All-Russian public movement "People's Front "For Russia". In addition, the mechanism for transferring confiscated goods to those in need is already in effect for the light industry sector.

The draft law stipulates that goods that are found to be unsafe or unsuitable for use during the examination will be sent for destruction, disposal and recycling. The decision on the liquidation or transfer of such goods for humanitarian purposes will be made by the authorized federal executive body or authorized organizations. The conclusion of the Legal Department indicates that the proposed adjustments need to be clarified, since the implementation of emergency humanitarian response measures is attributed to the main tasks of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia. The possibility of implementing such measures by "other federal executive bodies" is not envisaged. The State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation is obliged to submit amendments to the draft law by March 20, 2025.

Mandatory labeling of medicines has been in effect in Russia since July 1, 2020. Exceptions are new regions where such a system will be introduced from April 1, 2026. The operator through the Honest Sign system is Operator-CRPT.

In addition, from December 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, several federal agencies will implement a voluntary experiment to monitor Russian manufacturers of goods, including dietary supplements. This group includes products under code 61 of the Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity of the EAEU. During the study, a mechanism for verifying the accuracy of data provided to the Honest Sign system by manufacturers will be tested and improved. In addition, an experiment on labeling food in social institutions, including medical organizations, is being conducted in seven regions of the country from December 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025.

Also in December 2024, the Government of the Russian Federation established conditions for the labeling of antiseptics and dietary supplements. Thus, starting from March 1, 2025, participants in this market must submit an application for registration to the State Information System for Monitoring the Circulation of Goods Subject to Mandatory Labeling. In November of the same year, a document was adopted prohibiting the sale of technical rehabilitation equipment that has not been labeled, starting from October 1, 2025. In addition, regulators are gradually expanding the range of medical products and equipment subject to mandatory labeling.