Mikhail Mishustin Issues Instructions Following Strategic Session on Platform Economy Regulation

The Government of the Russian Federation continues to improve the regulatory framework for the further development of the platform economy. A series of instructions issued by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin following a strategic session held on 16 February are devoted to this matter.

The instructions concern the preparation of proposals related to: protecting the interests of domestic producers selling their goods through intermediary digital platforms; maintaining competition in the markets of such platforms; regulating the sale and delivery of food products by electronic marketplaces; and ensuring the protection of users' personal data in the course of its collection and processing by digital platforms.

This work will be carried out by the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Digital Development [Russia's ministry responsible for digital transformation and communications policy], the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications (Roskomnadzor) [Russia's telecommunications and media regulator], the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection (Rospotrebnadzor) [Russia's consumer protection and public health watchdog], the Federal Labor Inspectorate (Rostrud), the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), and the Federal Tax Service (FNS), with the participation of the Presidential Administration, relevant government bodies, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR), industry associations, and digital platform operators. The deadline for submitting proposals is 1 September, with an interim report to be submitted no later than 25 June.

The Ministry of Digital Development and the Ministry of Economic Development, together with ANO Digital Economy [a non-profit organization established to support implementation of Russia's Digital Economy national program] and industry associations, are tasked with establishing a mechanism for collecting feedback from operators, suppliers, consumers, and other participants of intermediary digital platforms regarding proposals for regulating the platform economy. The deadline for this task is 1 July. Thereafter, regular collection and analysis of feedback, with reports submitted to the Government, is to be conducted once every six months.

Issues of regulating and developing the platform economy will continue to be discussed in the format of strategic sessions. One such session is planned to be held before 1 September. At that session, in particular, an overview of current platformization practices across economic sectors (drawing on both international and Russian experience) will be presented; the specifics of platform regulation by sector will be examined; and questions relating to the regulation of data circulation based on a risk-oriented approach to support the development of digital platforms will be addressed.

At the strategic session held in February, Prime Minister Mishustin noted that Russian e-commerce is growing in popularity. Over the past several years, its turnover has increased nearly sixfold. According to him, thanks to such platforms, more than one million sellers are developing their businesses and expanding their customer base, making use of state-of-the-art tools, the infrastructure of online marketplaces, and pickup points — present even in areas where retail chain stores are absent — so that residents not only of major cities but also of remote settlements can conveniently receive a wide variety of goods.

"It is important that on such a fast-growing market, the interests of buyers, as well as those of suppliers of goods and services, are protected. To this end, the Government is improving the regulatory framework," the Prime Minister emphasized.