On 26 July 2026, Federal Law No. 266-FZ “On Amending Article 6 of the Law of the Russian Federation ‘On the Protection of Consumer Rights’” (hereinafter referred to as “the Law”) was published. The new rules will come into force on 1 March 2027.
The essence of the changes
The current version of Article 6 of Law of the Russian Federation No. 2300-1 of 7 February 1992 “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” obliges manufacturers to ensure that goods can be used throughout their service life: to organise repairs and maintenance, as well as the production and supply of spare parts in the necessary quantities and range.
From 1 March 2027, this will be supplemented by an obligation to provide the information (technical documentation) necessary for the maintenance and repair of the goods and, when such information is updated, documentation containing the relevant changes.
The procedure and deadlines for providing the documentation, as well as its content, are to be determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Who are these changes aimed at?
The amendments were primarily intended for manufacturers of technically complex goods, and foremost for motor vehicles from China. As stated in the explanatory note, commercial practice in China does not provide for the automatic transfer of documentation, even for the purposes of repair and maintenance, which was the reason for the adoption of the Law. The Law itself makes no distinction based on country of origin and applies equally to all manufacturers of goods present on the Russian market.
What should you bear in mind?
This new obligation is incorporated into the same provision as the obligation regarding spare parts, and therefore applies within the same timeframe – during the product’s production period and, after it has been discontinued, throughout the product’s service life. If, however, the manufacturer has not specified a service life, the obligation remains in force for ten (10) years from the date the goods are transferred to the consumer. This ten-year period presents a risk of the obligation continuing for a prolonged period.
Furthermore, the scope of recipients of the documentation is currently defined broadly, encompassing organizations and sole proprietors engaged in retail, repair, and maintenance of goods. It is possible that the Government will provide further clarification on this matter.
What should businesses do?
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Review their approach to service life: for all categories of goods produced, it is advisable to establish and justify a specific service life to avoid falling under the ten-year regime as a general rule.
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Wait for the publication of the relevant Government decree setting out the composition of the technical documentation and prepare it in accordance with the new requirements.
We will provide further updates on the progress of the preparation of these Russian Federation Government decrees.