Duma passes bill permitting disinfection of cars entering Russia from China, other countries starting 2025

MOSCOW. Dec 5 (Interfax) - The State Duma has passed a bill at its third reading which empowers the Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor to disinfect automobiles entering Russia against contagious animal diseases from 2025; cars will be disinfected free of charge for travelers, with no negative impact on paint or varnish coating, the document says.

"Broad-spectrum drugs with no negative impact on road vehicles' paint or varnish coating may be used to disinfect vehicles entering [Russia] via border crossing points," explanatory notes attached to the bill amending the veterinary law, which was earlier submitted to parliament by the government, says.

The bill states that road vehicles' disinfection at border checkpoints may occur after or before information about any contagious animal diseases recorded in a country which has land borders with Russia has been obtained from international organizations and/or the competent authorities of that country. In both cases, disinfection will be free of charge for both legal entities and individuals, it says.

Rosselkhoznadzor's Federal Center for Animal Health will be in charge of such disinfection. According to the explanatory notes, the priority with regard to disinfecting vehicles will be given to automobile and mixed crossings on the Russian-Chinese border, as well as checkpoints at the borders with Mongolia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

It is planned that the disinfection of arriving road vehicles will be carried out at 20 border crossing points in 2025, at 23 checkpoints in 2026, and at 25 in 2027. These activities will be funded under the state program for developing agriculture and regulating the markets for agricultural products, raw materials and foodstuffs.

These measures will require a total of 372 million rubles in 2025-2027 (103.8 million rubles in 2025, 116.5 million rubles in 2026, and 151.5 million rubles in 2027). The calculations are based on the average cost of disinfectants, which is 3,000 rubles per five liters, the explanatory notes said.