MOSCOW, October 17 (RAPSI) – A bill on winemaking has been submitted to Russia’s lower house of parliament.

According to a statement published on the State Duma website, the draft law sets legal, institutional, technological and economic basis of winemaking and winegrowing, determines conditions and order of the state support of this field, fixes powers of state and regional authorities and legal position of people engaged in winemaking and winegrowing.

Currently, Russia has no systematic regulation of winemaking. The legislative proposal stipulates a consistent legal regulation of production and sales of the winemaking and winegrowing products, an explanatory note to the document reads.

Moreover, existing legislation concerning alcohol production and circulation is focused on highly alcoholic beverages and doesn’t control for the specifics of Russian winemaking and winegrowing that prevents wine producers from development and impedes state supervision, the bill’s authors believe.

The draft law envisages state aid to the development of winemaking and winegrowing and determines its possible types.

The initiative also points the order of creation and activity of self-regulatory winemaking and winegrowing organizations, which would be established in accordance with the territorial division of vinelands.

The rules of wine production and raw materials and supplies requirements are set in the bill as well.