MOSCOW, May 17 (RAPSI) - A subcommittee for the Internet has been appointed as part of the State Duma Mass Media Committee, the new subcommittee's head, Robert Shlegel, told reporters on Friday.

Shlegel is a member of the United Russia party and of the State Duma Committee for Information Policy, IT and Communications.

Today, the Internet is about "more than mass media, blogs and social networks," he said. "It is also a booming market" with turnover exceeding 2.5 trillion rubles ($79.6 billion, or 4.6% of GDP) and a growth rate of 18% a year.

The Information Policy Committee has drafted a concept for regulating relations that may arise on the internet across Russia. This concept provides a roadmap for addressing the issue, he said.

This concept, created jointly with representatives of the Internet industry and public associations, has been approved by the Presidential E-Democracy Directorate and by the Communications Ministry.

"This is a unique document that establishes a conceptual framework, determines the parties in these relations and the limits of their responsibilities, the tax jurisdiction, the rules for e-commerce and other details," Shlegel said.