Russian authorities are once again discussing the possibility of…
Russian authorities are once again discussing the possibility of conducting an experiment on the remote sale of alcoholic products using "Russian Post" and marketplaces.
Consensus
- The Russian government is re-examining the idea of an experimental online alcohol sales program.
- The experiment would involve 'Pochta Russia' and online marketplaces.
- The discussion involves multiple ministries, including Minselkhoz, MinEkonomrazvitiya, and Minpromtorg.
- The initiative has previously been rejected due to opposition from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and regional authorities.
- Biometric identification or enhanced identity verification via Gosuslugi is being considered to verify age.
- The idea was first proposed in 2021, with a new draft law introduced in 2023.
Points of divergence
- The Ministry of Digital Development plans to launch an experimental legal regime (EPR) for selling Russian wine on marketplaces in 2026, with biometric identification, and preparation of regulatory framework expected by Q1 2026 and the experiment in Q2–Q3 2026. — vedomosti
- The Ministry of Finance acts as a coordinating body, with no specific timeline provided for the initiative, and the draft law was not reviewed by the government. — kommersant
- Vice-Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev proposed to President Putin in early June 2026 to reconsider the issue, and the proposal received support. — kommersant
Coverage (2 sources)
- Ministry of Finance: authorities returned to discussing online sale of alcohol — Ведомости
- Ministry of Finance: authorities are again discussing the experiment on online alcohol trading — Коммерсантъ
Key entities
- Alexey Sazanov
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Economic Development
- Ministry of Agriculture and Food
- Ministry of Industry and Trade
- Russian Post
- Russia
- Interfax