The bill passed its first reading in the State Duma on September 24. At the same time, October 23 is the deadline for submitting amendments to the second reading, as reflected in the system for guaranteeing legislative activity in the Lower House of Parliament. The Financial Market Committee of the State Duma, after supporting the bill, recommended postponing its entry into force until January 1, 2025. The main reason is that synchronization with the legislation of Belarus requires adjusting the moment of entry into force. validity of the provisions of the bill. In addition, similar changes are planned in Belarus from January 1, 2025.
The document stipulates that MTPL policies will be issued by insurers of Russia and Belarus at the place of registration of the vehicle. Additionally, to minimize cases of fraud, the operator of the automated insurance information system (AIS) will exchange information, including personal data, with law enforcement agencies in real time. The bill also assumes that it will be possible to conclude contracts within the framework of the Union State insurance system in the form of an electronic document. It is not necessary to carry a printed copy with you: all information about the concluded contracts will be available to police officers.
Recall that work on a unified law on compulsory automobile civil liability insurance began in April 2022, at the initiative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia. In June 2023, the Union State Parliament passed a model bill on a single “compulsory motor vehicles” policy. Nowadays you can travel from Russia to Belarus and vice versa with the Blue Card, which has become the substitute for the well-known Green Card. . Its format has not changed: this insurance is very convenient for those who travel through the State of the Union irregularly, but, say, several times a year. For example, on vacation. Hence the price: about 1,000 rubles for 15 days.
The emergence of a single compulsory motor third party liability insurance policy, which applies to the State of the Union, will not imply its mandatory inclusion in standard motor third party liability insurance policies. In fact, the expansion will be demanded, first of all, by residents of central Russia and especially the regions bordering Belarus. While for car enthusiasts, for example from the Urals or Siberia, for whom getting to Minsk is quite far and expensive, it can be a nice added bonus if someone is planning such a trip. As for the cost of the service, it must be determined by national regulators. Rates are currently under discussion.
It is worth remembering that, for example, annual insurance for a passenger car at Blue Card rates in Belarus today costs a little more than six thousand rubles. Issues not only of the cost of a single MTPL policy, but also of other financial ones. The issues remain relevant. Thus, in Russia, the limit of monetary compensation in the event of an accident is limited to 400 thousand rubles for car repairs and half a million rubles in case of damage to health. In Belarus, the cost of repairing an insured car can reach one million Russian rubles. The penalties for not having an insurance policy also vary. If in Russia the car owner pays 500 to 800 rubles, then in Belarus the violation will cost about 20 thousand rubles.
The cornerstone of a single policy remains the financial question, says automobile expert Igor Morzharetto.
“Russia and Belarus have different laws on motor vehicle liability insurance. There are different amounts of fines and different amounts of compensation for material damage and damage to health. In order for the unified policy of the Union State to fully function , it is necessary to bring all these figures into a single denominator and ensure that their purchase is beneficial for motorists both in Russia and in the Republic of Belarus,” the expert concluded.
