Preparations have started for staging the World Winter Universiade 2019 in Krasnoyarsk. There are several issues that companies face when major international sport events are staged in Russia.

On 14 January 2014, the Russian President signed Decree No. 16 ‘On preparing for the XXIX World Winter Universiade 2019 to be staged in Krasnoyarsk’ (‘Universiade 2019’).

This decree is a framework document addressed, first of all, to the Russian Government, which is charged with carrying out a set of organisational actions to prepare for Universiade 2019, as well as to executive authorities of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which are recommended to participate in carrying them out.

In particular, the Russian Government needs to:

  • establish an organising committee;
  • develop and carry out, in cooperation with the government of the Krasnoyarsk Region, measures aimed at preparing and staging Universiade 2019;
  • determine the list of capital construction facilities belonging to the Russian state, which are required to prepare and stage Universiade 2019 with financial support from the federal budget;
  • assist with covering in the state mass media how Universiade 2019 is being prepared and staged.

PG’s comment

The Decree in question in itself does not trigger any legal implications for business. However, our many years’ experience of providing legal support in the course of such events1 allows us to state that specific measures taken to enforce the Decree may affect the rights and legitimate interests of many companies.

To think about, to do

As preparation has officially started on the federal and regional levels, as well as in connection with developments anticipated in the near future, we recommend that you evaluate even now the potential implications of the authorities taking organisational measures to prepare for Universiade 2019.

The experience of preparing and staging major sport events in Russia shows that commercial organisations which are not directly involved in preparing such events, may nonetheless face an impact on their normal business activity because, among other things:

  • land plots may be expropriated to build infrastructure and sporting facilities on them;
  • state and municipal property may be involved in civil transactions to create and reconstruct infrastructure and sporting facilities;
  • a special regime may apply that regulates the placement of advertisements and staging of other marketing events while the Universiade is being prepared and staged;
  • a special regime may apply for using IP items, including symbols of the Universiade;
  • new price control may be introduced for hotel accommodation.