The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Russia has prepared a draft law that will oblige state and municipal employees to comply with a code of ethics and official conduct, according to materials posted on Thursday on a single portal of legal information.

The document was prepared in order to implement the national anti-corruption plan. It is proposed to supplement the law “On Combating Corruption” with an article on “the obligation of state (municipal) employees to comply with the requirements of the Code of Ethics and Official Conduct of Civil Servants of the Russian Federation and Municipal Servants.”

Violation of the norms and rules of the Code of Ethics will constitute an offense entailing legal liability for officials in accordance with Russian legislation.

The department has also prepared a draft Code of Ethics and Official Conduct for Civil Servants, which is proposed to be approved by decree of the President of Russia. This will “contribute to the formation of a uniform approach to the understanding and compliance of all civil servants and municipal employees with established ethical requirements, and will also allow for the application of established measures of legal responsibility in cases of violation of its provisions.”

The explanatory note to the bill states that for certain types of civil service, disciplinary statutes related to taking into account the activities of a specific department have been approved.

Russian officials will be required to comply with a code of ethics