Pursuant to section 2 of Article 114 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the procedure of the activities of the Government of the Russian Federation is determined by the Federal Constitutional Law adopted on December 30, 2008.
The Law establishes the status of the Government of the Russian Federation as a collegiate supreme executive authority body of the Russian Federation, the composition and procedure of forming the Russian Government. The Law regulates the authority of the Government of the Russian Federation, the organisation of the Government's activities, the relationship between the Government and the President of the Russian Federation, the Federal Assembly, the judiciary and the government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
The Government of the Russian Federation pursues its activities on the basis of the Constitution, federal constitutional laws, federal laws and executive orders of the President of the Russian Federation.
The Government of the Russian Federation consists of the Government Chairman (Prime Minister), Deputies to the Chairman (Prime Minister) of the Government of the Russian Federation and Federal Ministers. The Chairman (Prime Minister) of the Government is appointed by the President of the Russian Federation with the consent of the State Duma. The Chairman (Prime Minister) of the Government of the Russian Federation is relieved of his office by the President of the Russian Federation. The Deputy Chairs (Deputy Prime Ministers) of the Government and the Federal Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the President of the Russian Federation on the advice of the Government Chairman (Prime Minister).
The Government of the Russian Federation may hand in its resignation which is accepted or rejected by the President of the Russian Federation. The President of the Russian Federation may take a decision on the resignation of the Government of the Russian Federation. The State Duma may pass a vote of no confidence on the Government of the Russian Federation. A no-confidence decision is passed by the majority of votes of the total number of State Duma deputies. After the State Duma passes a vote of no confidence on the Government of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation has the right to announce the dismissal of the Government of the Russian Federation or to decline the decision of the State Duma. If the State Duma within three months again expresses no confidence in the Government of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation dismisses the Government or dissolves the State Duma.
The Chairman (Prime Minister) of the Government of the Russian Federation my raise the issue of confidence in the Government of the Russian Federation before the State Duma. If the State Duma expresses no confidence, the President, within seven days, takes the decision to dismiss the Government of the Russian Federation or to dissolve the State Duma and call an election.
In the event of dismissal or resignation, the Government of the Russian Federation, on the instruction of the President of the Russian Federation, continues to function until a new Government of the Russian Federation is formed. (Article 117 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation)
The Government of the Russian Federation:
a) develops and submits to the State Duma the federal budget and ensures its implementation; submits to the State Duma a report on the implementation of the federal budget;
b) ensures the conduct of a single financial, credit and monetary policy in the Russian Federation;
c) ensures the conduct in the Russian Federation of a coordinated policy in the fields of culture, science, education, healthcare, social security and the environment;
d) manages federal property;
e) implements measures to ensure the country's defence, state security and the implementation of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation;
f) takes measures to ensure law and order, the rights and freedom of citizens, protect property and public order and combat crime;
g) exercises any other powers under the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws and executive orders of the President of the Russian Federation (part one, Article 114 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation).
The Government of the Russian Federation also exercises the right to initiate legislation, including the submission of draft laws to Parliament in addition to those pending before the legislative authority. Also, under section 3 of Article 104 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation the draft laws on the introduction and the repeal of taxes, tax exemptions, the issue of government loans, alteration of the state's financial obligations and other draft laws that envisage outlays from the federal budget, may only be submitted with the consent of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The Chairman (Prime Minister) of the Government of the Russian Federation represents the Government inside and outside the Russian Federation, chairs the meetings of the Government of the Russian Federation with a casting vote, submits to the President of the Russian Federation proposals on the structure of federal executive bodies, the appointment and dismissal of Deputy Chairpersons (Deputy Prime Ministers) of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Federal Ministers, on disciplining and commending them, and distributes the duties among the Government members.
Deputy Chairpersons (Deputy Prime Ministers) of the Government have the casting vote in Government meetings, in the development and implementation of Government policy, participate in preparing the resolutions and executive orders of the Government, ensure their implementation, coordinate within their scope of authority the work of the federal executive bodies and issue instructions to them.
The Federal Ministers have a casting vote in the meetings of the Government, participate in the preparation of the Government resolutions and executive orders, ensure the implementation thereof, participate in working out and implementing the policy of the Government of the Russian Federation, exercise the authority of the CEOs of the relevant federal executive bodies under the laws of the Russian Federation, coordinate and control the activities of the federal executive agencies under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministries.
The meetings of the Government of the Russian Federation are held at least once a month.
The meetings of the Government of the Russian Federation have the exclusive authority:
- to make decisions to submit to the State Duma the federal budget and the report on the implementation of the federal budget and the budgets of state off-budget funds;
- to consider the draft programmes of economic and social development connected with the creation of special economic zones;
- to determine the nomenclature of goods whose prices are subject to state regulation;
- to determine the amount of government securities issued;
- to make decisions to submit draft laws to the State Duma;
- to consider draft programmes of privatization of federal state property;
- to consider the issues of granting subsidies and other free assistance out of the federal budget as well as financial assistance subject to repayment if the term of repayment is more than two years;
- to consider the issues of the purchase of stock by the state;
- to consider the issues of concluding international treaties of the Russian Federation subject to ratification;
- to make decisions on signing agreements with the executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation;
- to approve the statutes on federal ministries and other federal executive bodies;
- to lay down the procedure of the creation and support of the activities of territorial branches of the federal executive bodies;
- to approve the Rules of the Government of the Russian Federation;
- to approve the Statute on the Executive Office of the Government of the Russian Federation;
- to consider the annual reports of the Government of the Russian Federation on the results of its activities, including on questions put by the State Duma.
To deal with current issues, the Government, on the initiative of the Government Chairman (Prime Minister), may form the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The decisions of the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation are passed by the majority of votes of the total number of members of the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation and must not contravene the acts passed at the meetings of the Government of the Russian Federation. The Government of the Russian Federation has the right to overrule any decision of the Government Presidium.
The President of the Russian Federation ensures coordinated function and interaction between the Government of the Russian Federation and other state power bodies. He has the right to preside over the meetings of the Government of the Russian Federation and the meetings of the Government Presidium.
The Government of the Russian Federation within its scope of authority coordinates the activities of the executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
The cost of maintaining and operating the Government of the Russian Federation is included as a separate line item in the federal budget.
To support the activities of the Government of the Russian Federation and monitor the fulfillment by the executive bodies of the decisions of the Government the Executive Office of the Government of the Russian Federation is formed. The Executive Office of the Government interacts with the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation and the staffs of the houses of the Federal Assembly. The regulations on the Executive Office of the Government of the Russian Federation are approved by the Government of the Russian Federation.