The Experience of the Russian Federation in the Legal Regulation of Submarine Cables

The Experience of the Russian Federation
in the Legal Regulation of Submarine Cables

Daria Andreevna Shvets

PhD Researcher at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain)

The present article is devoted to the complex overview of the legislation of the Russian Federation on submarine cables. Among the examined issues are legal provisions of laying, repairing and protecting cables in Russian maritime spaces. The comparison of the Russian Federation’s domestic provisions with some other states’ national laws and with international law, mainly provisions of the UNCLOS, distinguishes some positive and negative practices of interest for national legislators. The article gives a comprehensive picture of the state of Russian law in the submarine cables area, supporting arguments with the example of a new cable being under construction nowadays in the Russian Arctic. Generally tending to perform its commitments under international law, there is still lack of some substantial provisions in the Russian Federation legislation creating obstacles for the cable industry.