Legal regulation of organization and holding of the Olympic Games in the Russian Federation.

• Author: Prokopets, M.A.

The issues of legal regulation of the Olympic Games are currently of extreme importance and urgency for the Russian Federation, since the XXII Winter Olympic Games and the XI Paralympic Games will be held in the city of Sochi in 2014.

1. General provisions on the Olympic Movement in the Russian Federation

   The Federal Law No. 329-FZ "On physical culture and sports in the Russian Federation" dated 04.12.2007 (hereinafter - the Sports Law) is the fundamental legal act, which governs the civil relations in the area of professional and amateur sports in the Russian Federation.

   The Sports Law fixes the basis for the Russian Olympic movement.

   According to part 1 of Article 11 of the Sports Law, the Russian Olympic movement is an integral part of the international Olympic movement. The latter is aimed at the popularization and implementation of the Olympic movement principles, promotion of physical culture and sports, consolidation of international sports cooperation, participation in the Olympic Games and other international sports events held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee.

   Pursuant to part 2 of Article 11 of the Sports Law, the Olympic movement of Russia is headed by the Olympic Committee of Russia - an all-Russian public institution acting in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, with the Olympic Charter and on the basis of recognition by the International Olympic Committee, and also - with its own charter. The State acknowledges and supports the Olympic movement of Russia and renders full support to the Olympic Committee of Russia in the realization of its charter objectives.

   The Olympic Committee of Russia:

   * Popularizes the principles of Olympic movement in Russia, promotes the development of sports of the highest achievements and mass sports;

   * Represents the Russian Federation at the Olympic Games in accordance with the Olympic Charter;

   * Approves the composition of the Olympic delegation of the Russian Federation and sends it to participate in the Olympic Games;

   * Provides the sports equipment, passage, residence and insurance of the members of the Olympic delegation of the Russian Federation at the Olympic Games;

   * Approves the official sportswear and sports equipment of the Olympic delegation of the Russian Federation;

   * Takes part in the development and execution of measures aimed at ensuring the level of training of the Russian sportsmen necessary for participation in the Olympic Games;

   * Determines the city of the Russian Federation which is entitled to file with the International Olympic Committee the application to stage the Olympic Games;

   * Helps to prevent and to combat doping in sports and to counteract any forms of discrimination and violence in sports;

   * Exercises other rights in accordance with the Olympic Charter and its own charter, including the right to take part in the preparation of the Russian sportsmen for participation in the Olympic Games.

   The Olympic Committee of Russia owns the exclusive right to use its own brand and the official brand "The Olympic team of Russia". The Olympic Committee of Russia takes steps to protect the rights to use the Olympic symbol, device, flag and hymn, brands "the Olympic Games", "the Olympics", which are owned by the International Olympic Committee, within the Russian Federation. The Olympic Committee of Russia owns the exclusive right to the Olympic emblem, device, flag of the Olympic Committee of Russia and other Russian Olympic symbols.

2. Special legal regulation of the organization and holding of XXII Winter Olympic Games of 2014 in Sochi

   The international experience of staging the Olympic Games has shown that such a huge event cannot be held without a good legal base, which would provide for resolution, within the legal framework, of the tasks set before the receiving party and for the existence of a necessary balance between the regulation norms and the directive of the International Olympic Committee and the national legislation.

   When the Russian Federation received the right to host the XXII Winter Olympic Games of 2014 in Sochi, it became necessary to introduce numerous changes to the laws and by-laws in order to adapt the Russian legal system to the staging of the Olympic Games.

   The discussions resulted in the adoption of the Federal Law No. 310-FZ "On the organization and holding of the XXII Winter Olympic Games and the XI Paralympic Games of 2014 in the city of Sochi, on the development of the mountain climatic resort of the city of Sochi and on introduction of amendments to...