The first bundle of amendments to the Russian Civil Code recently adopted by the Federation Council includes:

• The principle of good faith in the creation, exercise and protection of civil rights and performance of civil obligations as a duty of parties under the law;
• "Acting in circumvention of the law with unlawful intent" to be considered as a form of abuse of right;
• State registration of rights to property to be carried out in accordance with the general principles provided in the law; and
• The rules of state registration of transactions with immovable property to no longer apply to agreements entered into after March 1, 2013.