Russian dairies won permission from the European Union on Wednesday to send their milk products to the lucrative markets of the 25-nation bloc for the first time, officials at the European Commission said.
"We have authorised three dairy plants in Russia to export their products to Europe," Beate Gminder, Commission spokeswoman for food safety, told a news briefing.
"This is what we do with all third countries that ask to export to the European Union from certain plants or establishments...and this is the first time we have done it with dairy products from Russia," she said.
The three dairies are PJSC Lianozovo Dairy in Moscow, Altayhold Ttd in Barnayl and PJSC Lipetski Hladokombinat in Lipetsk, the Commission said in a statement.
EU veterinary inspectors had confirmed that the three plants complied with the EU's strict food safety rules, she said.
Russian authorities had given similar guarantees and would inspect the three companies on a regular basis.
Exports would begin following the publication of the Commission's decision in the EU's Official Journal, likely in the next few weeks, the statement said.