Russia may ease access for foreign investment in its food industry, following government amendments submitted to the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, changing a key law regulating foreign investment in the country's strategic enterprises, the Duma said on Thursday.

Russia passed a new law limiting foreign investment in so-called strategic enterprises in 2008, before the global financial and economic crisis struck the country. The law requires government approval for major deals involving foreign investment in strategic enterprises, which include oil, gas, the nuclear industry, arms production, fisheries, aerospace, the media, and also food companies dealing with infectious agents and radioactive sources.

Some Russian companies, however, such as cheese-making and dairy plants, are licensed to use bacteria to make their products while other companies hold licenses to use radioactive sources to operate X-ray, medical and other equipment.

The amendments would exclude some activities linked to the use of infectious agents and radioactive sources from the list of strategic operations and eliminate excessive administrative barriers for foreign investors in the food industry.

RIA Novosti