The Delegation of the European Commission to Russia was opened in Moscow in February 1991.

Starting from December 1, 2009, with the Lisbon Treaty entering into force, the Delegation of the European Commission is transformed into the Delegation of the European Union to Russia.

As a diplomatic mission, the Delegation of the European Union to Russia operates under the terms of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and is managed by a Head of Delegation who is accredited to the Russian President with the rank of Ambassador.

The Delegation's mandate includes:

• To promote the political and economic relations between Russia and the European Union by maintaining relations with governmental institutions, civil society, economic operators, academia and cultural actors among others.
• To inform the public about the EU, its institutions and activities.
• To explain and promote EU policies.
• To maintain close contacts and coordinate its work with the embassies of the EU member states.
• To participate in the implementation of the European Union's cooperation programmes.