Brussels is currently going through some revisions on their lobbying regulations, seeking to establish a higher standard for transparency – coincidentally losing Gazprom one of its most expensive levers of influence. No problem, they still have Schröder and Scaroni. From the Financial Times:
Gazprom’s Brussels lobbying firm has been suspended from the European Union’s lobbying register for failing to disclose the identity of three clients.
GPlus Europe, one of Brussels’ most influential lobbying firms, is the first to be suspended from the voluntary registry, which was established in June to promote greater transparency about the role of lobbyists in EU decision making.
The commission’s decision, communicated in a letter last week, does not imply any wrongdoing by GPlus or restrict its ability to operate.