Putin signs decree hindering EU’s Gazprom probe
MOSCOW - The Associated Press
The European Commission last week launched a probe to find out whether Gazprom blocked competition in gas markets in Central and Eastern Europe. State-owned Gazprom has been under pressure for its pricing for some time.
Seven days after the EU started the investigation, Putin signed a decree on Tuesday, barring strategic Russian enterprises from disclosing information to foreign regulators, changing contracts and selling property abroad without government permission. The law also specifies that these companies will need permission to change the pricing of their foreign contracts.
Under the law, Gazprom will not be able to cooperate fully and timely with regulators and investigators abroad.
Gazprom could not immediately comment.