Vlahovic Group LLC, Croatia’s first professional lobbying firm is expanding its operations by opening an office in Brussels, Belgium. This will make VG the first Croatian lobbying firm to have a permanent presence in the EU capital.

Since becoming a Member State in 2013, and ahead of the country’s first Council of the EU presidency in January 2020, the firm has witnessed a growing demand for a constant presence in Brussels by local and global firms that require expert knowledge on Brussels and the region as well.

The company’s initial focus will be on energy, defence, tourism, infrastructure and financial services, explained Natko Vlahovic, the founder and Managing Director of the company. “Having myself worked in Brussels over the past decade, I am deeply excited by this new adventure and am ready to spearhead our Brussels operations with a new team. Croatia as a country needs to invest more in its own positioning at EU level, just like other countries are doing”, added Mr Vlahovic.

The VG Brussels office will be headed by experienced EU operators with a Croatian background and knowledge of both markets. Currently Vlahovic Group has five lobbyists registered in Brussels and the company is a member of several Government affairs networks. By opening its own office in Brussels, the company is embarking on one of the most competitive lobbying markets in Europe, where over 11,323 organisations and companies are registered for engaging with EU institutions.

Since it was founded in 2012, the company has worked with some of the leading global multinationals in the areas of energy, defence, finance and environmental protection advising them on political processes in both Croatia and Brussels. VG is registered with the European transparency register and has been so since its founding.