EU bowing to Trump pressure by agreeing to more risky, polluting oil and gas imports

The EU and the U.S. have announced a new trade deal, ending months of a stand-off over tariffs. Under the new deal, the EU has given in to pressure from the Trump Administration to buy $750 billion worth of oil, gas and other energy products from the U.S. over the next three years in exchange for tariff relief.

Laurie van der Burg, Oil Change International Global Public Finance Manager, said: 

“The EU has just fallen into another dangerous fossil fuel dependency trap. Spending $250 billion a year on U.S. energy purchases, mostly oil and gas, is not just a bad deal for energy security, affordability, the climate and communities, it is also completely unnecessary. Even as it moves away from Russian LNG, the EU’s current gas supply contracts are sufficient to meet declining demand under the EU’s own Fitfor55 climate policies package.

“Increasing Europe’s imports of U.S. LNG is a disaster for our climate. Our recent analysis of five planned U.S. LNG projects finds that every one would worsen the climate crisis, and that further investment in U.S. LNG is incompatible with a liveable climate or EU methane rules.

“Over 70,000 people signed a petition asking the EU to not just end reliance on Russian gas, but also break free from U.S. gas and double down on a fair and green future instead. Instead of pouring billions into an untrustworthy administration and investing in energy products that poison communities’ air and water and risks the habitability of our climate, the EU should use that money on renewables, energy efficiency programs, and paying the climate finance it owes to the Global South.”

Enrico Donda, Campaigner at Food and Water Action Europe, said:

“As part of yesterday’s EU-U.S. trade deal, the EU has pledged $750 billion, over three years, to, among other things, increase energy imports—even though gas demand is actually falling across Europe and this move contradicts its own climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

“While the deal is presented as a way to enhance energy security and reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels, it effectively locks Europe into decades of continued gas dependency. At a time when we should be ramping up renewables, improving energy efficiency, and cutting gas use, the EU is instead pouring billions into fossil fuel infrastructure that risks becoming stranded assets. This feels like a concession to fossil fuel interests and short-term politics. What we truly need is to phase out fossil gas now.”