Brussels – The European Parliament has voted in support of an EU-US trade agreement that would lock Europe into massive imports of American oil and gas in exchange for lower tariffs on European goods.
Greenpeace is warning that further dependence on the US for oil and gas will exacerbate the climate crisis, further expose European households to energy price shocks, and give the US more leverage over EU policies.
Greenpeace EU climate campaigner Eva Corral said: “The EU should be disentangling itself from American oil and gas imports, not bending to Trump’s will to lock us in even more. We’re in the second energy crisis of the decade, Europe leaning harder into fossil fuels obviously doesn’t protect people. The EU must move as fast as possible to renewable energy, and stop funding tyrants and wars, accelerating the climate crisis and putting people’s bills at the mercy of volatile markets.”
The deal the Parliament voted for, which would set a ceiling of 15% tariffs on EU goods entering the US, in return for zero tariffs on US goods entering Europe, is linked to a promise EU Commission President von der Leyen made that the EU would import $750 billion of US energy by the end of 2028, mostly oil and gas.
By 2025, the US already provided 27% of EU gas imports, which could grow to 40% by 2030. Greenpeace is warning that increased imports of energy products like oil, gas and nuclear from the US undermines Europe’s safety and independence, as well as accelerating the climate crisis which the EU’s own science advisers say will have devastating consequences for the continent. The chair of the EU Parliament’s trade committee has himself labelled the energy import promises as ‘totally unrealistic’.
As fossil fuel prices surge, countries like Spain with more renewables have been more insulated from the worst impacts of the energy crisis.
Greenpeace is calling on the EU to set a phase-out date for fossil gas by 2035 and for oil by 2040 at the latest, to pause all ongoing negotiations for new US gas purchase agreements, and to make a plan to terminate all existing supply contracts by 2035 at the latest.
Next steps
The EU’s national governments have already agreed their position on the EU-US trade deal, so the European Parliament’s approval opens the way for three-way negotiations between the European Commission, Parliament and national governments on a final agreement to finalise the trade deal.
Contacts:
Eva Corral, Greenpeace EU climate campaigner: +32 479 60 12 89, [email protected]
Greenpeace EU press desk: +32 (0)2 274 1911, [email protected]
For breaking news and comment on EU affairs: Bluesky
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. We do not accept donations from governments, the EU, businesses or political parties. Greenpeace has over three million supporters, and 26 independent national and regional organisations with offices in more than 55 countries.
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