BRUSSELS — Europe can only avoid a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump if it slashes climate bureaucracy and commits to extended gas purchases, the fossil fuel industry’s top lobbyist in Brussels told POLITICO.
“We need to reassure the Americans that we will be a solid buyer for gas for the long-term,” said François-Régis Mouton, the European director of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers.
While such advice is not unusual from an oil and gas lobbyist, Mouton spies an opening to push his case after years of being left out in the cold by climate-conscious bureaucrats.
The European Commission is offering to buy more American liquefied natural gas (LNG) as part of a potential deal to prevent hefty U.S. tariffs. It’s even considering backing investments in overseas LNG projects as part of a plan to lower energy costs.
