Obama: US ready to export gas in Europe, according to the negotiations on free trade

On April 2nd, extraordinary meeting of the Energy Council, together with the US. Barroso: we discussed about energy cooperation to reduce our dependence from problematic countries

The United States are ready to agree to an increased alliance with the EU in the energy field, meeting the requirements aroused following the Ukrainian crisis; yet, turning this new approach into a reality will imply it to be agreed during the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) negotiations between the United States and the European Union. Barack Obama has offered his help to Europe, but this in no charity. The President of the a United States is ready to boost the cooperation process in terms of energy, provided that it will get to an exchange. “We are ready to supply additional energy sources,” said Obama at the end of the EU-US summit. It will be about the extra-production and export of natural gas, GPL and shale gas, “yet, it won’t happen overnight.” A lot will depend on how the negotiations on the TTIP will proceed, explained the US President. “Once the agreement is singed, it will be much easier to obtain the licences for exporting gas.” In any case, “I am definitely not going to sign any law weakening the consumers’ protection or the environmental protection standards.” Europe is asked to walk on his own: “I think Europe should collectively think about the possibility of diversifying their energy sources,” and “the US can be one of the sources.”

Yet, europe looks at the bright side: “I welcome the idea of the US supplying more gas to the market,” said the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. This approach in fact will allow Europe to “reduce its dependence on sources located in troubled places,” added Barroso. The clear message is to Russia, which is undergoing EU sanctions because of the situation in Ukraine, and which still has strong economic and trade connections with the Union. The concept has been also underlined in the summit conclusions. “We welcome the prospect of US LNG exports in the future since additional global supplies will benefit Europe and other strategic partners,” reads the text. The discussion will be brought about in the following days, as Barroso anticipated during the press conference. “Our teams are to meet the following week to discuss about energy cooperation.” After that, the Council communicated that on Wednesday, April 2nd, an extraordinary meeting of the Energy Council has been called, and the US will take part to it with the American Secretary of State, John Kerry.

Emanuele Bonini