The EU and the United States of America (US) are key allies. The EU and the US economies represent 780 million people and together account for about half the entire world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and for nearly a third of world trade flows.
The EU and the US have a long-standing cooperation on energy and climate, and the shared climate neutrality objective is an opportunity to further reinforce that cooperation.
At the EU-US summit on 15 June 2021, both parties agreed to accelerate a climate-neutral future, ensure a just transition that leaves no one behind, and to lead by example through becoming net zero greenhouse gases economies no later than 2050.
On 10 March 2023, President Biden and President von der Leyen declared in a joint statement that the US and the EU will deepen their economic relationship, by building the clean energy economies of the future and address shared economic and national security challenges.
EU-US Energy Council
The energy cooperation between the EU and the US was enhanced with the creation of the EU-US Energy Council in 2009. Key areas of cooperation include
- energy policy
- energy security
- energy technology
The Energy Council is chaired by the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President (HRVP), and the EU Commissioner for Energy, the US Secretary of State and the US Secretary of Energy. A representative from the rotating EU Presidency also participates.
The most recent Energy Council was hosted by the US on 7 February 2022 in Washington D.C. HRVP Borrell and Commissioner Simson participated with US Energy Secretary Granholm and Secretary of State Blinken, representing the US. The next EU US Energy Council will take place in Brussels on 4 April 2023.
Joint press releases of the ministerial meetings:
- Ninth EU-US Energy Council (7 February 2022)
- Eighth EU-US Energy Council (12 July 2018)
- Seventh EU-US Energy Council (4 May 2016)
- Sixth EU-US Energy Council (3 December 2014)
- Fifth EU-US Energy Council (2 April 2013)
- Fourth EU-US Energy Council (5 December 2012)
- Third EU-US Energy Council (28 November 2011)
- Second EU-US Energy Council (19 November 2010)
- First EU-US Energy Council (4 November 2009)
EU-US Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) trade
In 2018, the presidents of the US and the European Commission agreed to strengthen the EU-US strategic cooperation on energy and to facilitate trade in liquefied natural gas (LNG).The Commission issued a press release on 9 August 2018 detailing the increasing volumes of LNG arriving in the EU since the first US delivery to Portugal in April 2016.
On 25 March 2022, the two presidents met in Brussels and agreed to work together to support Europe’s energy security and to reduce its energy dependency on Russia. The LNG import from the US was 22 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2021 and at the meeting, the US ensured volumes would increase by at least 15 bcm in 2022. By the end of August, the EU’s LNG import from the US had already reached 40 bcm.
Documents
- Factsheet: EU-U.S. LNG TRADE U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) has the potential to help match EU gas needs (February 2020)
- Establishment and objectives of the EU-US Energy Council
Related links
- Joint statement by President Biden and President von der Leyen (10/03/2023)
- The European Commission and the United States open new chapter in their energy cooperation (25/03/2022)
- Joint statement by President von der Leyen and President Biden on U.S.-EU cooperation on energy security (28/01/2022)
- EU-USA relations (European External Action Service)
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
- Delegation of the EU to the USA