McPhie: US has become the leading energy supplier for EU
Tim McPhie, the EU's spokesperson for climate action and energy, explains that energy prices are related to the market demand and supply and that there are efforts to develop a process to stabilize the market.
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US becomes the main energy supplier for the EU (Getty Images)
Tim McPhie, the EU's spokesperson for climate action and energy, stated on Tuesday that the US has supplanted Russia as the EU's primary gas supplier.
During a midday briefing at the European Commission (EC), McPhie noted that "with regards to the volume of gas the US is now our major source of gas imports replacing Russian imports."
On March 25, the US and the EC established a joint working group to diversify the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and decrease the demand for natural gas in order to lessen Europe's reliance on energy supplies from Russia. The US-EU Task Force on Energy Security convened and in comparison to 2021, Europe promised to buy 50 billion cubic meters more LNG in 2023.
McPhie further added, "As to prices obviously it all depends on the market. We are in the process of seeing whether there is a way to ensure that this arrangement mirrors a stable market context, obviously, this is something that involves industries rather than governments."
Macron calls out US for double standards on gas prices to EU
Earlier in October, French President Emanual Macron called out US "double standards" for selling gas to Europe at prices 3 to 4 times higher than it is sold in the US domestic markets.
"American gas is 3-4 times cheaper on the domestic market than the price at which they offer it to Europeans. These are double standards," Macron stated, adding that "it concerns sincerity in transatlantic trade" and that this issue should be addressed.
"I intend to raise this issue during my visit to the United States in December," the French President said.
Macron's statement comes following a statement made today by the French Foreign Minister Catherina Colonna during her visit to Washington, where she called for maintaining communication channels with Russia, which indicates that France might be seeking a more balanced political position in the global arena.
"We absolutely think it is crucial to keep a channel of communication with those making the decisions in Russia, including President Putin," the French Foreign Minister said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
