Diesel : sous la pression des Etats-Unis, l’exécutif envisage de libérer une part importante de ses réserves

BRUXELLES — During emergency talks on Friday, the French government discussed the possibility of releasing part of its strategic oil and diesel reserves after the Trump administration pressured European countries to release their stocks onto the market, according to POLITICO. The French government's proposal at a European leaders' high-level meeting on Friday was that EU countries release 50 million barrels of crude oil and 50 million barrels of diesel.

This idea is still under technical evaluation, a source explained. This decision comes after US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright asked European countries to release 120 million barrels of their stock over a three-month period to combat diesel price hikes, or face restrictions on importing US diesel. According to these sources, France's compromise proposal was made in response to a new demand from the US to French President Emmanuel Macron, asking him to release 100 million barrels of diesel.

The Elysée Palace reported on Monday that Macron had exchanged words with Trump late at night to discuss the global energy situation and ensure refined products' global availability. France, holding the rotating G7 presidency, aims to convene a G7 video conference as soon as possible to coordinate measures to relieve the price pressure.

During the Friday morning exchange, the German government expressed reluctance to unlock even a single barrel, according to these sources. "Germany and other countries do not want to be pawns; they want to release their stocks only for genuine supply security reasons," said one of them, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

Germany and France have the largest oil and petrochemical reserves in Europe, according to official EU statistics. "France wants to participate and respond to this request... It is clear that the EU will act, as long as its members can reach an agreement," a second source said. She added that it was difficult to determine whether the release would be coordinated jointly by the EU or carried out bilaterally, due to the "disorganized" approach of the US, which had made different demands to different countries.

"This is a typically American method: they do not go through the usual official channels." The office of Minister Roland Lescure, present at the Friday morning meeting, dismissed "rumors" to POLITICO and did not want to comment further. The White House shows growing frustration with EU countries that have not fulfilled their commitments to contribute to the release of 400 million barrels, an operation coordinated early in the year by the International Energy Agency following the outbreak of war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

At the Brussels meeting on Friday, some European representatives also criticized France and Germany for not putting substantial petroleum reserves on the market, according to one of the people present. POLITICO reported on Thursday that the main EU countries and the United Kingdom wanted to respond to US pressure with a "firm" voice, while seeking to ease tensions.