Ben Munster
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@politicoeurope reporter, formerly in Rome, now covering energy in Brussels. Prev in NYer, Air Mail, FP, FT. bmunster@politico.eu, WhatsApp/Signal +447772679024
Articles by Ben Munster
Tripolis will die Energielücke in Europa füllen, sagt Libyens Ölminister
Stavanger, Norwegen – Libyen ist zuversichtlich, dass es Europa dabei helfen kann, die durch die Sperrung der Straße von Hormus entstandenen Verluste bei der Energieversorgung auszugleichen. Allerdings werfen der grassierende Schmuggel und Angriffe auf kritische Infrastruktur Fragen hinsichtlich der Fähigkeit des Landes auf, die seit über einem Jahrzehnt andauernden Unruhen zu überwinden.
Libya wants to fill the European energy void left by Hormuz, says oil minister
STAVANGER, Norway — Libya believes it can help Europe offset energy supply losses resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, even as rampant smuggling and attacks on critical infrastructure raise questions about the country's ability to overcome over a decade of unrest.
EU should stop moralizing on Arctic oil and let us get drilling, says Norway
STAVANGER, Norway — Norway's energy minister has accused the European Commission of hypocrisy in seeking to curb Arctic oil and gas drilling while member countries increasingly turn to the region to secure energy supplies.
E&E News: Germany’s gas gamble puts Europe’s winter at risk
Consumers face higher energy costs and possible shortages if EU governments don’t fill up gas reserves fast. ENERGYWIRE | BERLIN — Europe’s reserves of natural gas are running dangerously low, risking fresh energy woes if the Iran war rages on and cold spells drive up heating demand over winter. But the continent’s top energy user doesn’t seem too bothered.
Germany’s gas gamble puts Europe’s winter at risk
BERLIN — Europe's reserves of natural gas are running dangerously low, risking fresh energy woes if the Iran war rages on and cold spells drive up heating demand over winter. But the continent's top energy user doesn't seem too bothered. Germany is the EU's biggest vulnerability because its sheer size means gas shortfalls there could be felt in neighboring countries, driving up prices across the bloc if it fails to restore its reserves.
E&E News: Greek gas concession unlocks EU’s Russia sanctions package
The agreement resolves a dispute over shipping Russian gas to third countries and freezes the bloc’s price cap on Russian crude oil for 12 months. ENERGYWIRE | BRUSSELS — EU countries reached a deal Thursday on a sweeping 21st sanctions package against Moscow, but only by allowing Greece to keep sending Russian gas to countries outside the bloc.
E&E News: EU natural gas prices surge as Middle East violence flares again
Traders fear that they’re going to need to permanently price in instability in the Strait of Hormuz as shortages loom and Asian demand heats up. ENERGYWIRE | BRUSSELS — European natural gas prices shot to a four-month high as renewed violence around the Strait of Hormuz triggered concerns about the feasibility of transporting energy through the world’s most vital energy choke point.
Niestabilność na Bliskim Wschodzie zbiera żniwo. Ceny gazu ziemnego poszybowały
Ceny gazu ziemnego w Europie osiągnęły najwyższy poziom od czterech miesięcy — ponowne wybuchy przemocy w rejonie cieśniny Ormuz wywołały obawy co do możliwości transportu surowców energetycznych przez ten kluczowy punkt strategiczny na świecie. Referencyjna cena gazu ziemnego w Europie (holenderski TTF) — w poniedziałek na krótko przekroczyła 60 euro (ok. 260 zł) za megawatogodzinę, osiągając najwyższy poziom od połowy marca.
Natural gas prices surge as violence in Middle East flares again
BRUSSELS — European natural gas prices shot to a four-month high as renewed violence around the Strait of Hormuz triggered concerns about the feasibility of transporting energy through the world’s most vital energy chokepoint.
CLIMATEWIRE | BRUSSELS — The European Commission has told governments to suspend enforcement of landmark EU rules governing methane emissions for three years, according to new guidance approved Monday, following a sustained campaign by member countries and industry to delay them.
EU bets fossil fuel lobby is crying wolf over supply shock warnings
BRUSSELS — The European Commission is betting that profit-hungry gas and oil companies will continue exporting into Europe next year, resisting calls by oil and gas firms to rewrite new climate laws that they say will force them to seek other markets.
E&E News: All the trade promises the EU and the US never meant to keep
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A year after Donald Trump shook hands with Ursula von der Leyen on a trade deal, POLITICO assesses how their commitments have held up. ENERGYWIRE | BRUSSELS — When Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump struck their trade truce at his Scottish golf club last July, they made fulsome promises to each other — to reduce tariffs, boost energy purchases, ease green and tech regulations, and cooperate on artificial intelligence.
By Camille Gijs Verified, Ben Munster Verified, Oliver Ward Verified, Marianne Gros Verified, Ari Hawkins Verified, Chris Lunday Verified, Pieter Haeck Verified
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E&E News: EU bets fossil fuel lobby is crying wolf over supply shock warnings
Oil and gas firms say EU methane rules will force them to stop exporting to Europe. The European Commission thinks they’re bluffing. CLIMATEWIRE | BRUSSELS — The European Commission is betting that profit-hungry gas and oil companies will continue exporting into Europe next year, despite industry claims that the new climate rules will force them to seek other markets.
All the trade promises the EU and the US never meant to keep
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BRUSSELS — When Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump struck their trade truce at his Scottish golf club last July, they made fulsome promises to each other — to reduce tariffs, boost energy purchases, ease green and tech regulations, and cooperate on artificial intelligence. Nearly a year on, many of the commitments made at Turnberry are proving hard to keep.
By Camille Gijs Verified, Ben Munster Verified, Oliver Ward Verified, Marianne Gros Verified, Ari Hawkins Verified, Chris Lunday Verified, Pieter Haeck Verified
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POLITICO Europe
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Nowy front walki między USA a UE. Amerykański sektor energetyczny stawia Europę pod ścianą. "Nie ma absolutnie takiej możliwości"
Amerykański przemysł naftowo-gazowy odniósł sukces w eksporcie ogromnych ilości gazu ziemnego do Europy. Wygląda na to, że teraz, z pomocą urzędników Białego Domu, może udać mu się również eksport programu deregulacyjnego administracji Trumpa. Obecnie sektor ten próbuje wywrzeć presję na Komisję Europejską, by opóźniła wprowadzenie przepisów mających być kluczowym narzędziem w walce z poważnym zanieczyszczeniem klimatu.
USA i lobby energetyczne naciskają na Brukselę. Unia opóźnia walkę z emisjami metanu
Branża próbuje postawić Komisję Europejską pod ścianą, by opóźnić wprowadzenie zasad, które miały być kluczowym narzędziem walki z emisjami gazu poważnie szkodzącego klimatu. Przekonała do swoich racji ponad połowę z 27 krajów członkowskich, które wraz z amerykańskim sekretarzem ds. energii, Chrisem Wrightem, apelują o szybkie zmiany w tych przepisach.
‘Can you help us?’: US oil execs turn to Trump to topple Europe's climate rules
The U.S. oil and gas industry has succeeded in exporting massive amounts of natural gas to Europe. Now, with the help of White House officials, it looks like it might also succeed in exporting the Trump administration's deregulatory agenda. Now the sector is attempting to strong-arm the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, into delaying the rollout of what the bloc intended to be a major rule to curb a potent climate pollution.
E&E News: ‘Can you help us?’: US oil execs turn to Trump to topple Europe’s climate rules
Here's an inside look at how a climate regulation became a battleground between the U.S. and Europe. CLIMATEWIRE | The U.S. oil and gas industry has succeeded in exporting massive amounts of natural gas to Europe. Now, with the help of White House officials, it looks like it might also succeed in exporting the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda.
‘Can you help us?’: US oil execs turn to Trump to topple Europe's climate rules
1:23 14 hours ago Hillside near Mt. Shasta reveals 200 solar-powered speakers KCRA • 14h A Siskiyou County horseback rider helped uncover a mystery at Mt. Shasta that has captivated many online, wondering what the strange sights—and sounds— were. "Where is this coming from?" Karie Ann Snure said.
E&E News: Russian gas imports to EU spike ahead of ban
The loss of supplies stuck in the Persian Gulf following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz also played a part in the rising imports. ENERGYWIRE | BRUSSELS — Russian natural gas imports into the EU rose sharply in the first five months of 2026 as countries sought to shore up supplies ahead of a phased-in ban on the fossil fuel.
E&E News: Germany joins push to delay EU methane rules
A growing number of countries wants to delay the EU’s landmark rules governing methane emissions. CLIMATEWIRE | LUXEMBOURG — Berlin will seek to delay the rollout of key European Union rules regulating emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane, joining a growing coalition of EU member countries arguing the regulation could jeopardize the bloc’s supply of oil and gas. It follows sustained lobbying against the rules by the United States government and the fossil fuel sector.
Germany joins push to delay EU methane rules
LUXEMBOURG — Berlin will seek to delay the rollout of key European Union rules regulating emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane, joining a growing coalition of EU member countries arguing the regulation could jeopardize the bloc's supply of oil and gas. It follows sustained lobbying against the rules by the United States government and the fossil fuel sector.
E&E News: Big Oil’s campaign to stop EU methane restrictions is working
CLIMATEWIRE | LUXEMBOURG — The fossil fuel industry and the U.S. government are gaining ground in their fight to postpone EU rules designed to cut emissions of one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with at least 12 member countries already backing calls to delay the law.
Big Oil’s campaign to stop EU methane restrictions is working
LUXEMBOURG — The fossil fuel industry and the U.S. government are gaining ground in their fight to postpone EU rules designed to cut emissions of one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with at least 12 member countries already backing calls to delay the law.
E&E News: 11 countries demand 3-year delay to EU’s landmark methane rules
The EU Methane Regulation will introduce new obligations in January requiring oil and gas firms to monitor, report and verify emissions of methane. CLIMATEWIRE | BRUSSELS — Eleven EU countries including Poland, Italy and the Netherlands have called on the EU to postpone the rollout of its landmark regulation on methane emissions by three years, according to a letter seen by POLITICO, following a campaign by the fossil fuel industry.
E&E News: EU members want frozen congestion revenues released after 8 years
The European Commission’s original version of the grids package required grid operators to set aside 25 percent of unspent congestion revenues to finance cross-border projects to benefit broader connectivity. CLIMATEWIRE | An EU requirement that countries use key funds for cross-border grid network investments would lapse after eight years, according to a new compromise text of the EU’s landmark grids package proposed by member countries and seen by POLITICO.
E&E News: ‘Every man for himself’: Europe warned of rising competition for energy from Asia
Europe may not fare well in a gas bidding war with China. ENERGYWIRE | BRUSSELS — Europe is facing growing competition from Asia for limited natural gas supplies, as national reserves run low and demand soars during the summer. And it’s a contest the EU will struggle to win, analysts and officials warn. Centralized Asian economies like China, Vietnam and South Korea are better equipped to negotiate deals to purchase gas on the spot market, leaving free-market oriented Europe at a disadvantage.
Przez Chiny zapłacimy więcej za prąd. "Czeka nas okres napięć"
Scentralizowane gospodarki azjatyckie, takie jak Chiny, Wietnam i Korea Południowa, są lepiej przygotowane do negocjowania umów na zakup gazu na rynku. To z kolei stawia zorientowaną na wolny rynek Europę w niekorzystnej sytuacji. "Czeka nas okres napięć" Po inwazji Rosji na Ukrainę UE nadała sobie uprawnienia do koordynowania zbiorowych zakupów energii. Ta polityka się jednak nie sprawdziła.
‘Every man for himself’: Europe warned of rising competition for energy from Asia
BRUSSELS — Europe is facing growing competition from Asia for limited natural gas supplies, as national reserves run low and demand soars during the summer. And it’s a contest the EU will struggle to win, analysts and officials warn. Centralized Asian economies like China, Vietnam and South Korea are better equipped to negotiate deals to purchase gas on the spot market, leaving free-market oriented Europe at a disadvantage.
Concerns still linger over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying competition over natural gas supplies and the fate of ruined critical infrastructure. ENERGYWIRE | BRUSSELS — The United States and Iran's provisional agreement Sunday to end the war sent share markets soaring as oil and gas prices dropped to their lowest level since early March. So that's the energy crisis sorted, right?
All the ways the US-Iran deal won’t fix Europe’s energy problems
BRUSSELS — The United States and Iran's provisional agreement on Sunday to end the war sent share markets soaring as oil and gas prices dropped to their lowest level since early March. So that's the energy crisis sorted, right? Not so fast. Assuming the peace deal is signed and holds, concerns still linger over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying competition over natural gas supplies, and the fate of ruined critical infrastructure that could take years to repair.
E&E News: The European jet fuel crisis that never came — and why it still might
Summer may not be ruined, but clever workarounds can only fend off energy shortages for so long. ENERGYWIRE | BRUSSELS — European energy markets have been strangely calm since the outbreak of the war in Iran but that might be about to change, as analysts warn governments are underestimating the seriousness of the shock to come.
The European jet fuel crisis that never came — and why it still might
BRUSSELS — European energy markets have been strangely calm since the outbreak of the war in Iran but that might be about to change, as analysts warn governments are underestimating the seriousness of the shock to come. Across oil, gas and other energy products — particularly jet fuel — prices in Europe have remained subdued, with officials repeating that supplies are secure, appearing to contradict institutional warnings that the world was in the throes of history's worst energy shock.
‘Summer should be fine’ as Europe’s jet fuel fears ease
BRUSSELS — Europe is now unlikely to face a jet fuel supply crisis and major flight disruptions in the coming weeks — a big change from the dire warnings of just a few weeks ago. The core reason for the shift is the spike in prices, which encouraged refiners and traders to redirect fuel cargoes toward Europe, helping offset lost Gulf supplies faster than policymakers initially expected.
Italy looks to Libyan gas fields to replace supply shortages from Iran war
BRUSSELS — A delegation of Italian lawmakers has traveled to Libya to explore potentially ramping up energy trade with the war-torn country to fill the gap caused by the war in the Persian Gulf. It reflects growing interest from Europe and the United States in the country's vast but under-exploited energy resources, heightened by the recent global energy shortage.
Under US pressure, EU moves to soften rules for fighting climate superpollutant
BRUSSELS — The European Union is bowing to demands from the United States and the fossil fuel industry that it scale back its efforts to fight a planet-warming superpollutant. The EU in 2021 vowed to curb emissions of methane and drew up legislation that forces the oil and gas sector to limit emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas, which is responsible for around a third of the global rise in temperatures since the industrial era.
EU floats making it easy for oil companies to break methane rules
The European Commission is considering giving fossil fuel companies leeway to avoid penalties under new rules governing the emissions of methane, in what would be a major win for the oil and gas sector. According to draft guidelines for governments, seen by POLITICO, national authorities would be able to grant exemptions to companies on energy security grounds, without any clear time limit or explicit oversight from the Commission.
Martwy punkt. Europa ma ogromny problem z paliwem — nawet nie wie, ile go posiada. Kryzys może przyjść w każdej chwili
Linie lotnicze wstrzymują loty, a władze wzywają obywateli do ograniczenia dojazdów do pracy w ramach oszczędzania paliwa. Tymczasem europejskie działania mające na celu zapobieżenie niedoborom spowodowanym wojną w Iranie napotykają nieoczekiwaną przeszkodę. Nikt nie wie, ile paliwa faktycznie ma kontynent.
Europe has a fuel problem: It doesn’t know how much it has
BRUSSELS — As airlines ground planes and officials urge citizens to cut back on their commutes, Europe’s effort to prevent shortages caused by the Iran war is running into an unexpected hitch: Nobody knows how much fuel the continent actually has. The scramble comes as the war in Iran drives up Europe’s fossil fuel bill and threatens to choke off supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for oil and gas.
EU-Methanverordnung: Brüssel erwägt Strafen bei Verstößen auszusetzen
BRÜSSEL – Die Europäische Kommission erwägt im Vorfeld des Treffens der EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs im Juni Maßnahmen, die es Energieunternehmen ermöglichen sollen, die EU-Verschmutzungsgrenzwerte zu überschreiten – und damit durchzukommen. Die EU-Exekutive erwägt eine „Null-Strafe“-Option, die es den Mitgliedstaaten erlauben würde, Unternehmen nicht zu bestrafen, die gegen die strengen Vorschriften für Methanemissionen verstoßen, die nächstes Jahr in Kraft treten sollen.
Brussels weighs letting fossil fuel companies break EU pollution limits
BRUSSELS — Energy companies will be able to break the EU’s pollution limits and get away with it, under measures being considered by the European Commission ahead of a gathering of EU leaders in June.
EU stellt Kerosin und Diesel in den Mittelpunkt ihres Energie-Notfallpakets
BRÜSSEL — Die Europäische Kommission will die Versorgung mit Flugzeugtreibstoff und Diesel stärker mit den Mitgliedstaaten koordinieren, um eine drohende Verknappung abzuwehren. Der am Mittwoch vorgestellte AccelerateEU-Plan enthält eine Reihe von Maßnahmen, um die schlimmsten Auswirkungen der durch die Schließung der Straße von Hormus ausgelösten Energiekrise zu verhindern.
EU to prioritize jet fuel supplies in new emergency energy package
BRUSSELS — The European Commission will coordinate with member countries on jet fuel and diesel supplies to fend off a looming shortage, as part of a major package to address the energy crisis caused by the Iran war.
Kryzys energetyczny. Awaryjny plan UE ma przechytrzyć Iran i USA. "Jesteśmy zakładnikami sytuacji"
Komisja Europejska przedstawi w środę szeroko zakrojony pakiet energetyczny na wypadek sytuacji awaryjnej, próbując zapobiec zbliżającemu się kryzysowi energetycznemu. Gdyby tylko wiedziała, jaki problem próbuje rozwiązać. Od wybuchu wojny w Iranie 28 lutego UE balansowała między skrajnie rozbieżnymi impulsami politycznymi, podczas gdy chaos w Zatoce Perskiej postępował w zawrotnym tempie. Zaczęło się od obaw związanych z wysokimi cenami, które narastały już przed wojną.
EU attempts to outmaneuver Iran rollercoaster with emergency energy plan
BRUSSELS — The European Commission will present a sweeping emergency energy package on Wednesday, as it attempts to fend off a looming energy crisis. If only it knew what problem it was trying to fix. Since the Iran war broke out on Feb. 28, the EU has swung between wildly divergent policy impulses as the chaos in the Persian Gulf progresses at breakneck pace. It began with anxieties around high prices that were already simmering before the war.
L’Union européenne cherche à relancer les achats groupés de gaz
BRUXELLES — La Commission européenne souhaite relancer les achats coordonnés de gaz au niveau de l’UE, alors que la guerre au Moyen-Orient suscite des craintes en matière d’approvisionnement, selon une déclaration prérédigée que POLITICO a pu consulter. Il s’agit de l’une des nouvelles mesures envisagées par l’exécutif européen pour protéger contre la hausse des prix les Etats membres, qui s’inquiètent de la perspective d’une pénurie d’énergie.
EU looks to revive joint gas buying as energy fears mount
BRUSSELS — The European Commission wants to restart coordinated EU-wide gas purchases as the Iran war raises supply fears, according to planned remarks seen by POLITICO. It's one of a number of new measures the EU executive is exploring to help shield countries from rising prices as national capitals grow nervous at the prospect of an energy crunch. At the same time, it risks provoking a backlash from industry, which has long questioned the effectiveness of coordinated fuel buying.
Brussels warns EU countries not to hoard fuel within borders
BRUSSELS — The European Commission is warning national governments not to ban the export of fuel across internal EU borders, with the Iran war threatening to choke oil supply to European refineries. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway between Iran and Oman, has affected 20 percent of global oil flows, threatening shortfalls in some European refineries.
EU plans emergency state aid rule change to address soaring energy costs
BRUSSELS — The European Union will this month release a proposal to ease state aid rules as part of a suite of measures to help member countries deal with the energy crisis caused by the Iran war, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday. It follows U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration Sunday that the U.S. would blockade the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran collapsed over the weekend.
Inside the feud blocking Croatia’s bid to wean Hungary off Russian oil
BRUSSELS — Croatia has a solution to kill off Hungary's dependence on Russian oil for good — if only Viktor Orbán would embrace it. The Croatian government is pitching a 35-year-old, 600-kilometer pipeline network that spans the Balkans and Central Europe as an obvious alternative to Russian crude oil for both Hungary and Slovakia. It would boost the EU's attempt to extinguish the last remnants of its energy trade with Moscow.
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