U.S. Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and John Kennedy of Louisiana have sent a letter to senior officials in the Trump administration, urging them to push for the repeal of the European Union Methane Regulation (EUMR). The letter was addressed to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Ambassador Jamieson Greer from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
The senators expressed concern that the EUMR could allow European regulators to set methane intensity standards for U.S. oil and natural gas imports. According to their letter: "When fully phased in, the EUMR will set a new, yet-to-be-defined methane intensity standard for U.S. imports of oil and natural gas. This provision, if allowed to go into effect, would mean that regulators in Paris, Berlin, and Brussels would tell operators in Midland and Pittsburgh how, when, and where to produce energy."
They also stated: "The insinuation that European countries could directly regulate American producers is a gross overstep and breach of bilateral relations—especially in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where American LNG exporters helped fend off the worst-case scenarios by surging cargoes to the region. Europe continues to rely on U.S. LNG to keep homes warm, lights on, and factories operating across the continent. In the absence of U.S. LNG, Europe’s reliance on Russian energy would grow, further undermining European security and reinforcing Russia’s strategic grip on the continent."
The senators called on administration officials to use all available legal, diplomatic, and economic means during trade negotiations with Europe: "As you meet with your European counterparts to finalize the trade deal implementation action plan, we ask that this administration use all available legal, diplomatic, and economic tools to ensure that the EUMR is repealed in full. Regulating aspects of the EU’s own oil and gas production is within the authority delegated to it by member states—any attempt to extend such regulations to U.S. producers represents a clear and provocative attempt to supersede America’s sovereign right to regulate, through laws passed by the U.S. Congress, its own energy supply."
They concluded: "Thank you for your commitment to maintaining American energy dominance. We stand ready to work together with this administration to protect U.S. energy producers across the country."
Senator Ted Cruz has previously secured election victories against several opponents in recent years; he defeated Colin Allred in 2024 with 53.1% of votes compared with Allred's 44.6%. He also won elections against Beto O'Rourke in 2018 (50.9% versus 48.3%) and Paul Sadler in 2012 (56.5% versus 40.6%).
