European Commission officials have accused the United States of exerting direct pressure and threats against EU diplomats.
This took place during negotiations held last month at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in the British capital, London.
As part of talks aimed at imposing a tax on carbon emissions from international maritime shipping.
Eight European envoys and officials told Politico Europe,
Negotiators from EU countries were summoned to the US embassy in London and subjected to outright intimidation.
In addition, there are threats to halt trade cooperation and deny US visas to their family members if they support the carbon tax proposals.
Unprecedented pressures
One European official described what happened as “unprecedented in the history of international talks”.
He added that some diplomats returned to their countries in a state of tension and anxiety after the meetings.
Another Commission official confirmed receiving “worrying feedback from a number of European delegates regarding the level of American pressure.”
He noted that the method used went beyond the usual diplomatic norms.
Trump’s return and climate decline
These developments come as US President Donald Trump and his administration seek to dismantle international environmental policies established under previous administrations.
Trump described global efforts to reduce emissions as a “scam”.
Expressing his categorical rejection of imposing taxes on marine emissions,
They consider it an “unjustified burden on American shipping companies”.
Disagreements within the European Union
Despite the near-unanimous European consensus in support of the carbon tax,
Greece and Cyprus – two of the EU’s leading maritime nations – voted in favor of postponement.
The International Maritime Organization summit ended with a decision
to postpone the vote on imposing the tax for a full year.
This was seen by observers as a diplomatic victory for the Trump administration.
Sources indicated that the United States exerted intense pressure on
more than 20 countries from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.
Saltiness with customs duties and punitive measures in case of voting in favor of imposing the tax.
