Gordon Sondland made the cutting comments highlighting Washington’s frustration with the EU and its “obstructionist” mentality in a hard-hitting interview yesterday. Mr Sondland said: “There is clearly an effort to maintain the status quo and we now have to recognise that the relationship and all of the goodwill that has been built up since the Marshall Plan doesn’t seem to count when it comes to getting a little consideration. So we are going to have to do what we have to do”.
In July President Trump agreed to delay imposing tariffs on EU-made cars, which is likely to escalate the trade war between Washington and Brussels.
However, the ambassador said the bloc were stalling trade negotiations.
He warned the US had tactics that could make it difficult for Europe to sell its products to America, which Trump is not afraid to monopolise.
Mr Sondland said he often meets with European business groups who are frustrated by EU regulation and bureaucracy and how difficult it is to make progress on any issue.
He told Politico: “The Commission in particular is out of touch with reality.
“They are off in a cloud, regulating to the heart’s content and regulating some things that don’t even need to be regulated because they haven’t even occurred yet, while stifling growth and innovation.”
The ambassador pointed his finger at France for its anti-US agenda, claiming they want to protect their own agriculture at all costs.
He said: “They don’t seem to care about the German car industry or any other car industry, other than their own. And you know they want to protect agriculture at all costs, even if it completely destabilizes the relationship, and I think they are taking a very parochial view.”
He said the whole bloc was playing a “have its cake and eat it too” issue by trying to protect their own industries while urging the US to buy their products.
Mr Sondland slammed the EU for not taking advantage of President Trump who was desperate to make a deal with them.
He said: “They don’t want to make a deal”.