Faced with soaring fuel prices, Emmanuel Macron has stepped up initiatives in recent days, in Brussels as well as in New York, to try to ease tensions over oil supply and lower prices at the pump.
A letter to Ursula von der Leyen calling for looser refinery rules
The President of the Republic sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, September 18, 2026. According to Le Parisien, Emmanuel Macron warns of "growing difficulties" in the delivery of petroleum products over the coming weeks and cautions of a possible 4 to 5% drop in global refining capacity.
The head of state identifies five urgent actions. The first is to relax the technical specifications for diesel and kerosene quality, in force since the 1998 European directive: a lever that should, according to the Élysée, improve refinery efficiency by 5 to 20%. The second aims to increase the share of biofuel in diesel, moving from B7 to B10 (from 7% to 10% biodiesel), an option already allowed under the European RED III regulation. The third, considered the most significant, asks to postpone by one year the entry into force of the methane emissions reporting mechanism imposed on fossil fuel importers.
This European regulation 2024/1787, in force since August 2024, requires that from January 1, 2027, importers of oil, gas or coal demonstrate that their contracts meet methane emissions monitoring standards equivalent to those of the European Union. It is precisely this deadline that the presidential letter asks to push back. The last two measures concern strengthening joint gas purchases at the European level and accelerating electrification, with a call for moderate use of natural gas, particularly for domestic heating.
The Élysée confirmed the authenticity of the letter, stating its wish to give a coordinated push in Brussels to protect the competitiveness of the energy sector and the purchasing power of the French people.
A meeting with Donald Trump in New York
The following day, Monday, September 21, 2026, Emmanuel Macron met with Donald Trump as soon as he arrived in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The French president described the discussion as "very constructive" and presented several avenues for curbing the surge in oil prices.
According to AFP, Emmanuel Macron raised the idea of a United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global hydrocarbon trade passes. A diplomatic source said UN member states could take part in securing maritime traffic in the strait, which would allow the United States and Iran to continue their discussions on other contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program.
The French president also indicated that France was ready to work on securing Saudi oil infrastructure targeted by Houthi rebels, in what he described as a "strictly defensive" approach. This concerns in particular the port city of Yanbu, on the Red Sea, and the East-West pipeline, a crucial export route for Saudi crude. A diplomatic source nonetheless stressed that this was "in no way about taking part in the conflict with the Houthis".
Emmanuel Macron also discussed with Donald Trump the need to help Ukraine "even faster and harder" with interceptor missiles, as well as possible initiatives to establish a moratorium on energy issues.
Domestic support measures also under consideration
These international moves come as the French government was due to meet on Monday, September 21, to examine new measures in response to soaring prices at the pump. Among the options under review is a revision of the aid for "high-mileage" commuters, a €100 scheme for employees traveling at least 15 kilometers per commute or more than 8,000 kilometers per year, subject to income conditions. Out of three million potential beneficiaries, 1.5 million have applied so far. Although the measure was due to end on September 30, Minister for Purchasing Power Serge Papin announced it would not be discontinued, with a new scheme planned from October 1 for the most precarious workers.
The government has, for now, ruled out a general cut in fuel taxes, deemed too costly: the rebate scheme applied in 2022 had cost €7.6 billion, a burden considered incompatible with a public deficit projected at 5.4% of GDP.
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