U.S. Front Groups Take a European Vacation

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Britain's Independent reports on a "detailed and disturbing strategy document" authored by a U.S.-based Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) official that seeks "to destroy Europe's support for the Kyoto treaty on climate change." CEI's Chris Horner, also a senior figure in the "Cooler Heads Coalition," is "a veteran campaigner against Kyoto." CEI has received "almost $1.5m from ExxonMobil." Horner's plan "seeks to draw together major international companies, academics, think-tanks, commentators, journalists and lobbyists from across Europe," under the name "European Sound Climate Policy Coalition." The coalition, Horner suggested, would be based in Brussels and have "anti-Kyoto position papers, expert spokesmen, detailed advice and networking" devoted to undermining the accord. He pitched the plan to Ford Europe, Lufthansa and German utility company RWE; the document says that Lufthansa, Exxon and Ford "have already indicated their interest." Asked by the Independent whether a U.S. lobbyist funded in part by oil companies should be targeting European companies, Horner replied, "Everybody else does."