German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche sued over US gas lobby contacts

The Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has filed an inactivity lawsuit against Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, alleging that the ministry failed to comply with a request under the Environmental Information Act for details on Minister Katherina Reiche’s meetings with the US oil‑and‑gas lobby at the CERA Week conference in Houston, Texas.

DUH argues that Reiche publicly attacked Germany’s climate target and the EU methane regulation during the conference and later sought to suspend the regulation at the EU Energy Council, contrary to the environment minister’s veto. The group demands the immediate release of all appointment dates, protocols and any agreements made with the US lobby, accusing the minister of a conflict of interest and of acting as a “handmaid” for the Trump administration’s fossil‑fuel interests. The ministry missed the statutory deadline for responding to the information request, prompting the legal action.