Men lad os blot forestille os følgende scenario: at EU ikke ville forsøge at skaffe ligevægt i samhandelen gennem en altomfattende liberalisering, men ville bruge incitamentet fra handelsunderskuddet til at fremme udvikling og anvendelse af vedvarende energi, at EU ikke ville deltage i det internationale kapløb om at sikre adgang til olien, men ville insistere på de multilaterale aftaler for at give alle lande en rimelig andel af de svindende globale ressourcer.
But let us just imagine a different scenario: that the EU would not seek to balance its trade relations through all-out liberalisation but would use the incentive of trade imbalance to foster the development and application of renewable energy; that the EU would not participate in the international race to secure access to oil but would insist on multilateral agreements giving all countries a fair share of diminishing global resources.