title: 'Die is cast': EU refrains from late appeal to Trump on climate
text: BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union said on Thursday it had made its position on climate change clear and was not engaged in last-minute lobbying of the Trump administration to keep the United States aboard the Paris climate accord. U.S. President Donald Trump is due to announce later on Thursday if he will quit the global climate deal. The Group of Seven summit in Italy on Friday and Saturday revealed a clear split between Trump and the other leaders over honoring the 2015 agreement.  “I don’t think there was any need for more contacts since ... world leaders were together for two days at a summit in an idyllic place,” a Commission spokesman said, referring to the venue in Taormina, Sicily. “This debate is well known, the position of Europe is well known too.... So there you have it, the die is cast,” he said. An EU official said Trump had not appeared persuaded of the merits of the Paris accord, deeming it unlikely that he would change course. “But as we all know, he is unpredictable,” the official said. 