ROME (Reuters) - The European Union needs to be pragmatic and seek common ground on tariffs with the United States to avert a trade war, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told parliament on Tuesday.

"I am not sure it is good to respond to U.S. tariffs with EU tariffs," she said ahead of an EU summit in Brussels later this week.

Meloni also said the European Union needed to introduce structural measures swiftly to curb high energy costs.