The European Parliament declared itself ready on Monday, February 23, to suspend the implementation of the trade agreement concluded last summer between the European Union and the United States. This stance comes after the US Supreme Court's decision on Friday to invalidate some of the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.
In response to this legal setback, the US president announced "new measures" intended to replace the canceled tariffs, initially mentioning a global tax of 10%, quickly raised to 15%. This announcement reignited uncertainty surrounding the transatlantic trade framework.
The chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, German MEP Bernd Lange (S&D), indicated on Sunday that he would propose suspending work on the agreement at an extraordinary meeting. Several representatives of the main political groups confirmed their support for this move.
Clarifications expected from Washington
Members of the European Parliament are demanding clarification on the scope of the new US measures. Croatian MEP Zeljana Zovko (EPP) stated that the procedure should be suspended "until the Commission has clarified the conditions of the new tariffs with the United States." The Greens, through German MEP Anna Cavazzini, and the centrist Renew group also expressed their support for a temporary suspension.
The agreement reached on July 27 between Brussels and the Trump administration stipulated the imposition of general tariffs of 15%, as well as the reciprocal elimination of certain tariffs on products deemed strategic. It was presented as a compromise, while Washington threatened to impose tariffs of up to 30%.
The International Trade Committee was initially scheduled to vote on the implementation of the agreement on Tuesday, ahead of a plenary vote next month. The process had already been suspended in January amid tensions related to Donald Trump's statements on Greenland, before being relaunched. Recent developments could further delay its adoption.
