Parliament Pulls the Brakes on Implementation
The European Parliament has suspended progress on the EU-US trade agreement after fresh tensions erupted in Washington. The move follows a US Supreme Court ruling that found parts of the 2025 tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump were illegal, throwing the legal foundation of the deal into question.
German MEP Bernd Lange, who chairs the parliamentary trade committee, said the situation had fundamentally changed. With new 15% tariffs now announced by Trump, Lange argued that lawmakers need firm assurances from the United States that the agreement will be honored in a stable and lasting way.
The European Parliament must approve the deal before it can take effect. It was originally struck in July 2025 after tense negotiations between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump, following weeks of tariff threats from Washington.
Legal Shockwaves from Washington
The latest disruption stems from the US Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs without Congressional approval, using legislation intended for national emergencies. In response, Trump unveiled a new round of 15% duties on imports, further muddying the waters.
The agreement itself had already faced criticism within Europe for being uneven. It locks in 15% US tariffs on European exports while granting most American goods tariff-free access to EU markets. Lawmakers had previously frozen the pact when Trump threatened tariffs against EU countries over Greenland, before later resuming work toward a planned vote.
That vote, scheduled for Tuesday, has now been scrapped as uncertainty grows over whether the terms of the deal can still stand.
Brussels Seeks Clarity as Tensions Rise
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič held emergency talks with Parliament’s negotiators and spoke with US Trade Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer over the weekend. He also briefed G7 counterparts in an effort to calm escalating trade tensions.
Šefčovič stressed that Brussels needs clear guarantees that the agreed 15% “all-inclusive” tariff framework will be respected. “A deal is a deal,” he said, emphasizing that predictability is essential for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
While he expressed hope that Parliament could still move forward with a vote during its March plenary session, much now depends on whether Washington can provide the legal and political clarity European lawmakers are demanding.
