The EU gets stuck in the ratification of the trade agreement with the US despite Trump's threats

BrusselsThe majority of member states and the European Commission want to apply the trade agreement reached with the United States last summer as soon as possible to prevent Donald Trump from having excuses to further increase tariffs against the European Union. However, some partners, especially France, and the European Parliament want to include a series of safeguard clauses in the pact with the White House. These disagreements are keeping negotiations between European institutions to ratify the pact stalled while the President of the United States pressures the EU to approve it definitively and threatens with new customs duties on European cars.

France and the majority of parliamentary groups in the Eurochamber want to try to get Trump to lower his tone against the European Union and, above all, to break the trade agreement without any consequences. For this reason, they ask that the pact include a point that guarantees that the pact automatically ceases to be in force in case the United States threatens the sovereignty of the European Union, as was the case with Trump's intention to invade Greenland by force, which is part of Denmark.

On the other hand, the European Parliament wants to include the condition that Trump finally lowers the tariffs against the European steel sector, which are at 50%. It should be remembered, however, that steel and aluminum were left out of the agreement signed between Brussels and Washington last summer, although it is one of the European Union's demands to the US.

The European Parliament also calls for the inclusion of an automatic break clause that, in the event that the North American power breaches the agreement, would cease to apply, without the need for an assessment by the European Commission or member states. Furthermore, the European Parliament wants the pact to expire precisely at the moment Trump ceases to be President of the United States.

In turn, both the European Commission and the majority of state governments – including the Spanish one – and the European People's Party (EPP) – the political force with the most representatives in the European Parliament – want the pact to be processed and enter into force before Trump threatens new tariffs. In this regard, Brussels always maintains that, in the event that the US administration breaches the pact, it could decide to cease its application at any time.

A cursed agreement

The agreement reached between Brussels and Washington already provoked criticism from numerous European leaders, who considered it a concession to have accepted that the US apply tariffs of 15% on European products while the EU does not apply any customs duty on US imports. However, the European bloc accepted it to try to curb the trade war and Trump's threats.

However, the President of the United States has not stopped humiliating and threatening the EU and, in fact, the European Parliament already postponed the vote on several occasions due to Trump's disrespect. In any case, diplomatic sources indicate that the next meeting to negotiate the agreement between the member states, the Eurochamber and the European Commission will take place on May 16 in Strasbourg, and they hope it can enter into force before the end of the year.