BRUSSELS — After months of delay and disagreement, the European Parliament has taken a key step toward reviving a major trade deal between the European Union and the United States. Lawmakers agreed on Tuesday to move the process forward, scheduling a committee vote later this week, though final approval remains uncertain, according to Euro News.
The agreement, first reached last summer between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump, has been a source of tension among EU lawmakers. Many members of the European Parliament (MEPs) had resisted advancing the deal, arguing that it favors the United States and raises serious legal and political concerns.
Despite these doubts, a compromise has now been reached. Bernd Lange, a German lawmaker and chair of the Parliament’s trade committee, said there was broad support across political groups to restart the process. A vote in the committee is expected soon, marking a significant step after months of gridlock.
Under the proposed agreement, the United States would impose a 15 percent tariff on EU goods, while the EU would reduce its tariffs on U.S. imports to zero. Critics have called this imbalance unfair, while EU officials have described it as the best possible outcome under difficult circumstances.
The deal faced further complications earlier this year when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that some of President Trump’s earlier tariffs were illegal. This raised fresh questions about the agreement and contributed to repeated delays in Parliament.
To address concerns, lawmakers added new safeguards to the deal. These include a clause allowing the EU to suspend the agreement if its territorial integrity is threatened, as well as a “sunset clause” that would cause tariff reductions to expire in 2028 unless renewed.
Even with these changes, divisions remain. Some lawmakers want to move quickly, while others prefer to delay the final vote, possibly until April. The European Commission continues to urge swift approval, warning that further delays could strain relations with Washington.
As the debate continues, the future of the EU–US trade deal remains uncertain, reflecting deeper political divides within Europe over trade, security, and relations with the United States.
