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BRUSSELS (AFP) — EU lawmakers on Wednesday said they would resume work towards greenlighting a key trade deal with the United States after President Donald Trump backed off his threat to seize Greenland.
The Parliament still needs to greenlight removing tariffs on U.S. industrial goods under the deal, but it froze the process in January as Trump’s pressure campaign escalated.
“Trade committee members remain committed to advancing work on the two legislative proposals expeditiously, provided the U.S. respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the union and its member states” as well as the July 2025 deal, EU lawmaker Bernd Lange, who leads the committee, said in a statement.
The committee could decide on the deal’s implementation at its next meeting on Feb. 24, ahead of a vote by the full chamber, he said.
The European Union and Trump clinched a deal last year after months of intense wrangling that saw Washington slap 15% tariffs on EU goods.
EU lawmakers opted to hold off ratifying the deal after Trump threatened tariff threats on eight European states for failing to go along with his demand on Greenland.
The U.S. leader last month backed off his desire to take control of Denmark’s autonomous Arctic territory after saying he had struck a “framework” deal with NATO chief Mark Rutte to ensure greater American influence.
The parliamentary committee would include in its amendments “grounds for suspension” in case of future threats to the territorial integrity of EU states, Lange said.
“The message to Washington is clear: Respect for Europe’s sovereignty and full compliance with the EU-U.S. deal from Scotland are non-negotiable,” Lange said.
The German lawmaker also took issue with the U.S. tariffs of 50% on European steel and aluminum products. The EU has called on Washington to cut the duties.
“As long as these tariffs are not reduced to 15%, there can be no tariff-free access for U.S. steel and U.S. aluminum to the European market.”
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By Agence France-Presse
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