Bernd Lange, the German MEP (S&D) who serves as the European Parliament's lead negotiator on the EU-US trade agreement, has firmly rejected calls from Washington to accelerate the legislative process. His remarks come after US President Donald Trump set a 4 July deadline for the EU to eliminate tariffs on American goods, as stipulated in the deal signed last year at Turnberry between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“European legislation cannot be dictated by threatening social media posts from Washington,” Lange said in a statement. “Our democratic procedures are not negotiable. Even in stormy weather, we stay firmly on course.”
The US has intensified pressure on Brussels to pass the necessary implementing legislation, but negotiations between the European Parliament and member states collapsed on Wednesday night without an agreement. The deadlock centres on safeguards that MEPs insist must be attached to the deal.
Stalled Talks and Safeguard Demands
Since the agreement was struck, the European Parliament has been among its most vocal critics. Lawmakers argue the arrangement is lopsided: the EU commits to major investments in the US while reducing its own duties to zero, yet faces a 15% tariff cap. Parliament suspended the deal earlier this year after Trump threatened tariffs in his push to acquire Greenland. It later added conditions including a “sunset clause” ending the deal in March 2028 and a suspension mechanism triggered by new threats from Washington, market distortions from US imports, or economic coercion.
Lange stressed that safeguards must also shield the agreement from growing legal uncertainty in the United States. He pointed to a recent ruling by the US Court of International Trade blocking tariffs affecting two plaintiff companies, as well as a February Supreme Court decision that declared the 2025 tariffs illegal. “All of this underlines how important a stable European safety net is,” the MEP said.
“Europe must remain capable of acting. We need to uphold the agreement while also being able to react quickly if the US position shifts again. Anything else would be reckless and short-sighted.”
The latest threats from Trump—including a warning to impose 25% tariffs on EU cars, far above the 15% cap agreed at Turnberry—did not alter the negotiations. The impasse persists as MEPs and member states remain at odds over the scope of the safeguards.
For a broader perspective on the transatlantic trade tensions, see Trump's July 4 Ultimatum: Another Fragile Trade Truce for the EU and MEPs Resist Pressure to Fast-Track EU-US Trade Deal Amid Trump Tariff Threats.
