The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament said it would not support any EU–US trade agreement while President Donald Trump “continues to undermine Europe’s sovereignty.”
A majority of shadow rapporteurs in the European Parliament’s international trade committee (INTA) have decided to resume work on two legislative proposals concerning changes to customs duties on imports from the United States, the group noted in a statement on Wednesday.
It said it would engage in the process but wants “fundamental” changes to what it described as the unbalanced “Turnberry deal” agreed last year by the European Commission and the US administration.
Among its conditions is a “robust, comprehensive and effective suspension clause” that would automatically pause the deal if there were threats or acts against the EU’s territorial, legislative or democratic integrity.
The S&D group also said the EU should not grant tariff-free access for US steel and aluminium products unless US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium derivatives are reduced to 15%, after the United States raised tariffs to 50% on more than 400 EU steel and aluminium products.
Conditions set out as trade committee work restarts
The leftist group also called for the EU to activate its Anti-Coercion Instrument — an EU tool designed to allow countermeasures when a third country uses economic pressure — to enable “timely, targeted and effective” responses.
On Arctic-related issues, the S&D group said it wanted “full transparency and guarantees” that an agreement reached between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the United States does not harm EU interests and has the support of Greenland’s population and the Danish government, adding it would not give final consent without assurances from the European Commission.
It also called for a time-limited “sunset clause”, preferably capped at 18 months, saying this was needed in light of World Trade Organization rules and to ensure Parliament has a say on any extension.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s international trade committee and an S&D MEP, said resuming the legislative procedure was “not a blank check” and that the group would not “rubber-stamp any deal.”
Kathleen Van Brempt, the S&D vice-president for international trade, said “there can be no business as usual with the United States” and repeated the call for a suspension clause tied to threats to the EU’s integrity.
Brando Benifei, the S&D coordinator in the trade committee, urged immediate activation of the Anti-Coercion Instrument so the EU is prepared to respond with countermeasures.
