The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced this Friday that The Community Executive has received a last document from the United States Within the framework of the commercial negotiation that they are analyzing, with a view to achieving an agreement before July 9, with France and Germany pressing to close it as soon as possible.
“Today we have received the last US document to continue negotiations. We are currently evaluating it”, Said von der Leyen at a press conference, after the European Council meeting. At that meeting, von der Leyen would have submitted that proposal to the leaders, who have approached the state of negotiations with the White House, urging Brussels to close the treatment as soon as possible.
Von der Leyen has assured that He had a “good conversation” with the president of the United StatesDonald Trump, during the G7 meeting last week. In that meeting both committed to Promote negotiations to find an output agreed to the commercial war. But time ends. On July 9, the commercial truce expires granted by Washington.
“Our message today is clear,” said the president of the commission, “We are willing to reach an agreement.” However, the EU is preparing for a scenario in which this is not possible, with a list of products to which to increase tariffs as retaliation. “We will defend the European interest above all,” said von der Leyen, “All options are still on the table.”
Agreement or tariffs
The president of the European Council, Antonio Costa,He did not want to go into detail about the United States offer that von der Leyen would have presented to the leaders. Costa has insisted in any case that ” An agreement is always better than a conflict and zero tariffs – what the EU offers to Washington – better than any tariff. ”The Portuguese has insisted that the best for the economy, companies, and workers, is An agreement as soon as possible To avoid uncertainty.
That is the position they also share France and Germany. French president, Emmanuel Macronhe has asked conclude “quick an agreement” to prevent negotiations “lasting eternally,” but “No at any price”. In this sense, Macron has warned that if the EU accepts An increase in 10% tariffthat same percentage should also be applied to imports from the United States.
The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merzhe has warned that there is no time to close a “sophisticated agreement” from here to July 9, when the tariff truce ends. Tariffs, which affect strategic sectors of the economy German such as steel or cars, they are putting the industry “at risk.” By Merz he has advocated working to close a “fast and simple” agreement.
Support to von der Leyen
“We all agree that We must act as a true community. We have to be innovative, if necessary, creative, intelligent, and sometimes unpredictable, ”he said Donald Tusk, which closes the Polish Presidency of the Council with this summit. Both Tusk and Costa They have supported the role of the commission in any case in negotiation with the United States. They have done it after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has blamed the lack of progress to which the United States has “A heavyweight about agreements” while Europeans have “weak leaders.”
While looking for an agreement with Washington, Von der Leyen continues to explore roads to reinforce ties with other commercial partners. In this context, the president of the European Commission would have presented the leaders with a model of Structured and rules -based cooperation to test with the countries of the transpacific association that includes Australia, Brunéi, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Vietnam. The objective is to learn from the mistakes made by the World Trade Organization. AND“Teach the world that there may be free trade between a large number of countries, based on rules,” The president of the Commission has said.
