He expressed his belief that there is a sufficient safety net in the EU, a few hours after the finalization of the terms of the EU-US trade deal, in the wake of the American president’s threat to increase trade tariffs, in case the agreement is not implemented.
In a press conference that followed long hours of negotiations, Lange said, among other things: “We got what we needed, a safety net, because we don’t know how the US will act in the field of trade sanctions. Its approval by such a wide majority of 417 votes means that as Europe we have a single, strong voice”, adding that “the EU will monitor the economic consequences of the agreement, starting three months after the legislation enters into force”.
He also said that last night’s round of negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission included a so-called “sunset clause”, which allows the EU to terminate the agreement by December 31, 2029 — eleven months after Trump is scheduled to leave the presidency — if Washington does not meet the demands. This clause is not activated automatically but upon the initiative of the Commission. It is worth noting that the Council rejected a proposal by the European Parliament to include in the definition of the threat the territorial integrity of the EU, which referred to the diplomatic crisis caused in early 2026 by the American president’s threats to annex Greenland.
“This is a package that provides predictability and security for us, our consumers and our industry. That’s why I’m quite pleased that we reached this agreement,” added Lange. “This deal is uneven,” he admitted, adding that he was “quite pleased” to reach the deal. “Europe will never really be out of the woods as long as US President Donald Trump remains in power,” he added. In a similar vein, the Trade Commissioner, Maros Sevtsovics, emphasized that “the requirement is the observance of the agreement by both sides”.
There are four safety valves of the EU, as Lange mentioned:
Protection mechanism: In the event that imports from the USA increase excessively and European companies are damaged, the member states can ask the Commission to limit or suspend part of the agreement.
Right of suspension: The EU can “freeze” the deal if the US does not keep its commitments.
Pressure to lift tariffs: Europe reserves the right to push for high US tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Non-permanent character: The agreement is not permanent, as explicitly stated in the text, allowing for the aforementioned re-evaluation, depending on developments.
It is recalled that the agreement in question was signed by him and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Turnbury, Scotland, last summer. It stipulates that the majority of European products exported to the United States will be subject to a 15% tariff, while American products. At the same time, the EU is also committed to investing $600 billion in strategic sectors in the United States by 2028, as well as moving forward with $750 billion worth of energy purchases from the US.
Several MEPs reacted, accusing the head of the Commission of being too lenient towards the White House’s conditions, while economic analysts spoke of an “unenforceable agreement”, more in the nature of a political commitment to the American government. The White House had set a deadline of July 4 for the implementation of the agreement, warning that, otherwise, the US would proceed with a further increase in tariffs, even to 25% on European cars.
