The French initiative to add safeguards to last year’s EU-US trade deal has hit the “wall” of the majority of member states led by Germany. Berlin and its allies appear determined to stick to what was originally agreed, despite pressure to revise it.
This development means that the EU Council will likely come to the May 6 negotiations with the European Parliament without changing its position. Parliament, instead, is seeking to impose strict conditions on the deal struck last July in Turnbury, Scotland.
The front of denial and the “loneliness” of Paris
At a meeting of ambassadors of the “27” last Wednesday, France’s call for a review of the implementing legislation — which provides for the abolition of European tariffs on American industrial products — was not met.
According to diplomatic sources cited by , the majority of the Council rejects the confrontational attitude of the Parliament. Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, the Nordic and Baltic countries sided with Germany.
This stance is in line with the European Commission, with Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic clarifying that “a deal is a deal”, a phrase also used verbatim by the US ambassador to the EU, Andrew Pazder.
The three “red lines” of the European Parliament
The European Parliament, with Paris as its only strong ally in the Council, is calling for amendments to respond to geopolitical developments (such as Trump’s threats to Greenland). Suggested safeguards include:
- Standstill clause: The removal of tariffs on US goods will only be triggered if the US reduces tariffs on European steel.
- Expiration Clause: The agreement to expire automatically on March 31, 2028, ten months before the end of Trump’s term.
- Emergency brake: Automatic suspension of the deal if the US threatens Europe’s territorial integrity.
France argues that the landscape has changed following the US Supreme Court’s decision to abolish the “Liberation Day” tariffs from April 2025. This effectively means that the EU loses the preferential status originally promised by Washington, now having the same basic tariff (10%) as the rest of the world.
Despite Paris’s argument, countries such as Spain appear more moderate, supporting only the sunset clause and avoiding other safeguards that could be seen as challenging the deal.
The tight time frame
Nervousness in Brussels is intensifying as the current White House tariff regime expires in July. The Trump administration is expected to impose new tariffs under “Article 301,” making rapid ratification of the Turnberry deal imperative for Berlin.
Despite the fact that France does not currently have the numbers to exercise a veto (veto minority), Parliament’s chief negotiator, Bernd Lange, appears content with internal friction in the Council. “There is no united front,” he said, hinting that Parliament will use these divisions to win concessions in the upcoming talks.
