“The leaders of the largest groups of the European Parliament have declared the need to put on hold the approval of the EU trade agreement with the USA due to Trump’s new tariff threats to a number of European countries for their position on Greenland.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: statements of politicians on Twitter, “European Truth”
Details: The head of the group of the European People’s Party, the largest faction of the European Parliament, Manfred Weber said that against the background of the latest events in relations with the USA, the approval of the trade agreement should be put on hold.
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“The EPP supports the EU-US trade agreement, but given Donald Trump’s threats to Greenland, its approval is impossible at this stage. 0% tariffs on goods from the US must be put on hold,” Weber wrote.
“Trump’s 25 percent tariffs against allies who supported Greenland against the background of his imperial threats are unacceptable. We must act now: suspend negotiations on the EU-US trade agreement and activate the tool to counter pressure. The EU will not give in to intimidation,” said the leader of the Social Democrat group Irache García Pérez.
The leader of the Renew Europe faction, Valerie Aye, also said that under the current circumstances, their political group does not consider it possible to vote for a trade agreement with the USA.
She called Trump’s tariff threats against the countries that stood up for Denmark and Greenland unacceptable, and reminded that this was preceded by other unfriendly steps of the US towards the EU.
“Now is the time to move from trust to deterrence. Therefore, Renew Europe cannot vote for the EU-US trade agreement agreed in Thornbury. Moreover, the EU must be ready to apply point-proportionate countermeasures,” said Valerie Aye.
It will be recalled that on July 27, the USA and the EU announced the conclusion of a framework trade agreement, which fixed tariffs on European imports to the USA at the level of 15%.
The reaction of the European capitals to it was ambiguous, the European Parliament also criticized the excessive concessions of the EU.
Before that, the US threatened 30% tariffs on European goods, while the EU hoped to keep the main tariff rate at 10%.