MEPs have finally voted through the EU-US tariff deal agreed between Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump last year.
The European Parliament’s trade committee had put the process on hold when Trump threatened additional tariffs on EU countries who were most vocal in protecting Denmark’s right to Greenland.
But after Trump backed down from threats to “take” the island, MEPs restarted work.
That’s despite strong European concerns about the United States’ war in the Middle East.
Under the terms of the EU-US deal, the United States will charge tariffs of 15 percent on most EU exports.
MEPs added additional safeguard measures and a sunset clause so that the EU can still react if the US doesn’t keep its side of the bargain.
“In the current situation of great economic uncertainty, the legislation on the tariff component of the EU-US deal provides a degree of predictability for businesses”, said the Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market, Anna Cavazzini MEP.
The European Parliament’s sunrise clause that would mean that the new tariffs would only become effective if “the US respects its commitments. These conditions include the US lowering its tariffs on EU products with a steel and aluminium content below 50 percent, to a tariff of maximum 15 percent”, according to parliament officials.
MEPs will now start negotiations with EU governments on the final shape of the legislation.