In May, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union reached an agreement on regulations implementing part of the trade commitments agreed by the EU and the United States in the summer of 2025. These include, among other things, a regulation on the suspension of tariffs. According to Bogdan Zdrojewski, an MEP from Civic Coalition and the European People’s Party, this is an important step towards stabilising transatlantic trade relations.
“We are coming out of a certain crisis with a sense perhaps not of satisfaction, but of relief. It appears that an agreement has been reached, and now we will focus on ensuring that it is respected,” Bogdan Zdrojewski, Member of the European Parliament from Civic Coalition and the European People’s Party, said in an interview with Newseria.
The agreement reached on 20 May between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU is an important element in fulfilling tariff-related commitments made by the EU and the United States in the summer of 2025. Based on the so-called Turnberry Agreement, the European Commission presented two legislative proposals implementing the EU’s commitments. The main proposal concerned the removal of tariffs on US industrial goods and the granting of preferential market access for US seafood and agricultural products. The second proposal concerned the extension of duty-free imports of lobsters, including processed lobster products.
The arrangements negotiated by the EU institutions are intended, on the one hand, to strengthen the stability and predictability of transatlantic trade relations and, on the other, to provide flexibility and safeguards in the event of possible tensions.
“Unfortunately, such a situation could happen again; we cannot rule it out. That is why there are various safeguard clauses. There are not many of them, but they are important, above all to ensure that Europe cannot be divided when it comes to economic policy, especially tariff policy,” Zdrojewski said.
The agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU allows for a response in the event of a significant increase in imports from the United States that could threaten EU producers. The European Commission, either on its own initiative or at the request of at least three Member States, or of EU industry and trade unions, will investigate possible damage and the risk of such damage occurring. It may then decide to suspend the application of the regulation in whole or in part. Suspension may also be triggered if the United States fails to fulfil its commitments under the so-called Turnberry Agreement or otherwise disrupts trade and investment relations with the European Union.
The Commission may also suspend tariff preferences for US steel and aluminium products if, by 31 December 2026, the United States continues to apply a tariff rate higher than 15% to such products from the EU. In August 2025, the US added 407 product categories to the list of derivative steel and aluminium products subject to tariffs, which is why Parliament insisted that this issue be included in the main regulation.
“I believe that this state of crisis will be long-lasting, and therefore we must prepare for permanent responsiveness, for using various tools, but not derogations and exceptions, because they undermine EU institutions and, above all, divide Europe in a costly way. Today, due to numerous crises, for example in the Middle East and Ukraine, we must be more efficient, less bureaucratic, more flexible and faster in our response,” the EPP MEP said.
The European Parliament and the Council of the EU also agreed on a so-called sunset clause, under which the regulation will cease to apply at the end of 2029 unless further action is taken. They also provided for stronger mechanisms to monitor the economic effects of trade liberalisation with the United States, particularly its impact on trade volumes, trade structure, customs revenues and the SME sector.
The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade is expected to discuss the draft changes at a special meeting on 2 June, after having twice postponed the vote. In January 2026, the reason was US trade threats against European partners over Greenland. In February 2026, the vote was delayed following a ruling by the US Supreme Court, which found the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump to be unlawful. After the vote in the INTA committee, the draft legislation will be put to a vote in plenary. Once the text is formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council, the new law will enter into force on the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
EPP MEPs emphasise that the agreement will prevent an escalation of transatlantic trade tensions, while the European Union cannot afford a conflict with a key strategic and economic partner.
“The United States is a very important partner — this must not be underestimated or forgotten. At the same time, we must treat each other as partners, which means respecting each other’s economic conditions, businesses and achievements that are the result of the work of entire groups, both economic and scientific, but not only those. This agreement allows us to maintain a certain balance in bilateral relations. It is not ideal or easy, and it requires safeguards. However, it seems to me that if the agreement is respected, both continents — Europe and America — will benefit,” Zdrojewski said.
The European Parliament adds that the agreement is an important step towards greater predictability in transatlantic trade relations.
“It is particularly important in areas involving new technologies, complex industries and products that require long production cycles. This includes, for example, the automotive industry, but I would not underestimate agriculture either. Fortunately, this agreement also contains exclusions, such as poultry, sugar and beef. We are doing this to protect the European market, while at the same time trying to supplement it with products that are either unavailable in Europe or in short supply. An agreement structured in this way should be beneficial to both sides,” Bogdan Zdrojewski stressed.
The European Union and the United States account for almost 30% of global trade in goods and services and 43% of global GDP. Over the past decade, trade in goods and services between the two sides has doubled. The United States accounts for 17.6% of the EU’s total trade with the world, while the EU represents 18.7% of US trade.
In 2025, bilateral trade relations were marked by frequent tariff changes affecting various groups of goods. Despite this, the total value of trade continued to grow, reaching a record level of EUR 908 billion in goods trade and EUR 827 billion in services trade. The EU’s trade balance showed a record surplus of EUR 200 billion in goods trade and a record deficit of EUR 139 billion in services trade.
