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EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič urged lawmakers on Tuesday to move ahead with the EU-US trade pact even as Washington piles on new tariffs and legal uncertainty puts the agreement’s terms in doubt.
The deal was abruptly frozen Monday after a ruling by the United States Supreme Court declared most of the tariffs imposed worldwide by the White House in 2025 illegal. Shortly after the ruling, US President Donald Trump announced new 10% duties on imports from US allies, including the EU.
“It is imperative we keep the process moving forward in implementing our commitments,” Šefčovič told MEPs. “A vote in plenary in March must remain our target, under the condition, of course, that we get more clarity from the US.”
Šefčovič also said his US counterparts had called him as of Saturday to “reassure” him that they will “stick” to the agreement if the EU “respect the deal.”
Commission pushes for vote
But the deal, clinched in July 2025 by Trump and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after weeks of trade brinkmanship, now hangs in the balance, and requires the approval of the European Parliament to enter into force.
Euronews has learned that during a meeting with European Parliament negotiators on Monday, Šefčovič pressed MEPs to proceed with a vote, arguing the EU should not hand Washington an argument that Brussels is failing to deliver.
Widely seen in Brussels as lopsided, the deal maintains 15% US tariffs on EU goods while the bloc scraps its own tariffs on US goods altogether and commits to invest hundreds of billions of euros in the US.
Since the Supreme Court ruling and the fallout in Washington, the European Commission has urged the White House to honour the deal and sought clarity on the next steps, as well as on the duration and scope of the new tariffs Trump announced after the ruling.
“Whatever was covered by the deal from July last year should still be covered,” Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho said.