The European Parliament on Thursday approved a motion to advance legislation designed to put into effect the European Union's obligations under its recently negotiated trade agreement with the United States. The procedural vote passed with 417 votes in favor, 154 against and 71 abstentions.
Central elements of the proposed legislation would remove EU import duties on industrial goods coming from the United States and extend greater access for U.S. agricultural products to EU markets. These provisions reflect commitments struck last July in Turnberry, Scotland and are a key component of the overall agreement.
Also included in the measures is the continuation of zero-duty treatment for U.S. lobsters, a tariff preference that was first introduced in 2020. That provision remains part of the package being advanced through the parliament.
Members of the European Parliament inserted a series of safeguards into the legislative text. Those additions respond to concerns about the reliability of U.S. adherence to the deal in the context of ongoing uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and the possibility of new import levies. The safeguards are intended to provide protections should U.S. measures undermine the commitments set out in the agreement.
The Thursday vote does not mark the end of the process. Negotiations on the final wording of the legislation will take place between representatives of the European Parliament and officials from EU member state governments. After those talks conclude, EU lawmakers will hold a concluding approval vote, which is expected to take place in April or May.
Until that final vote, the agreement’s implementing legislation remains subject to amendment during the inter-institutional negotiations. Lawmakers and member state representatives will therefore play a decisive role in shaping the final legal text that would govern tariff removals and the associated safeguard mechanisms.
For now, the parliamentary vote advances the legislation to the next phase of negotiations and signals substantial parliamentary support for translating the Turnberry commitments into EU law while seeking to protect against potential policy shifts on the U.S. side.