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The European Union has halted work on implementing its trade agreement with the United States, the chair of the European Parliament's trade committee announced Wednesday, citing concerns over sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Bernd Lange confirmed the suspension on social media platform X, stating that the negotiating team decided to pause the European Parliament trade committee's work on the legal implementation of the Turnberry deal. The agreement, reached in a preliminary deal in July, called for 15% tariffs on EU goods shipped to the US.
"Our sovereignty and territorial integrity are at stake. Business as usual impossible," Lange wrote, referencing ongoing tensions related to Greenland and tariffs.
The scope of the suspension remains unclear. It is not yet known whether the entire trade agreement has been shelved or whether provisions that have already entered into force will continue to apply.
Large portions of the agreement were implemented before it was formally signed, adding complexity to questions about which elements might be affected by the suspension.
The Turnberry agreement represents a significant shift in transatlantic trade relations. The 15% tariff rate on EU goods marked a departure from previous trade arrangements between the two economic blocs, which together account for nearly half of global GDP and about a third of world trade.
Trade agreements between the EU and US typically require approval from the European Parliament's trade committee before full implementation, though provisional application of certain provisions is common practice in EU trade policy.
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