The ECR Group strongly backed the EU-US trade deal as a pragmatic and necessary agreement that gives European businesses the certainty they need in uncertain times.
For the ECR Group, Parliament’s vote confirms that the European Union must defend its interests, but it must not drift into a trade confrontation with its most important strategic and economic partner.
“In uncertain times, it is wise for the EU to opt for a workable compromise that prioritizes stability, predictability, and legal certainty; escalating confrontations further is in no one’s interest,” ECR Shadow Rapporteur Van Dijck said.
“This agreement is not the end. We must continue to focus on dialogue. Only then is this agreement a step forward,” he continued.
The EU-US trade framework includes tariff liberalisation on industrial goods, preferential access for selected products, a US commitment to cap tariffs on most EU exports at 15%, and safeguards allowing the EU to defend its interests quickly and effectively.
Van Dijck added:
“Trade with our most important strategic and economic partner is important. But trade must never be equated with naivety, and this agreement must therefore be judged on one question: does it strengthen our businesses, our workers, and the competitiveness of the EU, or does it put our open strategic autonomy under pressure?”
