The diplomats have formally approved the compromise, and EU lawmakers are expected to formally adopt the document at a meeting in France in mid-June, before submitting it to the Council of the EU for ratification.
On May 27, EU member states officially approved a compromise between the European Parliament (EP) and the Council of the EU to speed up the finalization of legal procedures in preparation for a trade agreement with the United States before the July 4 deadline.
The document now needs to be formally approved by the legislators before it can enter into force.
At a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, the diplomats have formally approved the compromise, and EU lawmakers should formally adopt the document at a meeting in Strasbourg, France, in mid-June, before submitting it to the Council of the EU for ratification.
According to an earlier announcement by the European Parliament, the agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU strengthens certain aspects of the initial proposal aimed at reducing uncertainty in transatlantic trade and better protecting the EU’s industry, agriculture and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The main regulations relating to the importation of industrial goods and agricultural/food products will include provisions that will expire and terminate on December 31, 2029.
Furthermore, the European Commission has the right to suspend tariff preferences granted to the United States if Washington does not address the EU’s concerns regarding the imposition of tariffs on the bloc’s exports.
Moreover, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have agreed to establish a self-defense mechanism in case Washington makes decisions detrimental to the bloc.
The EU and the United States reached a trade agreement in July 2025. However, the ratification process within the EU has been delayed for months due to tense transatlantic relations, notably disagreements over the requirements of the American President Donald Trump regarding Greenland, as well as legal disputes surrounding the overall tariff policy of the American administration.
