EPP seeks to accelerate the upcoming round of talks to implement the EU-US trade agreement, yet Socialist chair Lange insists on maintaining 19 May as the scheduled date for negotiations, according to sources close to the matter.
The EU-US trade agreement is causing division between the European Parliament’s two largest factions — the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) — following the unsuccessful recent attempt to activate the deal last week.
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Recently, the EPP has attempted to move forward the next session of discussions between the European Parliament and EU countries to refine the terms of the deal.
Nonetheless, Bernd Lange, the German Socialist MEP and chair of the Trade Committee, declined this proposal and demanded the negotiations remain set for 19 May, as reported by those familiar with the situation who spoke to Euronews.
US President Donald Trump has set a deadline of 4 July for the Europeans to finalise the accord, which aims to eliminate EU tariffs on US imports while capping US tariffs at 15%, consistent with the agreement reached last summer in Turnberry by Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
While MEPs generally anticipate a successful conclusion before Trump’s deadline, the dispute over when to conduct the next talks highlights contrasting stances within political groups about the urgency of advancing the process.
The EPP emphasizes that European businesses require clarity concerning trade with the US at the earliest opportunity, warning that further postponements could endanger industrial interests.
The party also highlights Trump’s escalating pressure on Europe, including the threat to impose 25% tariffs on European vehicles if the EU does not proceed with the agreement.
Conversely, the S&D group resists yielding to external pressure—particularly in view of recent US court decisions opposing the tariffs imposed under Trump’s administration.
“Recent developments confirm the justification of our firm stance against the American campaign of threats. European lawmaking cannot be dictated by intimidating social media posts from Washington,” Lange stated in a recent announcement.
He maintained that EU democratic procedures are “non-negotiable” and dismissed US criticism claiming Europe is delaying unnecessarily.
“These hold-ups arose from President Trump’s reckless actions, such as his demand regarding Greenland’s annexation. His accusations that Europeans are neglecting their commitments are unfounded,” he added.