Politicians in the European Parliament decided on Wednesday to resume work on approving a trade agreement with the United States.
This was stated by Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee, in a press release.
The EU's elected institution paused its work when US President Donald Trump threatened to punish Denmark and a number of European countries with additional tariffs because of Greenland.
But Trump has since withdrawn the threats.
Now the European Parliament will continue its work.
- Members of the Trade Committee are prepared to advance work on two bills quickly, provided that the United States respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Union and its member states, Lange said in a press release.
The EU's trade agreement with the US was concluded in the summer of 2025. It will impose a tariff cap of 15 percent on many EU goods to the US.
But it still needs the approval of the European Parliament.
During January, tensions in the trade area increased considerably due to the situation surrounding Greenland, until Trump withdrew his plans for increased tariffs during a summit in Davos, Switzerland.
At the same time, he also said that he would not use military force to gain control of Greenland, something he had not previously ruled out.
According to the AFP news agency, Lange says that they will now ensure that additions to the agreement include "suspension grounds" in the event of future territorial threats against EU countries.
- The message to Washington is clear: Respect for Europe's sovereignty and full compliance with the EU-US agreement from Scotland is non-negotiable, he says.
/ritzau/
