PPE blocks the EU–US agreement, rejects tariff threats and supports Mercosur as the "anti-Trump agreement"

The European People's Party announces the blocking of the EU–US trade agreement in the face of tariff threats, calls for strategic calm, and supports the EU–Mercosur agreement as a rules-based geopolitical alternative.

The European People's Party has decided to block the EU–US trade agreement in response to the tariff threats made by the American administration, simultaneously positioning the EU–Mercosur agreement as a strategic alternative and calling for the avoidance of a trade escalation.

In short

The EPP has put the EU–US agreement on hold due to tariff threats.

Tariffs are rejected as a geopolitical tool.

Mercosur is presented as an expression of rules-based trade.

The EPP calls for strategic calm and rejects escalation.

In a press briefing held in Strasbourg, Manfred Weber, the president of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, announced that his party has decided to put the EU–US trade agreement on hold in light of the tariff threats made by the American administration. He described the use of tariffs as a political pressure tool as unacceptable.

"To argue and to work now with threats on the tariff side is totally unacceptable."

Weber explained that this decision represents, from the perspective of the European Parliament, the strongest tool available at this moment, as the suspension of the agreement means that the United States will not benefit from zero-tariff access to the European single market. According to him, the message sent is a firm but calculated one.

At the same time, the EPP leader insisted that the European Union should not respond with escalation, warning against replicating a confrontational style. He recommended a calm and strategic approach, which he described as the "European style," in contrast to the way of action of the American administration.

"I would recommend that we remain calm in these trade discussions, not to escalate further. To do it in a European style."

In the EPP's view, blocking the EU–US agreement does not represent a rupture of transatlantic relations, but a legitimate pressure tool for returning to a reliable and rules-based approach. Weber emphasized that the ongoing week is dedicated to dialogue and high-level political contacts.

In this context, the EPP leader presented the EU–Mercosur agreement as a clear geopolitical alternative, explicitly linking it to the defense of the rules-based international trading order.

"Mercosur is, for me, the anti-Trump agreement, because it shows that a rules-based approach is still possible."

Weber reiterated that the EPP supports free trade, but also the protection of European farmers' interests, emphasizing the importance of safeguard mechanisms and the possibility of market intervention in case of imbalances.

The EPP's positioning comes at a time of heightened tensions in the EU–US trade relationship, generated by tariff threats and uncertainty regarding the compliance with existing agreements. By blocking the EU–US agreement and promoting Mercosur, the EPP seeks to outline a European trade policy that combines firmness, strategic calm, and diversification of partnerships.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/stiri/ppe-blocheaza-acordul-ue-sua-respinge-amenintarile-tarifare-si-sustine-mercosur-ca-anti-trump-agreement