The European Union has halted the ratification process of its trade agreement with the U.S. as it seeks more information on the Trump Administration's new plans regarding tariffs.
“The situation is now more uncertain than ever. This runs counter to the stability and predictability we sought to achieve with the Turnberry deal,” said Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, referencing the U.S.-E.U. trade agreement struck in Turnberry, Scotland, last July.
In light of the uncertainty, the votes scheduled for Tuesday will not take place as planned and the shadow rapporteurs, members of the European parliament that represent different political groups, will “reassess the situation next week.”
The decision from Europe comes after President Donald Trump over the weekend threatened to impose a 15% global tariff after the U.S. Supreme Court decided his sweeping tariffs are illegal, ruling that he cannot rely on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose such charges.
“During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible tariffs,” said Trump of the new hike. The U.S. President raised the number from the 10% threat he made in the immediate aftermath of the ruling on Friday. He cited his authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 when announcing the levies.
But the E.U. is fighting back against the justification for the new tariffs.
“The proposed replacement for IEEPA, Section 122, applies indiscriminately to all countries exporting to the United States and is imposed on top of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rate. As a result, imports from the E.U. into the U.S. would be subject to an applied rate exceeding the 15% threshold,” said Lange. “This, in itself, constitutes a clear departure from the terms of the Turnberry deal.”
When contacted for comment, the White House directed TIME to a statement Trump made via Truth Social Monday morning.
“Any country that wants to ‘play games’ with the ridiculous Supreme Court decision, especially those that have ‘ripped off’ the USA for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher tariff,” warned Trump. “Worse than that which they just recently agreed to. Buyer beware.”
European officials, however, are standing firm that further clarity is needed before the U.S.-E.U. trade agreement can progress.
Zeljana Zovko, the lead trade negotiator in the European People’s Party group, told TIME that the E.U. expects to be “exempted from this new situation,” which she describes as “completely volatile” and “totally confusing.”
According to Zovko, the E.U. is not seeking to alter the pre-existing deal at this stage.
Zovko also took to social media after the E.U. meeting on Monday and expressed the importance of acting as “Team Europe.”
“In these exceptional and sensitive circumstances, unity is not optional, it is essential. We must provide the Commission and the Commissioner with the full political backing necessary to negotiate credibly and effectively on behalf of the entire European Union,” she said.
Zovko’s comments echoed those made by Lange, who previously called the situation “pure customs chaos on the part of the U.S. government.”
The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the bloc’s 27 member states, is also requesting “full clarity” from Washington regarding its next steps on tariffs.
“The current situation is not conducive to delivering ‘fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial’ transatlantic trade and investment, as agreed to by both sides and spelled out in the E.U.-U.S. Joint Statement of August 2025,” the statement read.
The executive cabinet of the European Union indicated it will not accept an increase in U.S. tariffs, citing the hard-earned existing agreement.
“A deal is a deal. As the United States' largest trading partner, the E.U. expects the U.S. to honour its commitments set out in the Joint Statement—just as the E.U. stands by its commitments,” the Commission warned. “In particular, E.U. products must continue to benefit from the most competitive treatment, with no increases in tariffs beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed.”
The Commission confirmed E.U. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič had been in contact with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the weekend.
When asked on CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday morning whether agreements with the E.U. would remain intact, Greer said they “expect to stand by them.”
“I haven't heard anyone yet come to me and say, the deal's off. They want to see how this plays out. I'm in active conversations with them on it,” he said.The E.U.-U.S. agreement was previously brought into question in January after Trump threatened to tariff European allies who opposed his campaign to annex Greenland—a threat he has since walked back.