The European Parliament postpones the vote on the Trade Agreement with the United States

The European Parliament has decided to postpone the ratification of the trade agreement with the United States that would commit the European Union to unilaterally paying a 15% import tariff.

The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade has postponed the vote on the deal, originally scheduled for Tuesday, to a date yet to be determined. The agreement must now first receive approval from the competent committee before being submitted to a plenary vote.

This marks the second suspension decided by the European assembly on the same dossier.

Meanwhile, the European Commission’s deputy chief spokesperson, Olof Gill, stated that the EU executive is awaiting legal clarifications from Washington in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Court ruled that the President of the United States exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs on other countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Photo Marc Dossmann Copyright: © European Union 2016 – Source : EP