Two teenagers opened fire at a mosque in San Diego, resulting in the deaths of three people. Authorities are investigating the incident, which has raised community concerns about safety.
European Parliament’s lead negotiator Bernd Lange insisted the EU’s democratic process cannot be dictated by US tariff threats from President Donald Trump amid stalled negotiations on the EU-US trade deal.
German MEP Bernd Lange (S&D), the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the EU-US trade deal, defended the EU legislative process for implementing the agreement on Friday, responding to US criticism that Europe is moving too slowly.
The comments followed US President Donald Trump’s demand that the EU cut tariffs on US goods to zero by 4 July, as agreed under the deal signed last year in Turnberry with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warning of new tariffs on European products otherwise.
Washington has increased pressure on Brussels to fast-track the legislation needed to enforce the agreement. However, negotiations between the EU’s co-legislators failed to reach a deal on Wednesday night.
“European legislation cannot be dictated by threatening social media posts from Washington,” Lange said in a statement, adding, “Our democratic procedures are not negotiable. Even in stormy weather, we stay firmly on course.”
Last week, Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on EU cars if the bloc did not implement its side of the agreement — exceeding the 15% cap agreed in Turnberry. These latest threats did not alter negotiations between MEPs and member states, which stalled over the safeguards Parliament wants attached to the deal.
Since the deal was struck, MEPs have been strong critics, calling it a lopsided arrangement where the EU faces 15% tariffs and commits to major investments in the US while reducing its own duties to zero.
MEPs suspended the deal earlier this year after Trump threatened tariffs amid his Greenland push. Parliament later added conditions, including a “sunset clause” ending the deal in March 2028 and a suspension mechanism for new threats from Washington, market distortions linked to US imports, or economic coercion.
Lange said the safeguards must protect the agreement from growing legal uncertainty in the US, referring to recent court rulings: a US Court of International Trade decision blocking tariffs on two plaintiff companies, and a February Supreme Court ruling declaring the 2025 tariffs illegal.
“All of this underlines how important a stable European safety net is,” Lange said. “Europe must remain capable of acting. We need to uphold the agreement while also being able to react quickly if the US position shifts again. Anything else would be reckless and short-sighted.”
Lange confirmed a new round of negotiations between EU lawmakers and member states would take place on 19 May, with hopes to secure a deal that could be ratified by Parliament in June before Trump’s deadline.
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