EU, US move closer to trade deal as negotiators report progress

Negotiators from the European Parliament and European Union member states are moving closer to an agreement on legislation tied to the EU-US trade deal, Parliament’s chief negotiator Bernd Lange said Wednesday.

Following a second round of trilogue negotiations with EU governments, Lange said in a statement that discussions had produced “good progress,” particularly on issues related to safeguard mechanisms and the review process for the proposed regulations.

"We have just concluded a constructive second trilogue during which we made good progress on the issue of the safeguard mechanism and the review and evaluation of the main regulation, but there is still some way to go," he said.

He added that negotiators would continue working “expeditiously and responsibly” to ensure that both the “letter and the spirit” of the Turnberry agreement are respected while adhering to EU democratic procedures and legislative timelines.

The next round of negotiations is scheduled for May 19 in Strasbourg.

The proposed legislation stems from the EU-US Turnberry trade agreement reached on July 27, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The agreement, later detailed in a joint statement published last August, focused on tariff reductions and broader trade cooperation between the US and the EU.

To implement the tariff provisions, the Commission introduced two legislative proposals on Aug. 28. One proposal would grant preferential access for certain US goods entering the EU market, while the second would extend a zero-tariff regime on imports of specific lobster products.

The European Parliament adopted its mandate for negotiations with the Council on March 23.