EU Parliament Says No to US Trade Talks

The European Parliament overwhelmingly signed off on Brussels’ plans to begin trade talks with Washington, with 460 lawmakers in favour, 105 against, and 28 abstentions. However, EU lawmakers also passed a separate amendment urging the exclusion of the controversial “cultural exception” from the talks, in a move that some observers warn might be indicative of future hurdles for the negotiations.

While both resolutions are non-binding, EU parliamentarians have stressed that their approval will ultimately be needed in order to authorise the final pact once the negotiations are over.

The main resolution outlines a series of priorities that EU parliamentarians would like to see in an agreement. For instance, the pact should provide the 27-member bloc - soon to have 28 countries with the addition of Croatia in July- with full access to US public procurement markets, a longstanding sticking point between the two trading partners. Financial services should also be included in the talks, they said, adding that the two sides should aim for convergence towards a common regulatory framework.

The agreement, which should be “deep and comprehensive,” should also open up new opportunities for European companies and “directly benefit” European consumers, while creating jobs.