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Trump puts at risk EU-US partnership that needs to be preserved

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Trade & Society
With S&Ds support, the European Parliament backed a resolution today stating that although many decisions by the Trump administration put in jeopardy the international rules-based multilateral order, we have to preserve a strong EU-US partnership. However, for the S&D Group it is clear that if Trump continues his confrontational stance in trade, Europeans must respond with unity and decisiveness.
 
S&D vice-president responsible for foreign affairs, Victor Boştinaru, said:
 
“I trust we’ve managed to negotiate a well-balanced report. This highlights on one side the importance of our strong relationship with the US, which has formed the cornerstone of a rules and values based multilateral system since World War II.
 
“On the other side, the decisions and policies of the current US administration, such as a withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement or Iran nuclear deal, undermine mutual trust and could harm this long-term partnership. Moreover, the verbal support given by some US officials to the xenophobic, populist forces in Europe and threats to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its judges are unacceptable.
 
“However the EU and the US are facing an important number of common challenges, from climate change to terrorism, fundamentalism and growing instability in our neighbourhoods. Hence, our dialogue and cooperation, including through NATO, remains key. We are ready to use all other available channels of communication and cooperation, including with the US Congress in order to keep the EU-US relationship strong and preserve the democratic, liberal and multilateral order.”
 
 S&D spokesperson for EU-USA trade relationships and chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, Bernd Lange, said:
 
"For the S&D Group it is clear that we cannot allow anyone to force us to the negotiation table. I have made very clear what I think of the Trump-Juncker trade initiative in this note . There is no basis for negotiations as long as the illegal US steel tariffs remain in place. 
 
“Moreover, we are not interested in an agreement that does not address central aspects of our trade policy, including a commitment to core labour standards and the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement. No more, and no less."