Strasbourg, 15 June 2026
MEP and EPP Group Standing Rapporteur on EU–US trade relations, Željana Zovko, is participating tonight in the final debate ahead of tomorrow’s vote, in which the European Parliament will take the final step before the implementation of the EU–US Framework Trade Agreement.
This moment is the culmination of a process Zovko has shaped from the very beginning — from the adoption of the first reports at the March plenary in Brussels, through the demanding interinstitutional trilogue negotiations in Strasbourg in May, to the final adoption in the Committee on International Trade earlier this month.
“Tomorrow, we will take the final step before the implementation of the EU–US Framework Trade Agreement and open a new chapter in transatlantic relations. From the very beginning, I argued that Europe needed a deal, not a deadlock,” said Zovko.
There were those who worked from day one to derail this agreement. “They believed it was better to kill the deal than to improve it, better to escalate tensions than to find solutions. But responsible politics is not measured by the volume of criticism. It is measured by the ability to deliver. That is exactly what we have done,” Zovko stressed.
The agreement protects more than 16 million jobs linked to the transatlantic economy, reduces business costs, strengthens the competitiveness of European industries and creates a more secure environment for investment. The deal also carries a strong security, energy and investment dimension — with the European Union committing to 750 billion dollars in energy projects by 2028, further reinforcing Europe’s energy security and reducing dependence on unreliable supply routes.
“This agreement is about much more than tariffs. It creates a framework for deeper cooperation between the world’s two largest economies at a time when competitiveness, supply chain resilience and strategic investment have become central geopolitical priorities,” Zovko noted.
Tomorrow’s vote — which Zovko set from the outset as a goal to be achieved before July — marks the beginning of implementation, not the end of the process. “We already see encouraging progress, including reductions in average tariffs affecting key industrial sectors and movement towards resolving long-standing trade barriers. The framework is now in place. Our responsibility is to make it work and to ensure that it delivers tangible benefits for businesses, workers and consumers across the Atlantic.”
“At a moment when global markets are becoming increasingly fragmented and protectionist pressures are growing, Europe and the United States have chosen partnership over confrontation, cooperation over uncertainty and dialogue over disruption. We have laid the foundation. Now it is time to unlock the full potential of transatlantic trade, investment and economic cooperation,” concluded Zovko.