The European Parliament, in a debate on 17 June 2026 ahead of the European Council meeting, revealed a split between groups prioritising protectionism and sovereignty and those advocating multilateralism and green investment. EPP leader Manfred Weber called China's €360 billion trade deficit 'unacceptable', demanding reciprocity in public procurement and European sovereignty over 6G networks. S&D leader Iratxe García Pérez pushed back, warning against a simplistic 'China bad, US good' narrative and urging the Commission to tax windfall oil profits. Patriots for Europe's Kinga Gál rejected MFF cuts to CAP and cohesion, opposed rule-of-law conditionality, and criticised Ukraine's accession talks as premature. ECR's Nicola Procaccini demanded a decisive response to China's unfair competition and defended the new returns regulation as taking back control of borders. Renew's Valérie Hayer urged European independence from both US and China, focusing on technological sovereignty and competitiveness. Greens/EFA's Terry Reintke blamed fossil fuel dependency for crises and defended the Green Deal as key to sovereignty. Council President-in-Office Marilena Raouna outlined the agenda: Ukraine support, Middle East crisis, MFF negotiations, competitiveness, migration, and security. Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič reiterated the Commission's 'derisking, not decoupling' approach to China, stressing reciprocity and level playing field. No formal decisions were taken; the Council will provide strategic guidance on 18-19 June 2026.
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