In a written answer to a parliamentary question from Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR), Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič defended the EU's new steel safeguard regime, insisting that the tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) introduced under Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 are designed to be effective and transparent. The Commissioner confirmed that the system, in force since 1 July 2026, allows 18.3 million tonnes of duty-free steel imports, with a 50% duty applied to any imports exceeding the quota. He also highlighted the new 'melt and pour' rule, which strengthens traceability and is intended to prevent circumvention.
Šefčovič was responding to Wiśniewska's concerns that the EU steel market remains vulnerable to cheap imports from countries not subject to the EU's carbon costs under the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The Commissioner stressed that the Implementing Act adopted on 30 June 2026, which entered into force the following day, allocates quotas among third countries using an objective and fair methodology, consistent with the EU's international obligations.
On Ukraine, Šefčovič confirmed that the Implementing Act applies Article 5(1)(i) of the Regulation, which takes into account the situation of candidate countries facing exceptional security circumstances. This means Ukraine's quotas will reflect its status as a candidate country in a war situation, a point Wiśniewska had raised, suggesting that quotas should be based on Ukraine's average import share from 2022–2024.
The Commissioner did not address Wiśniewska's third question directly, which asked whether the Commission would avoid using the 'exceptional circumstances' clause for candidate countries to increase their allocations. Instead, he reiterated the Commission's commitment to implementing the instrument in an effective, transparent, and proportionate manner.
The answer provides no new numerical targets beyond those already in the Regulation, but it signals that the Commission considers the TRQ system operational and watertight. The response comes as the EU steel industry faces mounting pressure from global overcapacity, and the Commission has positioned the new instrument as a key tool to protect domestic producers while managing relations with trading partners, particularly Ukraine.
Stakeholders most affected include EU steel producers, who gain from reduced import competition but may face higher input costs if supply tightens; third-country exporters, who face significant duties above quota levels; EU downstream users of steel, who could see higher prices; and Ukrainian steel exporters, who benefit from special treatment but remain constrained by quota limits.