The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) adopted last week the provisional agreement on the proposed steel safeguard replacement measure resulting from last month’s interinstitutional negotiations, Kallanish notes.
The text will be voted on in plenary by the European Parliament, likely on 18 May.
| Timeline | Requirement / action | Details |
| 30-Jun-26 | Current safeguard expiry | Existing EU steel safeguard regime expires |
| 01-Jul-26 | New regime starts | New post-safeguard regulation to enter into force with annual tariff quotas and 50% out-of-quota duty |
| Before 1 July 2026 | Urgent quota allocation acts | Commission may adopt urgent implementing acts to ensure country quota distribution is ready before the regime starts |
| 01-Jul-26 | Stakeholder consultations begin | Commission must launch consultations on possible expansion of product scope ahead of the first review |
| 31-Aug-26 | Melt-and-pour evidence rules | Commission must define acceptable evidence importers will need to provide under the melt-and-pour system, while considering SMEs and administrative burden |
| 01-Oct-26 | Melt-and-pour reporting obligation starts | Importers must provide verifiable evidence, such as mill test certificates, proving where steel or iron was first produced in liquid form and cast into its first solid state |
| 31-Dec-26 | First product scope review | Commission must assess whether additional CN-coded products, including certain cast iron tubes, wire products and bars, should be added to the regime |
| 01-Jul-27 | Quarterly quota carry-over decisions begin | Commission starts deciding whether unused quarterly quotas can continue to be carried over, depending on quota utilisation, import pressure and downstream supply conditions |
| 30-Jun-27 | Downstream products review | Commission must assess whether the regime should expand to downstream products made of, or containing, significant amounts of steel |
| 01-Oct-27 | Melt-and-pour data used in quota allocation | Melt-and-pour information formally becomes one of the criteria considered in country quota distribution |
| 30-Jun-28 | Melt-and-pour quota eligibility review | Commission must assess whether melt-and-pour origin should become the formal basis for benefiting from tariff quotas |
| 30-Jun-28 | First implementation report | Commission must publish a report covering quota utilisation and out-of-quota imports. Reports continue every two years thereafter |
| 30-Jun-29 | First effectiveness review | Commission must evaluate the regulation’s effectiveness, including impacts on prices, capacity utilisation, downstream sectors, consumers and decarbonisation. Reviews continue every three years thereafter |
Source: European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA) amendment report
Author: Elina Virchenko
