The members of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) have aligned themselves with the EU Council’s position regarding the suspension, for a further three years, of the steel safeguard measure for Ukrainian imports. On Tuesday 8 April, the INTA Committee adopted the report by Karin Karlsbro (Renew Europe, Swedish) by 29 votes to 8 with 2 abstentions. The text includes the same technical amendments as the Council. They simply specify the dates of the suspension: from 6 June 2025 to 5 June 2028.
Ukrainian steel exports are not subject to the EU safeguard for the time being, as they have been exempted under the EU’s regulation on autonomous trade measures (ATMs). However, these only run until 5 June 2026, and the European Commission has still not found an alternative solution for Ukrainian exports.
In the absence of a clear vision on the fate of Ukrainian agricultural products, the Council and the Member States have agreed to support the steel sector in Ukraine and not to subject it to restrictions. The proposal was therefore adopted swiftly in both institutions, to ensure its timely entry into force. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)