According to several sources, negotiators in the European Parliament and the Council of the EU could begin interinstitutional negotiations on future steel tariff quotas on 27 February.
The deadlines are tight if co-legislators want to conclude [negotiations] before June 2026, which is when the global safeguard measures for steel—in force under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards since 2018—will expire.
While the institutions’ positions are not fundamentally far apart, certain points look like they are going to be delicate [issues].
For instance, European Parliament rapporteur Karin Karlsbro (Renew Europe, Swedish) has notably included a ban on all imports from Russia and Belarus (see EUROPE 13795/4). According to one sceptical source, this political point has no place in legislation that targets the steel trade.
It will also be a matter of approving the annexed list of products targeted by the tariff quotas and the 50% duty for out-of-quota imports.
The European Parliament—notably at the request of Italian MEPs—would like to include stainless wire rod, since the country is a major producer.
To review the European Parliament’s report: https://aeur.eu/f/klw and the EU Council’s position: https://aeur.eu/f/klv (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)