The European Parliament gave final approval to the EU’s new steel safeguard regulation on 19 May 2026, voting 606 in favour, 16 against, with 39 abstentions, replacing the safeguard measures that expire on 30 June.
The new rules cut tariff-free import quotas to 18.3 million tonnes per year, a 47 percent reduction versus 2024, and apply a 50 percent customs duty to volumes above the quota and to products not covered by it. A “melt and pour” origin requirement strengthens traceability, and the three EU institutions committed to a phased phase-out of all Russian steel imports.
Lead negotiator Karin Karlsbro, MEP, said the regulation gives the EU the tools to counter the negative trade effects of global steel overcapacity while ensuring Ukraine is not unfairly affected, noting that Ukraine’s steel industry remains under direct pressure from Russia’s war and should receive special consideration under the new framework.
Why it matters for green steel: Combined with CBAM, the regulation structurally lifts landed prices of high-emission imports and improves the competitive runway for European EAF and hydrogen-DRI producers preparing to ramp up between 2026 and 2030.