Lawmakers’ attempt at a backdoor ban is facing resistance from import-reliant member states
The European Union is bracing itself for a fight over a proposed ban on Russian steel imports, as lawmakers attempt to push the restrictions through a legislative backdoor, according to Euronews.
Members of the European Parliament and EU member states will begin negotiations next week on whether to completely ban Russian steel, in line with a wider EU sanctions campaign over Ukraine.
Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Denmark are resisting the measure, saying they rely on Russian semi-finished steel for further processing, Euronews reported on Tuesday.
“What began as a sanctions debate has morphed into a high-stakes political fight,” the outlet wrote.
MEPs have attached the steel ban to a separate piece of legislation, a bill renewing EU steel safeguards that expire in June under World Trade Organization rules. The safeguards are designed to protect the EU steel industry from global overcapacity.
Unlike formal sanctions, which require unanimous support, the trade file needs only a qualified majority to pass. The maneuver allows the European Parliament to bypass countries that would otherwise veto an outright ban.
“The Parliament is playing politics on this,” an industry source told Euronews. One diplomat insisted that banning Russian steel and protecting the EU market from overcapacity pursue “totally different goals.”
Russia has consistently dismissed the sanctions on its production as politically motivated and counterproductive, with Moscow maintaining that the measures hurt EU member states more than Russia.
The European Union does not produce enough steel and semi-finished products to meet its own needs and remains heavily reliant on imports, according to the European Steel Association (Eurofer).
The campaign is being led by Swedish MEP Karin Karlsbro, who has expressed astonishment that EU imports of Russian steel amount to nearly three million tonnes annually, worth approximately €1.7 billion ($1.78 billion). Sweden produces semi-finished steel, including steel slabs. The volume of Russian imports is roughly equivalent to Sweden’s entire yearly steel output.
Current EU sanctions already prohibit finished Russian steel products. Semi-finished steel remains permitted under a quota system designed to phase it out by 2028.
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