18 May 2026 – Last week, the EU sharply criticized Australia’s investigations into the introduction of a safeguard measure on certain steel derivatives, citing allegedly insufficient evidence. Another example of the Commission’s double standards on tariffs and trade defence measures.
EU Criticizes Australia’s Steel Safeguard Over Allegedly Missing Evidence
In January 2026, Australia informed the World Trade Organization, WTO, that it intended to initiate a safeguard proceeding concerning certain steel derivatives. The investigation was justified by significantly increased imports during the comparison period from 2020 to 2024.
EU Calls for an End to the Safeguard Investigation
The investigation, which has been ongoing since February, was sharply criticized by the European Union last week. Joanna Pocztowska, Head of the Trade and Economic Section for the European Union Delegation to Australia, called at a hearing for the investigation to be terminated immediately due to a lack of evidence.
European Commission’s Double Standards on Tariffs and Market Protection
It is a prime example of how the European Commission’s double standards come to the fore here. Whilst tariffs and safeguard investigations by other countries are generally portrayed as bad and harmful to the economy, the EU’s own tariffs are, of course, always the ‘good’ trade defence measures, fully backed up by evidence. In Brussels, the resulting loss of competitiveness for the European economy or the higher costs for its own citizens are brushed aside, if necessary, with curt comments.
EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Steel Excluded
Even in the agreement on a free trade agreement, or FTA, between the EU and Australia announced in March 2026, steel had been excluded from the agreement. The exact background to this is unknown, but is likely attributable to the EU’s plans to extend steel tariffs and quotas to all trading partners, regardless of whether an FTA has been concluded with them or not.
The European Commission is Increasingly being Described as Autocratic
The autocratic perspective of the European Commission fits with the increasingly frequent complaints about the leadership style of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Most recently, Bloomberg, citing sources in the Commission and the European Parliament, pointed to growing criticism of Ursula von der Leyen. She is said to be relying increasingly on a small circle of confidants and centralizing decisions. Many Commissioners are reportedly being pushed to the margins on important questions concerning the development of the EU.
In particular, EU projects concerning the internal market, competitiveness, and economic development are repeatedly being delayed by the Commission or postponed for many months.
According to Bloomberg, even the German CDU group in the European Parliament is said to have voiced criticism at a closed-door meeting in Berlin regarding the Commission’s concentration of power, and to have demanded that this power urgently be curtailed.
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