CBAM Authorisation Deadline Approaching

At a Glance:

• Authorised CBAM declarant deadline: less than a month to go
• Commission's downstream scope extension proposal: Council working group meets regularly, EP scrutiny to follow
• Commission rules out CBAM suspension for fertilisers, proposes tariff relief instead

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Authorised CBAM declarant deadline: less than a month to go

The deadline to apply for authorised CBAM declarant status is 31 March 2026. EU importers — or their indirect customs representatives — expecting to import more than 50 tonnes of CBAM goods in 2026 must submit their application via the CBAM Registry before this date.

Importers who apply by 31 March will be allowed to continue importing on a provisional basis while their application is being processed, even if the national competent authority has not yet issued a decision. Applications submitted after this date do not benefit from this provisional continuity rule. Processing times can be up to 120 days, so companies that have not yet applied should act immediately.

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Commission's downstream scope extension proposal: Council working group meets regularly, EP scrutiny to follow

The Commission's proposal to extend CBAM to approximately 180 downstream products — published on 17 December 2025 — is now under active examination at Council level. The Council's Ad Hoc Working Party on CBAM has met four times since January, on 20 January, 4 and 5 February, and 26 February 2026, with a further session scheduled for 25 March. The European Parliament's scrutiny of the proposal is expected to run in parallel.

If adopted as proposed, the expansion would take effect on 1 January 2028, targeting steel- and aluminium-intensive goods such as car parts, machinery, domestic appliances, and construction equipment. The proposal also includes a Temporary Decarbonisation Fund of up to €630 million, funded by 25% of CBAM revenues from 2026 and 2027.

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Commission rules out CBAM suspension for fertilisers, proposes tariff relief instead

EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra ruled out suspending CBAM for fertiliser imports on 3 March 2026, saying the Commission will instead address potential price increases through a dedicated fertiliser sectoral action plan. This puts to rest, at least for now, the debate that had intensified since January, when France, Italy, and other member states lobbied Brussels to remove the sector from the mechanism's scope, citing pressure on farmers.

The Commission's earlier response to that pressure, announced by Commissioner Šefčovič on 7 January, was the proposal to temporarily suspend the remaining Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) tariffs on ammonia, urea, and certain other fertilisers — a measure the Commission said would broadly offset the cost impact of CBAM on the sector. Hoekstra, speaking to the European Parliament's environment committee on 28 January, reinforced the same position: noting that Europe's fertiliser industry operates at around 30% undercapacity and is typically cleaner than imports, he argued that suspending CBAM would only prolong reliance on fertiliser imports from countries such as Russia and undermine investment in clean hydrogen and ammonia production.