The Spanish steelmakers association UNESID has expressed its concerns regarding the lack of a qualified authority in the country to manage the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The association has asked Teresa Ribera, minister for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, to expedite the process of setting up an authority as this issue is of the utmost urgency after the CBAM’s launch on October 1.
“There are many uncertainties in the market regarding the course of action. Although the European Commission has published some explanatory guidance, the subject is not clear enough. We, economic operators, are urgently in need of an interlocutor in the general state administration with whom we can consult regarding our doubts,” Andrés Barceló, general director of UNESID, stated.
The reporting period in the CBAM came into effect from October 1 and will end on January 31, 2024, and tax will be applied on certain goods including iron and steel from January 1, 2026.