Although the EU public procurement market for goods and services is transparent and open to foreign bidders, there is growing lack of level-playing field in world procurement markets. Third countries are increasingly restricting access to their markets while their companies are winning significant contracts abroad – sometimes on unfair pricing terms or by challenging EU public procurement rules. This poses a threat to growth and employment in the EU, as it represents missed opportunities for exports but also increasingly in the domestic market.
Against this background, AEGIS Europe calls on the European Union to take a strong stance on reciprocity and other reforms needed in the field of public procurement. This is key to support the opening of international procurement markets while guaranteeing an adequate level of protection of the EU public procurement market against non-reciprocal and/or unfair competition.
Download this publication or visit associated links
Brussels, 11 September 2025 – The lack of a solution for steel in the EU-U.S. trade negotiations, the ongoing unpredictability of the global geoeconomic situation, and persistently weak demand against an ever-growing global steel overcapacity are squeezing the European steel market. In 2025, the outlook points to stagnation, with potential recovery only in 2026 — conditional on improvements in the global economy and an easing of trade tensions. According to EUROFER’s latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook, another recession both in apparent steel consumption (-0.2%, revised upwards from -0.9%) and in steel-using sectors (-0.7%, revised downwards from -0.5%) is confirmed for 2025. Growth prospects are now delayed at least to 2026, with projections of a rebound for both apparent steel consumption (+3.1%) and steel-using sectors (+1.8%). However, steel imports continue to hold historically high market shares (25%) in 2025.
Third quarter 2025 report. Data up to, and including, first quarter 2025
Brussels, 10 September 2025 – Reacting to today’s State of the Union Address delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Axel Eggert, Director General of the European Steel Association (EUROFER) said: