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Urgent action needed to safeguard the European steel sector and jobs!
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European steel is at the heart of European industry and is responsible for 310,000 direct, and 2.2 million indirect jobs, in the EU. The triple energy, raw material and cost of living crises means that strong social dialogue and support at national and European level is more important than ever to safeguard the sector and protect jobs.
With energy costs around seven times higher than before the crisis and carbon at 70€/t, the European steel sector is buckling under huge bills, much higher than in those in other steel producing regions. The illegal invasion of Ukraine, which exasperated the energy crisis, has also led to a massive decrease or stoppage of traditional raw materials supply from Russia and Ukraine, such as iron ore, requiring European companies sourcing from other destinations at much higher costs. Furthermore, workers and citizens are suffering with EU inflation at 10% (September 2022).
The European Social Partners, the European Steel Association (EUROFER) and industriAll European Trade Union (industriAll Europe), call for urgent action to safeguard the European steel sector and protect these high skilled, quality jobs in Europe while also working towards a carbon-lean, environmentally responsible, circular, and internationally competitive European steel sector.
The twin green and digital transitions have never been more challenging, and additional investment and support will be needed to ensure that these transitions are a success with no steel worker or region being left behind.
European Social Partners:
The European Social Partners will continue to work together and with national and European policy makers to ensure the survival of the European steel sector.
Signed in Brussels, 17 October 2022
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Brussels, 10 September 2024 – The Draghi Report thoroughly identifies the bottlenecks to both the EU industry's decarbonisation and competitiveness. The proposed recommendations for energy-intensive industries, including on energy, trade, carbon leakage, financing and lead markets, should be integrated into the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal and implemented with concrete measures as a matter of urgency. Alignment across different policies is crucial, and should be accompanied by sector-specific initiatives to enable the transition of each industry including steel, asks the European Steel Association.
Brussels, 05 September 2024 – The latest developments in the steel sector and across critical value chains are worrying signs of a steady deterioration, endangering the survival and the transition of steelmakers and their key manufacturing customers in Europe, such as automotive. A Clean Industrial Deal including swift and radical measures in EU industrial, energy and trade policies, is the last chance to ensure Europe’s prosperity and shield European industry from cheap imports driven by third countries’ unfair trade practices, overcapacity and lower climate ambition, urges the European Steel Association.
Brussels, 25 July 2024 – Major indicators in the European steel market show a steeper-than-expected downward trend, further impacting the outlook for this year and the next. Poor demand conditions, driven by ongoing factors such as high energy prices, persistent inflation, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, are exacerbated by a manufacturing crisis affecting the largest steel-using sectors, including construction and automotive. According to EUROFER’s latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook, apparent steel consumption is further deteriorating. After a slump (-3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024, its rebound for the full year has been revised downwards (to +1.4% from +3.2%), as well as for 2025 (+4.1% from +5.6%). Similarly, output in steel-using sectors, after a decline in the first quarter (-1.9%), is projected to experience a deeper-than-expected recession (-1.6% from -1%). A recovery is anticipated only in 2025 (+2.3%). Steel imports continue to show historically high shares (27%).