The Italian association representing companies active in the trade, distribution and processing of steel and metals, Assofermet, has welcomed the conclusions of the latest studies released by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission on the EU steel supply chain. According to the findings, the availability of ferrous scrap in Europe has long exceeded internal demand and is expected to remain in surplus at least until 2035.
The JRC’s analyses indicate that the overall generation of scrap - both new and post-consumer - will continue to increase in the coming years, ensuring a high level of raw material availability for the European steel industry. This trend, Assofermet underlines, definitively disproves the notion of a potential scrap shortage within the European Union.
Reaffirming its position in the ongoing debate over EU ferrous scrap exports, the association stressed that the issue of recycled material scarcity cannot be regarded as a threat to the European steel industry “either now or in the next ten years.” Instead, Assofermet believes attention should be focused on improving scrap quality, noting that - as confirmed by the JRC - 87 percent of the ferrous scrap exported from the European Union is of medium-to-low quality, even though it has already undergone recovery and treatment processes.
In this regard, Assofermet renewed its call on European and national institutions to implement targeted policies to support the recycling sector, encouraging investment in more advanced and efficient technologies, including through the use of artificial intelligence. The association stated that the goal must be to increase the availability of high-quality scrap for the EU steel industry while ensuring fair remuneration for recycling companies.