Europe’s steel industry is at breaking point, threatened by unfair trade practices, record global overcapacity, and uncompetitive energy costs. At today’s Emergency Steel Social Summit in Brussels, the European Steel Association (EUROFER) and the European trade union federation IndustriAll Europe united in a joint call for urgent EU action to protect jobs, secure industry competitiveness, and safeguard the green transition. They also insisted on fast and urgent implementation of the EU Steel and Metals Action Plan, especially concerning energy prices and demand.
Global overcapacity at record highs, combined with energy and raw material prices at uncompetitive levels, have plunged the European steel industry into crisis, putting around 300,000 direct jobs and 2.3 million indirect jobs at risk, the participants stated. In 2024 alone, the EU steel sector saw 18,000 layoffs and 12 million mt of capacity closures, adding to over 100,000 jobs lost and 26 million mt of closures between 2008 and 2023.
Calls from industry and workers
Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe’s general secretary, stressed steel’s role as the backbone of Europe’s economy, warning that saving steel is about protecting entire industrial value chains.
Dr. Henrik Adam, EUROFER president, urged the EU to act before “all lights go out” in large parts of the EU steel industry, calling for a strong new steel trade measure, competitive energy prices, and EU content provisions to ensure European steel’s viability and transition. The union and association stated that commissioner Stéphane Séjourné’s participation in today’s Emergency Steel Social Summit gives them confidence that the future of the EU steel industry and its workers is a high priority for the European Commission.
Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné’s participation in today’s Emergency Steel Social Summit gives the union and association confidence that the future of the EU steel industry and its workers is a high priority for the European Commission.
Key demands from EUROFER & industriAll
- Swift implementation of the EU Steel & Metals Action Plan.
- Ambitious trade defenses to shield against unfair imports.
- Ensuring the benefits of renewable and low-carbon electricity are passed on to consumers.
- Adjusting CBAM to block circumvention of the EU’s climate policy.
- Keeping EU ferrous scrap exports within Europe for circular economy, climate and energy goals.
- Introducing policies that create EU steel content requirements in public procurement to create markets for green steel.
- Strong social policies to protect jobs in Europe.