The European Steel Association (EUROFER) has stated that the European steel industry will face an irreversible decline unless the EU and member states take immediate action to secure the green transition. Despite repeated warnings from the sector, the EU leadership and governments have yet to implement decisive measures to preserve manufacturing and allow green investments across Europe. EUROFER warns that a robust European Steel Action Plan under an EU Clean Industrial Deal cannot wait or manufacturing value chains across Europe will simply vanish.
Recent massive production cuts and closure announcements by European steelmakers show that time has run out. “The clock has already struck midnight. How many more plant closures, job losses, and stalled decarbonization projects will it take before the EU and member states wake up? Europe’s de-industrialization is accelerating, with steel, automotive, renewables, and batteries all on the brink. Without immediate action, Europe’s manufacturing base will disappear. We urge the new European Commission and EU governments to stop this bloodshed and adopt swift measures on trade, CBAM, energy and steel scrap, while working on a structural solution to preserve our industry’s competitiveness,” Axel Eggert, director general of EUROFER, said.
EUROFER calls for implementation of critical measures including: assertive enforcement of the EU trade defense instruments, and a more robust tariffication regime to stop the destruction of the EU steel market by the spill-over impact of global steel excess capacity; a CBAM that works in practice, preventing circumvention or resource shuffling and preserving EU steel exports; affordable clean energy by passing the benefits of renewable and low-carbon electricity to consumers; retaining steel scrap in Europe for the circular economy, decarbonization and energy security.
