With scrap not being retained in the final text of the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act and with scrap-specific measures not included either in the Waste Shipment Regulation, the European Steel Association (EUROFER) has stated that the exclusion of scrap from the Critical Raw Materials Act and from specific provisions in the recently agreed Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) risks jeopardizing sufficient supply and quality of scrap in the EU, which is essential for the decarbonization of the regional steel industry. This will further challenge the decarbonization efforts of the European steel industry and the EU, EUROFER stated.
The association said that scrap should be recognized as a strategic raw material and be included in all relevant legislation to ensure green steel and resilient cleantech value chains made in Europe.
Meanwhile, there have been some positive developments, such as potential increases in collection, sorting, and recycling of waste, and possible incentives for recycling, EUROFER remarked.
“If we want to ensure resilient cleantech value chains made in Europe, it is imperative to acknowledge the crucial role of ferrous scrap among strategic raw materials and in all relevant EU legislation,” Axel Eggert, director general of EUROFER, said.