The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) and the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) have jointly stated that they are deeply concerned over the decisions made at the Summit on the Future of the European Steel Industry, held in Paris on February 27, 2025. The main concern is the intention of ensuring access to raw materials by retaining scrap within the EU and the proposal to restrict or ban scrap exports to third countries that do not adopt environmental and production legislation similar to that of Europe.
Noting that the European recycling industry processes over 100 million mt of steel annually, with approximately 80 percent of the total output utilized in the domestic market, the organizations stated that there is no shortage of recycled steel in Europe, contrary to the basis on which the proposals are based.
Expressing that metal recyclers will already face increased challenges when exporting recycled steel following the adoption of the Waste Shipments Regulation, the organizations noted that stringent control measures on recycled steel represent an obstacle towards increased circularity. “Implementing additional export restrictions, when no material shortage exists, would artificially suppress prices of recycled steel,” the organizations said.