Luxembourg economy minister Étienne Schneider and Dudelange mayor Dan Biancalana are seeking to prevent ArcelorMittal's proposed divestment of ArcelorMittal Dudelange - among other European plants - aimed at obtaining approval from the European Commission to acquire Italian steelmaker Ilva. They sent a joint, open letter to EU competition commissioner Margrethe Verstager in which they criticise the EC's approach, saying it "prevents the preservation of a competitive industrial base in Europe, which is nevertheless necessary for economic growth and job creation. It is recalled that such an industrial base requires the presence in the EU of world market leaders such as ArcelorMittal."
In another letter to Claude Wiseler, president of the CSV group in the Luxembourg parliament, Etienne Schneider called on Wiseler to support him and also to put pressure on European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, formerly the prime minister of Luxembourg, stating that "any sales procedure can only lead this site to a period of uncertainty, which may be harmful to the preservation of a traditional industrial base in Luxembourg."
The Dudelange site processes around 700,000 mt of steel a year, mainly galvanized, for products used in the automotive, industrial, air conditioning and other industries. Approximately 300 people work in the site, including subcontractors.