Plan for a competitive and sustainable steel industry in Europe

This is a European Commission plan designed to help the European steel industry lay the foundations for future competitiveness by encouraging innovation and creating growth and jobs.

ACT

Communication from the Commission to the Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Action plan for a competitive and sustainable steel industry in Europe (COM(2013) 407 final of 11.6.2013 - not published in the Official Journal)

SUMMARY

The plan is the Commission’s response to the crisis in the steel sector and sets out actions to help ensure that the European steel industry remains competitive and sustainable. It also seeks to ensure that the European steel industry can compete globally and develop the next generation of steel products that are vital for other key European industries such as the automotive, construction, electronics, mechanical and electrical engineering industries.

A strong and competitive steel sector is therefore important for Europe’s industrial base. The EU is the second largest producer of steel in the world, with an output of over 177 million tonnes of steel a year, accounting for 11 % of global output. There are some 500 production sites split between 24 EU countries, making it a truly European industry.

Economic downturn

Today, the European steel sector finds itself in a very difficult situation. The ongoing economic crisis has led to a marked downturn in manufacturing activity and associated steel demand. As a result, several production sites have closed or reduced output with corresponding job losses.

The plan covers a large number of technical areas. This summary gives a flavour of some of the areas covered.

Market access

Among other things, the Commission plan proposes supporting demand for EU-produced steel both at home and abroad by acting to ensure EU steel producers have access to non-EU markets through fair trade practices.

Jobs and skills

With regard to jobs, the Commission is looking to promote skills development measures and measures targeting youth employment in the sector to boost the sector’s competitiveness. Another idea is to explore the possibility of using relevant EU funds to help workers to find alternative employment in cases of production site closures. The Commission will also encourage the creation of a European skills council for the steel industry to bring together existing national organisations working on skills development and employment in the steel sector.

Coordination

In addition, the Commission proposes setting up a high-level group on steel with an annual meeting for discussions that are designed to support the efforts of the European steel sector to maintain and improve its capacity to compete in the global market.

Last updated: 15.05.2014