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Industrial policy and the European steel market
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The European steel industry is a strategic sector at the heart of the EU economy - responsible for 330,000 direct jobs and 2.6 million indirectly or induced jobs overall. The 160 million tonnes of finished steel the industry produces every year make modern life possible, with the metal used in automotive production, construction and in the creation of household and medical goods and appliances.
The importance and size of the European steel industry to the EU economy means that ensuring the regulatory and legislative framework is appropriate is the essential work of policy makers. This includes all facets of laws which affect the way the sector operates, including climate, competition, environment and trade policies. Only through getting all of these policies right can the sector's competitiveness be enhanced.
Taken together, the way these policy approaches interact is where the EU's industrial policy comes in: the attempt to bring order to a large rule book and to ensure that the right support and framework exists for the European steel sector to be competitive in a world of cut-throat competition. EUROFER supports the EU's work to build an industrial policy fit for the 21st century.
No industrial policy worth its name can exist without hard data confirming the trends in the sector. This is why EUROFER has a dedicated statistics and market analysis division - which compiles and updates a large body of statistical and economic data pertaining to the sector. This coverage includes employment, production, real and apparent demand, trade statistics and so on. EUROFER includes much of this data in its annual European Steel in Figures guide and its quarterly Economic and Market Outlook reports.
New global reality requires disruptive thinking and innovative measures
Brussels, 16 March 2023 – A successful EU industrial policy requires a value chain-based approach, with steel as an integral part of the Net-Zero Industry Act. To ensure that the EU remains competitive in the greatest transformation of the industry towards climate-neutrality, it is essential to adopt disruptive thinking and innovative measures to create a more attractive green investment environment whilst securing the EU’s strategic autonomy. The European Steel Association (EUROFER) details its comprehensive vision in a new policy paper covering all industrial policy fields relevant for a green, decarbonised and prospering European manufacturing industry, including energy and climate, environment and circularity, investment, trade, internal market and skills.
Joint statement
The European Steel Association publishes quarterly economic reports assessing the state of the industry.
EUROFER is a member of Industry4Europe, a large and unprecedented coalition of organisations dedicated to campaigning for an ambitious EU industrial strategy.