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Revision of the Environmental and Energy Aid Guidelines (EEAG)
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The steel industry has had a longstanding presence in Europe and remains an important employer of skilled labour. Furthermore, the industry also supports significant activity and jobs in a range of other industries throughout the EU, as a result of the large amount of money spent on the materials and services used in the steel production process. Crucially, steel makes a powerful contribution to the continent’s standard of living, by forming a key input in the work of other industrial sectors. In turn, many of these customer industries produce items essential for the functioning of the wider EU economy.
In 2017, the European steel industry made a €25 billion direct contribution to the standard ‘gross value added’ measure of EU-wide production (hereafter referred to as GVA). However, the industry’s total GVA impact that year, when supply chain and staff spending impacts are also included, was much higher, at €148 billion. This overall contribution exceeded the total GVA produced in the region of Berlin in 2017.
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Brussels, 25 July 2024 – Major indicators in the European steel market show a steeper-than-expected downward trend, further impacting the outlook for this year and the next. Poor demand conditions, driven by ongoing factors such as high energy prices, persistent inflation, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, are exacerbated by a manufacturing crisis affecting the largest steel-using sectors, including construction and automotive. According to EUROFER’s latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook, apparent steel consumption is further deteriorating. After a slump (-3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024, its rebound for the full year has been revised downwards (to +1.4% from +3.2%), as well as for 2025 (+4.1% from +5.6%). Similarly, output in steel-using sectors, after a decline in the first quarter (-1.9%), is projected to experience a deeper-than-expected recession (-1.6% from -1%). A recovery is anticipated only in 2025 (+2.3%). Steel imports continue to show historically high shares (27%).
Third quarter 2024 report. Data up to, and including, first quarter 2024
Picture Copyright: European Union, 2024 Source: EC - Audiovisual Service
Brussels, 18 July 2024 – The re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission paves the way for the continuation of the ambitious initiatives started in her first term. For a stronger and prosperous Europe, defining a pragmatic set of measures within the first 100 days of the new Commission mandate is the right step forward to ensure the success of the EU’s industry transition, if properly implemented. The European Steel Association urges that the Clean Industrial Deal be complemented as a priority by a European Steel Pact, as proposed by the German delegation to the European People’s Party (EPP).