Although the EU public procurement market for goods and services is transparent and open to foreign bidders, there is growing lack of level-playing field in world procurement markets. Third countries are increasingly restricting access to their markets while their companies are winning significant contracts abroad – sometimes on unfair pricing terms or by challenging EU public procurement rules. This poses a threat to growth and employment in the EU, as it represents missed opportunities for exports but also increasingly in the domestic market.
Against this background, AEGIS Europe calls on the European Union to take a strong stance on reciprocity and other reforms needed in the field of public procurement. This is key to support the opening of international procurement markets while guaranteeing an adequate level of protection of the EU public procurement market against non-reciprocal and/or unfair competition.
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Brussels, 22 March 2024 – The future of a strong and resilient EU can only be forged with steel made in Europe. Europe-made low-carbon steel has a strategic role as it enables a net-zero economy, but today it faces strong headwinds from high energy prices, unfair competition, global overcapacity and growing unilateral carbon costs. The year 2023 has recorded the lowest European crude steel production levels ever, with a number of idled plants and dire impact on workers. Ensuring the enabling conditions for the short-term viability and the decarbonisation of the steel sector urgently needs to be at the top of the EU agenda. This is the message delivered by the European Steel Association together with a number of high-level representatives of the sector on the occasion of the Clean Transition Dialogue on Steel in the presence of the Executive Vice Presidents of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič and Margrethe Vestager.
Uses, limits, and realistic potentials of demand-side response from the European steel industry along with a broad set of framework recommendations for an EU policy
Antwerp, 20 February 2024 – Today 73 industry leaders spanning almost 20 industrial sectors presented ‘The Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal’ to Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo and Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. The declaration underlines the commitment of industry to Europe and its transformation and outlines urgent industry needs to make Europe competitive, resilient, and sustainable in the face of dire economic conditions.