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Energy Efficiency Directive
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The European industry keeps facing high energy prices that affects its cost-competitiveness towards main competitors in third countries. The issue of high energy costs, in particular for energy-intensive industries exposed to global competition such as steel, must be addressed through a coherent EU energy and climate policy that ensures affordable energy prices, industrial competitiveness on the EU’s internal market as well as on international markets, security of supply and reliable achievement of the EU climate and environmental objectives.
The regulatory framework shall address and minimize the impact of regulatory costs related to decarbonisation and the promotion of energy efficiency on the competitiveness of energy intensive-industries and promote innovative low carbon solutions that can contribute to the energy and climate targets, taking exposure to international competition fully into account.
Due to the high share of energy costs in total production costs, energy efficiency is a key element for preserving the competitiveness of European steel companies. This is why they operate processes very close to the thermodynamical limits in terms of energy consumption. Deeper emissions reductions are only possible with the deployment and roll out of breakthrough technologies that require, among others, access to abundant and competitive low carbon energy sources, including hydrogen and electricity.
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Brussels, 10 September 2024 – The Draghi Report thoroughly identifies the bottlenecks to both the EU industry's decarbonisation and competitiveness. The proposed recommendations for energy-intensive industries, including on energy, trade, carbon leakage, financing and lead markets, should be integrated into the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal and implemented with concrete measures as a matter of urgency. Alignment across different policies is crucial, and should be accompanied by sector-specific initiatives to enable the transition of each industry including steel, asks the European Steel Association.
Brussels, 05 September 2024 – The latest developments in the steel sector and across critical value chains are worrying signs of a steady deterioration, endangering the survival and the transition of steelmakers and their key manufacturing customers in Europe, such as automotive. A Clean Industrial Deal including swift and radical measures in EU industrial, energy and trade policies, is the last chance to ensure Europe’s prosperity and shield European industry from cheap imports driven by third countries’ unfair trade practices, overcapacity and lower climate ambition, urges the European Steel Association.
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%).