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European Council Conclusions on the Recovery Plan and Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027
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The European Steel Association welcomes the European Council conclusion of 17-21 July 20201 on a comprehensive package of €1824.3 billion which combines the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027 and an extraordinary EU recovery effort under the Next Generation EU (NGEU) instrument, helping the EU to rebuild after the pandemic and support investment in the green and digital transitions.
We also welcome the legislative proposals submitted by the Commission on 16July 2020 to reform the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS)2345 in order to secure sufficient support for R&D in the steel industry. The Fund that has a size of €1.5 billion was created mainly from contributions of the EU steel and coal industries. The proposed reform should free around €350 million for the Clean Steel Partnership for the period 2021 – 2027 from the RFCS assets and a yearly R&D spending of at
least €40 million.
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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%).