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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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The outlook for the European steel market in 2024 continues to lose momentum amidst persisting challenging conditions. Downside factors such as worsening geopolitical tensions, coupled with growing economic uncertainty, energy prices, inflation, interest rates have further impacted demand prospects. According to EUROFER’s latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook, these challenges have exacerbated the negative effects on apparent steel consumption, resulting in a more severe downturn in 2023 than previously projected (-9%, instead of -6.3%) and weaker growth in 2024 (+3.2%, instead of +5.6%). Output in steel-using sectors, despite showing more resilience than expected in the past year (+1.1%), is now set to decline (-1%). Imports are once again on the rise (+11% in the last quarter of 2023), capturing a staggering 27% market share throughout 2023.
Second quarter 2024 report. Data up to, and including, fourth quarter 2023
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.