Publications » Position papers » Contribution of the waste shipment regulation to EU ambitions on circularity and climate
Contribution of the waste shipment regulation to EU ambitions on circularity and climate
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The release of the Communications by the European Commission on the EU Green Deal and the New Circular Economy shed a new light on how the EU can achieve its goals towards resource efficiency and climate. The EU Green Deal mentioned that “EU should stop exporting its waste outside of the EU and will therefore revisit the rules on waste shipments and illegal exports”.
The Communication also stressed that the access to resources is also a strategic security question for Europe’s ambition to deliver the Green Deal. More precisely, the EU Green Deal pointed out that ensuring the supply of sustainable raw materials necessary for clean technologies, by diversifying supply from both primary and secondary sources, is one of the pre-requisites to make the green transition (even more in the COVID-19 context) happening.
Moreover, the New Circular Economy Action plan aims at these objectives in particular via thefollowing two actions: (1) creating a wellfunctioning EU market for secondary raw materials; (2) addressing waste exports – which are losses of resources and economic opportunities for the recycling industry in the EU through the review of the Waste Shipment Regulation aiming at restricting exports of waste that can be treated domestically within the EU.
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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.