Brussels, 19 March 2025 – The Steel and Metals Action Plan, unveiled today by the European Commission, provides the right diagnosis to the existential challenges facing the European steel industry. Concrete measures need to follow swiftly to reverse the decline of the sector, re-establish a level playing field with global competitors, and incentivise investment and uptake of green steel in the market.

“With today’s Steel and Metals Action Plan, the European Commission is sending a clear message: a strong European Union needs a strong European steel industry”, said Dr Henrik Adam, President of the European Steel Association (EUROFER). “From addressing unfair trade to closing loopholes in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to recognising the strategic and environmental value of steel scrap, the Action Plan identifies crucial areas for our sector. Now it’s time to implement meaningful solutions through ambitious measures.”

Among the most salient issues addressed in the Action Plan are:

• A proposal for a comprehensive and effective post-safeguard trade regime addressing the destructive spill-over effects of global steel excess capacity on the EU market;
• Strengthening the EU’s trade defence toolbox to effectively counter foreign subsidies and dumping;
• Addressing loopholes – including resource shuffling – in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, extending its scope to downstream products, and proposing a solution to ensure the competitiveness of EU steel exports;
• Recognising steel scrap as a strategic secondary raw material and emphasising its critical role for circularity and decarbonisation in the EU;
• Stimulating investment in decarbonisation by also creating lead markets for low-carbon products.

“Despite the positive proposals from the Commission, energy remains the elephant in the room. High energy prices affect not only steel and metals production, but they are dragging down entire European industrial value chains. Further work to reduce energy costs is crucial”, said Dr Adam. 

“We are grateful that the Commission has clearly recognised the strategic importance of the European steel industry to the EU’s sovereignty, security, and competitiveness. We look forward to continuing to work with the Commission as it puts forward and implements the legislation that will determine the future of our industry”, concluded Dr Adam.

Notes for editors

Contact
Lucia Sali, Spokesperson and Head of Communications, +32 2 738 79 35, (l.sali@eurofer.eu)

About the European Steel Association (EUROFER)
EUROFER AISBL is located in Brussels and was founded in 1976. It represents the entirety of steel production in the European Union. EUROFER members are steel companies and national steel federations throughout the EU. The major steel companies and national steel federation of Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom are associate members.

The European Steel Association is recorded in the EU transparency register: 93038071152-83.

About the European steel industry
The European steel industry is a world leader in innovation and environmental sustainability. It has a turnover of around €191 billion and directly employs around 303,000 highly-skilled people, producing on average 140 million tonnes of steel per year. More than 500 steel production sites across 22 EU Member States provide direct and indirect employment to millions more European citizens. Closely integrated with Europe’s manufacturing and construction industries, steel is the backbone for development, growth and employment in Europe.

Steel is the most versatile industrial material in the world. The thousands of different grades and types of steel developed by the industry make the modern world possible. Steel is 100% recyclable and therefore is a fundamental part of the circular economy. As a basic engineering material, steel is also an essential factor in the development and deployment of innovative, CO2-mitigating technologies, improving resource efficiency and fostering sustainable development in Europe.