Today EU steel social partners have called on the European Commission to convene a high-level EU steel summit. 

The European steel sector in a deep crisis.

Thyssenkrupp Steel has announced the loss of up to 11,000 jobs: with 5,000 job cuts and 6,000 jobs to be transferred, as well as the closure of their processing site in Kreuztal-Eichen (Germany). ArcelorMittal has announced their decision to indefinitely delay all the planned green investments in Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) production, blaming European policy - including policies on energy. Unions have reported announced closures of sites at Reims and Denain (France), with the loss of 136 jobs.

Recent OECD figures have confirmed that nearly 100,000 jobs have been lost since 2008/9 in the European steel industry. Urgent EU action is needed to save this strategic sector and tens of thousands of jobs currently at risk. At present, the steel industry provides 230,000 direct jobs and 2.3 million indirect jobs.

In light of this critical situation, industriAll Europe demands a steel summit to be held as soon as possible. 

We demand that the summit :

·                Is organised by the European Commission with EU leaders, MS representatives, EU social partners, key MEPs and important stakeholders

·                results in a concrete action plan. There is no time to lose. 

Action is possible at speed, including stronger action on trade defence measures, an idea that already has support from Members of the European Parliament.

Together with steel employers’ association, Eurofer, industriAll Europe have called for a European Steel Action Plan in the first 100 days of the new Commission’s term in office.

IndustriAll Europe insists that urgent measures are taken to ensure that Europe does not lose further industrial capacity or know-how, through a moratorium on forced redundancies.

Judith Kirton -Darling, industriAll Europes General Secretary says “The EU steel sector is in crisis and there is no time to lose. We demand an urgent EU steel summit with EU leaders, social partners and key stakeholders to find urgent solutions to save the sector and jobs in Europe. Each day brings more bad news, and we must fight to protect tens of thousands of steel jobs across Europe. We need an emergency summit, and steelworkers must be there at the table and not on the menu! The European Commission is now in place, and they need to hit the ground running. We demand a EU steel summit in January 2025 and real ambition and commitments to save the sector.’’