EU steel industry calls for urgent action to protect jobs, competitiveness and transition

The European steel industry is at a critical juncture, threatened by unfair trade practices, record global overcapacity, and uncompetitive energy costs. At today's extraordinary social steel summit in Brussels, the European Steel Industry Association (EUROFER) and the European Federation of Trade Unions IndustriALL Europe joined in a joint call for urgent EU action to protect jobs, ensure industry competitiveness and protect the green transition. They also insisted on the rapid and urgent implementation of the EU Action Plan on Steel and Metals, especially with regard to energy prices and demand for them.

Global overcapacity at record high levels, combined with energy and raw material prices at uncompetitive levels, have plunged the European steel industry into crisis, putting about 300,000 direct jobs and 2.3 million indirect jobs at risk, participants said. In 2024 alone, 18,000 people were laid off in the EU steel sector and 12 million tons of production capacity were closed, resulting in the loss of more than 100,000 jobs and the closure of 26 million tons between 2008 and 2023.

Calls from industry and workers

Judith Kirton-Darling, General Secretary of IndustriALL Europe, highlighted the role of steel as the backbone of the European economy, warning that saving steel is protecting entire industrial value chains.

Dr. Henrik Adam, president of EUROFER, called on the EU to act before "all the lights go out" in a significant part of the EU steel industry, calling for a new strong trade measure on steel, competitive energy prices and