The associations expressed deep concern about the political signals emanating from the Waste Transportation Regulation, the Law on Critical Raw Materials and the EU Action Plan on Steel and Metals, arguing that these initiatives collectively indicate de facto export bans.
According to Guido Lipinski, managing director of the German Steel Refining Association, politicians "create the illusion" that problems in the primary steel sector can be solved by restricting exports of the steel refining sector, despite the fact that there is no shortage of scrap metal in the EU. He said such restrictions are aimed at artificially lowering prices and will harm thousands of medium-sized companies, while destroying an established closed-loop economy that has been operating effectively for decades.
The recycling sector is important for Europe's decarbonization strategy
The associations emphasized that steel and metal recycling enterprises are already making a decisive contribution to climate change in Europe. Today, 59 percent of EU steel production is based on recycled scrap metal. In Germany, the recycling industry includes thousands of companies and tens of thousands of employees.
Secondary raw materials significantly reduce energy consumption and emissions compared to primary production, while strengthening Europe's resource independence.
Eric Rehbok, managing director of the German Association for Recycling and Waste Management, warned that the planned restrictions send the wrong investment signal, putting modern recycling and sorting technologies at risk. "Markets can be closed for political reasons at any time," he said.
Export restrictions are counterproductive and protectionist
Associations stressed that export restrictions should not be
