Steel sector action plan: we support actions like reducing energy prices

“Energy prices for the steel sector are too high. For this reason we support European Commission Vice-President Tajani’s efforts to reduce them,” said Amalia Sartori MEP, Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee, commenting on the steel sector action plan presented today by the Industry Commissioner, Antonio Tajani.

“We welcome the adoption by the European Commission of this plan that contains concrete measures to help European steel production to stay competitive on the world stage. We are moving in the right direction, as last December the European Parliament voted a resolution on the steel sector asking for an urgent move to be taken if we want to keep the European industry alive.”

Demand for steel in Europe is 27% below pre-crisis levels and employment in the sector fell by 10% between 2007 and 2011 as several production sites closed or reduced their output. The EU is the second largest producer of steel in the world, employing over 360 000 people with an output of over 177 million tonnes of steel per year.