75 years after coal and steel helped lay the foundations for European integration, Europe’s steel industry has called for renewed cooperation with policymakers to build a more competitive and sustainable European Union.
Steel industry leaders, European policymakers and representatives from across Europe’s industrial value chains gathered in Brussels last night to mark the 75th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris and the 50th anniversary of the European Steel Association (EUROFER), with European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera as guest of honour.
Signed on 18 April 1951 by six European nations, the Treaty established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), putting industrial cooperation at the heart of a new European project built on peace and shared prosperity. Henrik Adam, President of EUROFER, said: ‘75 years ago, Europe understood that industry, prosperity and peace were interconnected. Today, competitiveness, climate, security and social cohesion are equally connected. The EU has made an important political choice: it wants to maintain a strong industrial base and continue making steel in Europe. We welcome that commitment. Now we need to turn ambition into results.”
European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera said: “Europe’s industrial strength and its sustainable future must go hand in hand. We want companies to invest, innovate and create good jobs here in Europe. The EU’s responsibility is to help create the conditions for that transformation, and it is industry’s responsibility to deliver it. 75 years after the Treaty of Paris, that spirit of partnership remains essential to ensuring that European industry decarbonises and competes globally.”
During his speech, EUROFER’s President welcomed the significant progress made by the EU, including the Steel and Metals Action Plan, while stressing that this was only one step towards delivering a deeper industrial transformation on the ground. This will require strengthening industries across the value chain to build a competitive “Made in Europe” industrial ecosystem, while significantly reducing energy costs. Competitive and affordable energy, he stressed, is essential if European industry is to decarbonise while continuing to produce and invest in Europe.
President Adam concluded: “European steel is ready to play its part. Europe cannot afford to fall behind while other major economies strengthen their industries. If Europe wants to remain a global force, it needs the industrial strength to do so.”
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