EU meeting agrees steel action plan

Meanwhile, steel unions attend a rally to press the UK and EU governments to help the industry

The EU's Competitive Council has agreed on a series of actions to help the European steel industry combat the serious challenges it is facing.

These actions include the use of European trade policy to ensure a global level playing field, the use of revised state aid rules to support energy intensive industries and the reform of the emissions trading system. 

Other measures are to use European investment funds to help modernise the sector
and to speed up the implementation of the European 'Energy Union' to ensure better access to affordable energy.

The chair of the meeting Etienne Schneider, deputy prime minister and minister for Economic Affairs of Luxembourg, said:  "There is a clear and urgent need to deal with the crisis of the steel sector in a comprehensive manner.

"We agreed on concrete action points, such as making the best use of available trade defence instruments and of possibilities which exist under the EU state aid framework and the Juncker plan."

It was agreed to convene a high-level stakeholder's conference on steel, involving social partners to take stock of progress achieved and to discuss any follow-up actions.

Gareth Stace, director of UK Steel, told PE: “It's a good start. We are pleased that the council has recognised the gravity of the situation and are keen to make progress. However, we also feel like it was a missed opportunity. It needed to be a much more focused response, with a short number of actions, and with a timetable.”

Meanwhile, UK steel unions attended a rally in Brussels to press the UK and EU governments to help the industry and stop the dumping of cheap imported steel from China and other countries. The rally, which was attended by steel workers from the UK and other European countries, was held to coincide with the Competitive Council meeting.