Ref. Ares(2020)2697156 - 25/05/2020
8 MAY 2020
BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY AFTER COVID 19
JOINT DECLARATION BY CEOs OF THE EUROPEAN CEMENT INDUSTRY
Europe has been hit by an unprecedented health crisis that has deeply affected the personal lives of citizens.
European and national governments had to make difficult calls in balancing public health considerations with
the need to keep the economy running and people employed. Now, the time has come for al of us to think of
our recovery plan. Urgent action at European and national level is needed and the recovery should focus on
strategic ecosystems.
9 Energy-intensive sectors such as steel, chemicals and
cement are indispensable to Europe’s
economy, as they supply several key value chains. This has been acknowledged in the Green Deal
which is not only imperative for Europe to achieve its climate ambition but is now also important as a
lever to mobilize the economy in response to the COVID crisis.
9 The European cement industry is a local industry throughout its supply chain thus sustaining the
livelihoods of thousands of workers and their families. Cement and concrete have a multiplier effect of
2.8 in terms of added value and jobs on the overall economy. The cement industry delivers its end
product, concrete, into the
construction sector which represents 10% of the EU’s GDP and provides
jobs to 13 million workers. A major part of these jobs are with smal - and medium size enterprises.
9 The cement sector has a
strong track record of developing and implementing protocols that
safeguard the health and safety of its employees and this has proven to be of great value in a health
crisis where safety of workers and citizens should be the pre-condition for prioritising sectors that are
essential.
9 A
competitive European cement industry firmly anchored in Europe is key to developing low carbon
and circular cement and concrete as the materials of choice for building the durable and sustainable
energy and transport infrastructure and building comfort of tomorrow. A regulatory level playing field on
carbon as well as carbon price visibility and stability will be pivotal for the cement industry to deliver the
investments needed.
Therefore, a European Recovery Plan should:
9
Put the construction sector at its core with a dedicated budget of EUR 320 bn/year1. Construction
is a reliable and fast engine for economic recovery and a strategic ecosystem for Europe. It can drive
the post-pandemic economy and
is vital to fortifying medium and long-term economic growth and
development.
9
Encourage large-scale infrastructure projects to
improve competitiveness, growth and strengthen
Europe’s cohesion
. New investments in urban infrastructure, roads, railways, ports, renewable energy,
CO2 and hydrogen pipelines through Trans European Network (TEN) co-financing, will support
economic growth by increasing private and public sector productivity, diversifying means of production
and creating jobs.
9
Boost investments in thermal- and energy- efficient housing replacing or improving poorly isolated
homes to tackle increasing energy poverty in Europe.
9
Turn the “Renovation initiative” referred to in the Green deal for the buildings and construction
sector, into a key recovery tool involving all relevant stakeholders in the construction value
chain.
1
Figure given in a Joint Declaration on the Recovery Fund by FIEC, EBC and Construction Products Europe, 30 April 2020.
Doc 18142/KC/CR
8 May 2020
9
Be consistent with the Green Deal, and support the decarbonisation of energy-intensive
industries such as cement. The European cement industry has elaborated a Roadmap aiming at
carbon neutrality along the cement and concrete value chain by 2050. This roadmap identifies the key
technologies to reduce CO2 emissions in cement manufacturing (e.g. use of alternative fuels and raw
materials sourced from waste streams, carbon capture and usage/storage, low-carbon cements) and
down the value chain (e.g. recyclability, mineralisation of building materials). The recovery plan offers a
decisive opportunity to boost investments in these breakthrough technologies and foster industrial
competitiveness at a time where the sectors’ CAPEX is constrained.
CEMBUREAU
CEMBUREAU
VICAT
LafargeHolcim Spain
LafargeHolcim CEMEX
HeidelbergCement
CRH
Buzzi Unicem
Vicat
Group Corporate Affairs
Cementir Holding
Titan
SECIL
CIMPOR
Vigier Holding
Dyckerhoff
Schwenk
Compagnie des Ciments belges
Cementir
Holding
Cementos Portland Valderrivas
Titan Bulgaria
Group
Cement
Association (CIROM)
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Doc 18142/KC/CR
8 May 2020