Ref. Ares(2021)4414341 - 07/07/2021
From the Director General
Mrs Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
Friday, 21 February 2020
Dear Commission President, Dear Ms von der Leyen,
Following our letter of 26 September 2019, we would like to renew our meeting request between
you and the CEOs of the EU steel industry at your earliest convenience.
Our industry has the ambition to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and at least by 80 to 95% by
2050, if we are enabled to stay competitive during and beyond the transition towards carbon
neutrality. We therefore propose a ‘Green Deal on Steel’ that would address about 25% of industrial
emissions in Europe. Only if the EU is successful in this will other countries around the globe follow.
Steel has been, is, and must remain at the heart of Europe. It is the foundation, and enabler, of
many important European value chains and is at the core of the circular economy. Steel is the most
recycled material in the world and the thousands of innovations EU steel contributes to are a
resource for both current and future generations of European citizens.
The Commission’s priorities, notably with regard to a
European Green Deal and
A stronger Europe in
the world, give us hope that we will be able to emerge strongly from the current steel crisis. Your
proposals, such as that for a European Climate Bank and for Carbon Border Adjustment as part of
a broader improvement of the regulatory framework, receive our support. It is however vital that
a carbon border measure is applied - for a transition period - in addition (!) to the existing, limited
scope of carbon leakage measures (free allowances/compensation).
Working together, we could transform the climate challenge into an opportunity for industry, and
for Europe, to lead the way. With the right conditions in place, notably including a supportive
regulatory framework and reliable supply of CO2-low and CO2-neutral energy at affordable rates,
the European steel industry would be empowered and fully committed to contributing to the EU’s
climate objectives. We have the ambition to implement several industrial-scale demonstrators as
soon as possible. To make this happen, we need a Green Deal on Steel that establishes a just
transition and the right conditions, such that ‘green steel’ will find its place in the market despite
higher capital investment and operational costs.
We include the European Steel Association’s ‘A Green Deal on Steel’ discussion paper for your
information – this paper highlights some of our ambitions and key policy objectives.
We need to meet – and to act – quickly to start delivering already within the term of the new
Commission. We thank you for your kind consideration of our meeting request and remain at your
disposal for any further information you may require.
Yours sincerely,
The European Steel Association (EUROFER)
Annex: EUROFER’s discussion on paper on ‘Green Deal on Steel’
EUROFER AISBL • Avenue de Cortenbergh, 172 • B-1000 Brussels • Belgium • +32 3 738 79 34
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