Brussels, 28/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - MEPs told Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska of their concerns over competition in the steel-making industry during a debate on protecting companies and workers in this sector, at the European Parliament on Wednesday 26 November. The commissioner acknowledged the problem but did not go beyond highlighting the anti-dumping investigations currently being undertaken by the Commission.
Her predecessor, Antonio Tanjani (Italy), who is now the EPP spokesperson on these issues criticised out-of-date competition rules. “We have to have modern rules to give European industry the opportunity to compete”. Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens/EFA, Germany) was concerned that the commissioner had not discussed the position of steel on the international stage in her introductory speech. He recalled that the United States was bringing in anti-dumping measures and wondered if Europe should be doing likewise. He went on to stress that it had to be decided whether Europe would develop its steel-making industry on the basis of a competitiveness strategy founded on innovation of on a “dumping-oriented, never-catch-up strategy”. Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE, Spain) also argued for equality of treatment for all and insisted on skills and innovation, as well as on legislation that does not allow the social or environmental differences card to be played to allow products to be placed on the European market.
Bienkowska acknowledged that the steel sector in Europe was having to face strong dumping measures and that its competitiveness had to be protected. She pointed out that currently ten anti-dumping investigations were ongoing and 37 measures in force related to steel. She stated that she saw steel-making as a pillar for the reindustrialisation of Europe and pledged to continue efforts on this in the basis of the action plan for steel and within the high-level expert group, both set up by the Commission in 2013. (MD)