The European steel industry said it was "threatened" by an "unhelpful decision" by the European Commission on its review of steel safeguards in a joint statement issued by European steel industry leaders on Monday 8 June.
The Commission "does not take into account the sudden collapse in demand following the Covid pandemic", the industry believes. It calls on the institution to return to its copy to "reflect" this evolution.
But the Commission has defended itself against any neglect of the steel industry. It stressed its intention to strengthen safeguard measures to "continue to defend the EU steel industry effectively against the effects of trade diversion" and advocated changes which "take full account" of these circumstances, its spokesperson told EUROPE (see EUROPE 12229/25, 12185/4, 12165/14).
The second review of steel safeguards was initiated on 14 February (see EUROPE 12426/16). After notifying the Member States and the WTO on 29 May of the changes it intended to make to the existing measures (see EUROPE 12495/33), the Commission made public the findings and proposals for adjustments for the third year of application of the measures.
Its spokesman told EUROPE that formal consultations of Member States on the proposed adjustments would take place from mid-June, with a view to applying the changes to the measures by 1 July at the latest. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)