On Tuesday 25 February, the European Commission announced that the Strategic Dialogue on Steel would begin on 4 March (see EUROPE 13575/2). The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Stéphane Séjourné, will present an action plan for this sector in the spring, just as with the automotive industry. An initial meeting as part of the Strategic Dialogue on Steel will be held on 4 March in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and will be attended by representatives of the entire value chain, including the social partners.
The Strategic Dialogue must serve to identify priority measures to support the sector. The Commission proposes to focus on energy prices, the supply of critical raw materials, steel circularity, simplification and the availability of low-carbon hydrogen to decarbonise steel production.
In addition, the French Minister for Industry and Energy, Marc Ferracci, and his Italian counterpart, Adolfo Urso, are organising a conference on the future of the European steel industry on Thursday 27 February. The meeting should formalise the signing of a joint declaration on steel with concrete proposals. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)