As every year, the publication of the EUROFER Annual Report is an opportunity to recap the policy work conducted by the association throughout 2022, as well as to inspect the forthcoming priority work areas EUROFER will be facing in the next months.They will be crucial to ensure that the future of green steel is and will be in Europe, which is the essential condition for the EU to achieve global leadership in net zero and secure its strategic autonomy.
EU legislation such as the Gas & Hydrogen Package, the revision of the Electricity Market Design directive, the Hydrogen Bank and the Renewable Energy directive, is fundamental to set the right conditions for a truly EU energy market system that delivers. Maximum priority must be given as well to European projects for hydrogen infrastructure, whose development is lagging behind.
Similarly, ensuring access to critical materials for the green transition such as ferrous scrap and nickel is vital, even more so in a world where over 40 countries are already applying restrictions to exports. The Critical Raw Materials Act and the Waste Shipment regulation should take this
situation fully into account.
Facilitating investment in clean technologies, creating lead markets for green steel and promoting upskilling and adequate training opportunities for young steelmakers is also indispensable.
Be assured that, also this year, we will do our best to turn these challenges into opportunities for both the European steel industry and the EU. A strong and sustainable steel sector is the backbone of a healthy EU economy and its leadership in clean tech.
We trust that the reading of the EUROFER Annual Report 2023 will serve as a valuable resource for all those who are interested in the future of our industry and the role that it plays in the European economy.
The full report is available below.
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Brussels, 11 September 2025 – The lack of a solution for steel in the EU-U.S. trade negotiations, the ongoing unpredictability of the global geoeconomic situation, and persistently weak demand against an ever-growing global steel overcapacity are squeezing the European steel market. In 2025, the outlook points to stagnation, with potential recovery only in 2026 — conditional on improvements in the global economy and an easing of trade tensions. According to EUROFER’s latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook, another recession both in apparent steel consumption (-0.2%, revised upwards from -0.9%) and in steel-using sectors (-0.7%, revised downwards from -0.5%) is confirmed for 2025. Growth prospects are now delayed at least to 2026, with projections of a rebound for both apparent steel consumption (+3.1%) and steel-using sectors (+1.8%). However, steel imports continue to hold historically high market shares (25%) in 2025.
Third quarter 2025 report. Data up to, and including, first quarter 2025
Brussels, 10 September 2025 – Reacting to today’s State of the Union Address delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Axel Eggert, Director General of the European Steel Association (EUROFER) said: