Gabarró expresses its support for the initiative promoted by EUROMETAL to convey to the European institutions the need to strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s manufacturing industry.
European industry needs a coherent policy that protects not only steel producers, but also the entire downstream value chain: processors, component manufacturers, distributors and industrial companies that turn steel into essential products for construction, the automotive sector, energy, agriculture and industry in general.
Europe’s processing industry needs a level playing field now. From the very first minute. Not in two years’ time. Not after factories have closed. Not after investment has moved to other continents. Not after jobs that will be extremely difficult to recover have been lost.
While European companies bear high energy, regulatory and environmental costs, they continue to compete with imported products that are not subject to the same requirements. This situation creates an uneven playing field that is accelerating the loss of industrial activity within the European Union. Every month that effective measures are delayed means more closures, less investment and more jobs lost.
There is no point in protecting steel production while leaving those who process it unprotected.
If we want to maintain a strong industrial base in Europe, we must protect the entire value chain now, not when it is too late.
Without immediate action, many European industries will have no future by the time the measures finally enter into force.