Riegel/Strasbourg, 19 September 2024 – Ahead of key decisions regarding the new European Commission, the Gerber Group is addressing Members of the European Parliament with a clear message: the voice of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can no longer be ignored.
EU Steel Policy Under Scrutiny: SMEs Demand a Policy Shift
“For years, we’ve been systematically disadvantaged by overregulation, one-sided protectionism, and the dominance of major industry lobbyists,” says Thorsten Gerber, CEO of the internationally active Gerber Group based in Germany. “Europe doesn’t need more policies for big corporations – it needs fair conditions for its SME backbone.”
Criticism mainly directed at the current direction of EU steel policy
The criticism is mainly directed at the current direction of EU steel policy. Despite record revenues in 2022 and falling energy costs in 2023, industry representatives continue to portray the sector as struggling. Meanwhile, many SMEs in the processing industry depend on imports, as EU mills have been unable to meet domestic demand for years. Nevertheless, the European Commission continues to pursue increasingly protectionist measures.
One particularly serious example: industry lobby group EUROFER recently had to publicly correct false figures on job losses in the steel sector. “When billion-euro decisions are based on flawed data, that is negligent,” Gerber warns.
The Gerber Group calls on Members of the European Parliament to support a fact-based, balanced industrial policy – in the interest of the many European SMEs that form the backbone of the continent’s economy.
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