Who wouldn’t want a CO2 neutral, clean world? We certainly do. The very need to ensure our survival demands that we finally start to change our world. As is well known, this can only be done if everyone is brought on board in the social dialogue. Especially our own economy, supported by the courageous entrepreneurs who employ millions of people in the EU and thus contribute significantly to Europe’s prosperity.
But you can guess: Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the European Commission doesn’t seem to want.
Towards competitive and clean European steel
On May 5, 2021, the European Commission published an update on its 2020 New Industrial Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery.
What steel consumers will still be allowed to do in the future
In the press release we came across a Staff Working Document of the EC. With the resounding name: “Towards competitive and clean European steel“. 27 pages outlining the future of green European steel production and giving an outlook on what steel consumers in the downstream industry will still be allowed to do in the future and what not.
Steel consumers are not part of the EU Social Dialogue
In this Staff Working Document, the EC praises itself for how great the social dialogue has been in this regard. And how closely it has cooperated with – you can guess – the European Steel Association EUROFER and the Trade Union Federation IndustriAll Europe. The so-called Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Steel (SSDC).
“Social dialogue would be key in transitioning towards clean and competitive European steel, to map-out the new skills needed by companies in the sector and support workers in acquiring them.” Writes the European Commission on page 25.
It also states on the same page: “For example, the SSDC has in recent years participated in the Commission’s consultations on steel safeguards and anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases.
Majority excluded from social dialogue
You know who has been missing from this social dialogue? That’s right, you! The European entrepreneurs and workers from the steel processing and consuming downstream industry. With millions of jobs and billions of tax revenues for the EU member states.
In this social dialogue only lobbyists of multinational steel producers and trade union representatives had a place. The steel-consuming downstream industry was obviously excluded. Unfortunately, their voice does not count here.
Don’t our elected European representatives want to talk to everyone?
We have already pointed out several times that apparently the European Union and its bodies do not want to talk to the common people. This has not only been written into the rules of the EU, but can be seen again and again. Be it by observing the lobbying activities of the European steel companies or the Staff Working Document “Towards competitive and clean European steel” with its obvious lack of social dialogue. Or rather the very one-sided dialog between best friends?
What does the European Commission gain from ignoring its citizens?
Do the members of the European Commission get anything out of so blatantly ignoring the needs of the entire steel processing downstream industry? Or is this simply the European arrogance criticized around the world? We don’t know. Do you know?
We’ll be taking a look at it again and again in the coming days and weeks. And raise questions about it and ask them loud and clear.
What do you think? Does the European Commission look at the current reality in the steel world in its UPDATE or does it fall back on outdated figures from 2020? And presents them as the current reality?
You can download the Commission Staff Working Document “Towards competitive and clean European steel” here.
The current reality is available to the European Commission and all members of the European Parliament. So it could have been taken into account there. Or a real social dialogue could have been conducted – which is more than obviously not wanted.
Do you know the answers to our questions?
You know us. We don’t ask such questions if we don’t want answers. We want your answers as citizens, employees and entrepreneurs of the European Union and those of the European Commission. Are we wrong somewhere? We welcome your comments, suggestions, questions and criticisms.
Just write to info@steelnews.biz or call and make an appointment for a clarifying conversation at: +49 7642 9282851.
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Disclaimer: Many things here represent our opinion. Others are information from the Internet. We can therefore never claim to be correct or complete. And never base a business decision solely on the news you receive from us.
