The steelmaker ArcelorMittal asked the European Union on Monday to protect the competitiveness of European steel, putting in the balance its decarbonization projects on the continent and billions of euros of investments at stake.
The group is expecting guarantees from Europe on three points: it wants to know the details of a “steel plan” under discussion in Brussels and on the menu of a “competitiveness council” planned for Thursday. ArcelorMittal is also calling for an “effective carbon border adjustment mechanism”, as well as “more robust trade defense measures”, according to a statement sent to Agence France Presse.
The “difficult” decarbonization market
In France alone, the group’s decarbonization projects amount to around 1.8 billion euros, including 850 million euros in French state aid validated by Europe, if the projects are indeed carried out.
The group has projects of this type in three European countries: Europe has validated 1.3 billion euros in public aid from Germany, 460 million euros from Spain and 280 million euros from Belgium.
“The market in which we operate is difficult, and the numerous political and regulatory uncertainties have a strong impact on our industry,” declared the group, referring to “unfair extra-European competition”. However, he claims to remain committed “to (its) decarbonization in Europe”, while awaiting responses from Brussels to make its final investment decisions.
“These are investments of several billion euros, which will shape the future of our group for decades to come”, which thus justifies its caution to “make the right decisions” for the future.
A union representative speaks of a “poker move”
The ArcelorMittal group has set itself the objective of reducing its CO2 emissions by 35% by 2030 in Europe (-25% for the world), an objective still displayed on Monday on the group’s website for France.
“For me, Mittal is playing a game of poker at the level of the European Commission. He is in the process of putting maximum pressure with the tens of thousands of jobs behind it,” Gaëtan Lecocq, general secretary of the CGT at ArcelorMittal Dunkerque, declared on Monday.
The social context is tense within the group: a CSE is to be held Monday afternoon in Reims, concerning plans to close two sites, the service centers of Reims and Denain (North), where around 130 jobs are threatened in All.
