On the 20th anniversary of ArcelorMittal Poland, ArcelorMittal Europe CEO Geert Van Poelvoorde calls for a firm action plan for steel
30 Setembro 2024 - 10:45AM
UK Regulatory
On the 20th anniversary of ArcelorMittal Poland, ArcelorMittal
Europe CEO Geert Van Poelvoorde calls for a firm action plan for
steel
30th September 2024, 15:45 CET
On the occasion of the
20th anniversary of
ArcelorMittal Poland, ArcelorMittal Europe CEO Geert Van Poelvoorde
calls for European Union support for emergency trade measures, and
a firm action plan for steel, to keep steelmaking alive in
Europe
It is 20 years since Mittal Steel acquired
Polskie Huty Stali in 2004, when the business was put up for
privatisation by the Polish government. Since then, the business
has been transformed and modernised through significant investment.
Today in Poland, ArcelorMittal has Europe’s most modern hot rolling
mill, in Kraków; the heavy section mill in Dąbrowa Górnicza is in
the elite group of mills able to produce 120-metre-long rail.
Carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 42 percent, dust
emissions by 90 percent, and energy consumption by 40 percent.
According to the latest report from the Warsaw School of Economics,
in 2023 ArcelorMittal was the second largest foreign investor in
Poland. The company’s achievements gain even more importance at a
time when many steel companies in the central and eastern Europe
region are facing serious challenges concerning their future.
Speaking at the 20th anniversary celebrations in
Sosnowiec, Poland, Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe
said: “As in the rest of Europe today, Polish steelmakers are under
intense pressure, due to the high costs of making steel in Europe
and the volume of subsidised, cheap imports flooding the market. As
a result, the European steel industry will continue to shrink. But
with the right policies in place to support us, we can thrive - and
our industry can continue to be the foundation of European industry
- in a new era.”
Mr Van Poelvoorde called on the Polish government for its
support as it prepares to hold the Presidency of the European
Council. This will be a critical time for determining the future of
European steel, as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
legislation is finalised, which will determine European
steelmakers’ ability to continue to produce steel competitively
while also being able to make the investments needed to
decarbonise.
“With Poland due to hold the presidency of the European Council
for the first half of next year, I am sure that we can count on
Poland’s support to translate the Commission’s ambitions into an
effective policy to support the industry’s decarbonisation, and to
introduce much-needed emergency trade measures for the steel
sector. Next year, more specifically the first six months of 2025,
will be crucial to define the Commission’s steel and metals action
plan, the Clean Industrial Deal and to bring the measures necessary
to create the level playing field that we need for Europe, on
track. It is not an exaggeration to say that the decisions that
Europe and its member states will take next year, will decide on
the future size of European industry and the steel industry”.
Mr Van Poelvoorde also spoke positively about the recently
proposed European Commissioner appointments, and what they mean for
the industry:
“The mission of the proposed Commissioner for Prosperity and
Industrial Policy, Mr. Stephane Séjourné, includes the development
of a steel and metals action plan. This has never happened before,
and we look forward to seeing the detailed plan to understand how
it will support us. I am happy to hear that our cries for a new
Industrial Deal for Europe seem to have been listened to and I will
continue to advocate for strong, faster action to safeguard our
industry against the threats it faces.
Indeed, there were many positive signs in the new European
Commissioner nominations made last week. But these remain words on
the page – an ambitious wish-list written at the start of a new
mandate”.
Closing his speech, Mr Van Poelvoorde said that in light of the
growth of protectionism around the world, and the world order
coming under pressure, Europe has to define which role it wants to
play in the future. “The understanding is now increasing that
remaining an economic powerhouse is impossible without a strong
industry and specifically, a strong steel industry. Decarbonising
by de-industrialising is not a solution for Europe, not for the
world and certainly not for the climate and our planet”.
Ends
About ArcelorMittal:
ArcelorMittal is one of the world’s leading integrated steel and
mining companies with a presence in 60 countries and primary
steelmaking operations in 15 countries. It is the largest steel
producer in Europe, among the largest in the Americas, and has a
growing presence in Asia through its joint venture AM/NS India.
ArcelorMittal sells its products to a diverse range of customers
including the automotive, engineering, construction and machinery
industries, and in 2023 generated revenues of $68.3 billion,
produced 58.1 million metric tonnes of crude steel and, 42.0
million tonnes of iron ore. Our purpose is to produce smarter
steels for people and planet. Steels made using innovative
processes which use less energy, emit significantly less carbon and
reduce costs. Steels that are cleaner, stronger and reusable.
Steels for the renewable energy infrastructure that will support
societies as they transform through this century. With steel at our
core, our inventive people and an entrepreneurial culture at heart,
we will support the world in making that change. ArcelorMittal is
listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT),
Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of
Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).
Contact
information ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications |
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Paul Weigh
Tel:
E-mail: |
+44 20 3214 2419
press@arcelormittal.com |
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