The “balance” at the end of the year for Eurofer is not so positive, but it is the opportunity to announce what will be the cardinal points in the activity of 2021.
<<The year 2020 didn’t go exactly as hoped, being dominated by the pandemic and by its impact on people, on society and on global economy – the Eurofer’s general manager, Axel Eggert, writes – and the European economy was strongly hit by the crisis. The EU economic forecast for autumn 2020 estimate that EU economy will be contracted by 7,4%. Growth should return in 2021, however production both in euro zone and in the EU shouldn’t come back to the pre-pandemic level before 2022>>.
Eggert continues: <<It is estimated that production in steel sectors, such as building, mechanical engineering and automotive, contracted by 5-20% throughout the year, although it is expected that this represents the lowest point of the cycle. The net impact on steel industry is that the total decline in apparent consumption in 2020 will be of almost 15%, following the 5% of contraction in 2019>>.
This framework, according to the Eurofer’s CEO, leads to the conclusion <<that it is essential to invest in building recovery: a comeback to green and equal growth. This means to set the framework for the way in which the steel industry can get back on a safe base and how and where to invest on its low-carbon transition. This framwork have to consider climate, energy, research, trade and circular economy policies. Pushing for the realization of this framework will form the basis of a great part of Eurofer’s work in 2021>>.
