The challenges and opportunities facing Europe’s steel industry took centre stage at the conference “Forging the Future: Key Factors for a Competitive European Steel Industry,” held today in Avilés, Spain.
The event, chaired by Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region and Chair of the ECON Commission of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), gathered regional leaders, industry representatives, and policymakers to discuss how to strengthen Europe’s industrial base while ensuring sustainability and a just transition for workers.
Participants underlined the crucial role of coordinated European and regional action to safeguard industrial capacity, protect jobs, and promote a sustainable and competitive steel sector. The debate also highlighted the need to balance environmental ambitions with economic realities, ensuring that Europe’s green transition supports, rather than undermines, its industrial foundations.
“Let us not forget that the word ‘sustainability’ has many meanings,” said Alberto Cirio. “We are used to talking about environmental sustainability, which is certainly important. But there is also the economic sustainability of businesses, which we must never forget. As always, balance is needed — that balance that we always find when we listen to our mayors and governors.”
Cirio stressed that Europe’s environmental leadership must go hand in hand with pragmatism and competitiveness. Reflecting on industry concerns, he warned against the paradox of a Europe that could one day import “clean” steel from abroad while abandoning its own production capacities due to overly rigid standards. Such an outcome, he noted, would harm both Europe’s economy and its climate goals.
The conference reaffirmed that a sustainable and innovative steel industry is vital for Europe’s regions, serving as a cornerstone of economic strength, employment, and technological progress.