Competitiveness Council, 9 November 2015

An extraordinary meeting of the Competitiveness Council was held on 9 November 2015 to discuss the situation of the European steel industry and the measures to improve its competitiveness.

The steel industry suffered from weak demand, falling prices, rising energy cost and job losses. In addition, it also faced fierce competition from the main economic players across the globe.

On the same day, the European Steel Association (EUROFER) and industriALL issued a joint call for action to ward off further job losses in the sector and in reaction to a series of announcements from industry of job losses and redundancies.

• Primary Source

Council of the European Union: Luxembourg: EU Presidency: State of the European steel industry, November 2015 http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13585-2015-INIT/en/pdf

BBC News, 09.11.15: Steel industry calls for EU action on Chinese imports http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34763597

European Commission: Growth: Sectors: Metal: Steel http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/raw-materials/industries/metals/steel/index_en.htm

Deutsche Welle, 22.10.15: Xi's state visit to the UK overshadowed by Chinese steel dumping http://dw.com/p/1Gr1p

Website: European Confederation of Iron and Steel Industries (EUROFER) http://www.eurofer.org/

Eurofer: Press Release, 09.11.15: Industry and Unions jointly call for action on steel industry crisis http://www.eurofer.org/News%26Media/Press%20releases/Industry%20and%20Unions%20call%20for%20action.fhtml

Website: IndustriALL European Trade Union http://www.industriall-europe.eu/

IndustriALL: Press Release, 09.11.15: Industry and Unions jointly call for Action on Steel Industry Crisis http://www.industriall-europe.eu/news/list3.asp?stid=387

EurActiv, 09.11.15: UK steelmakers call for immediate EU action on Chinese imports http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/uk-steelmakers-call-immediate-eu-action-chinese-imports-319289

Deutsche Welle, 09.11.15: EU ministers fail to tackle European steel industry's woes http://dw.com/p/1H2Yw

EurActiv, 10.11.15: EU ministers pledge concrete action for embattled steel sector http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/eu-ministers-pledge-concrete-action-embattled-steel-sector-319326

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 09.11.15: Competitiveness Council on the European steel industry - Presidency conclusions http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/11/09-compet-presidency-conclusions/

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