The event hosted yesterday at the European Parliament by MEP Elena Donazzan (Vice-Chair of the ITRE Committee), on the initiative of ESN – Electromechanics Synergy Network in collaboration with ArcelorMittal, concluded with great success.

The heart of the debate was a high-level institutional discussion regarding EU trade policies. We would like to thank Pauline Weinzierl (Head of Unit for Trade and Industrial Policy – DG Trade) for the in-depth and fundamental technical dialogue, along with the more than 25 Members of the European Parliament in attendance. Their participation is an unequivocal sign that the need to extend tariffs and CBAM to the entire steel value chain is now a priority at the highest institutional levels. A special thank you goes to MEP Elena Donazzan, whose extraordinary leadership and hospitality provided a prestigious platform for the concrete demands of our businesses.

To support this cause, ESN was present with a delegation of 15 entrepreneurs representing Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. This united front demonstrates that the crisis surrounding downstream and semi-finished products is not a local issue, but a real threat to the entire industrial base of the continent.

Our proposal is clear. We are not asking for subsidies, but for a level playing field. It is essential that safeguard measures include downstream products to prevent the circumvention of rules and to protect the entire sector from uncontrolled imports.

This journey continues; this event is only the beginning. The next step will involve direct engagement with the Ministers of Industry of individual Member States to increase pressure on the European Commission and achieve tangible results in the short term.

Our sincere thanks to all participants and colleagues who fought alongside us. Being an entrepreneur today means having the courage to defend not only our companies, but the thousands of families who represent the beating heart of our productive system.

European industry is not asking for handouts; it is asking for trade justice.