Conclusion: Recasting the Future of the European Steel Industry

When the European Coal and Steel CommunityEuropean Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) (ECSC) was established in 1952 to unite European countries economically and politically to secure long-lasting peace, steel production was one of the two main strategic industries in which a common European project was first launched. Today, the steel industry still represents a critical asset for the European economy and contributes to the development of a huge number of transforming industries, in particular the automotive, construction and infrastructure, robotics, advanced machinery and tools, and household appliances sectors. During the period till the end of the ECSCEuropean Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 2002 and then beyond into the new millennium, the steel industry in Europe more broadly and within the EU has gone through significant waves of expansion, consolidation, modernisation, rationalisation and shrinkage, and it is currently facing tremendous pressures and challenges, including the twin-challenges that form the focus of this volume. In this conclusion to the present collection, we offer our broader reflections on the industry.