The economic and political challenges of the next political cycle are huge. The new European Commission and the new European Parliament will have to address citizens’ expectations for a renewed Europe.
The aluminium industry is at a crossroad, facing considerable challenges but also tremendous business and societal opportunities.
Our goal is to strive for a truly sustainable economy, supporting the Paris Agreement and delivering on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This requires a deep transformation and renewal of our existing industrial base and assets.
This I+ Manifesto is European Aluminium’s call to action for the next EU leaders to set the right framework conditions for the industry to achieve its full strategic potential. It builds on the conclusions of our Vision 2050, European Aluminium’s contribution to the mid-century strategy for a low carbon economy.
Our Vision 2050 shows potential to decarbonise our production processes along the whole value chain. Total CO2emission reductions will come from increased recycling and a 70% decarbonisation in the primary sector.
Europe’s ambition should be to preserve a strong industrial manufacturing basis and set the right conditions for its growth.
We call for a bold and fully-fledged EU industrial strategy with its vision and goals rooted in its wider strategy of sustainable development and commitments under the Paris Agreement.
The strategy should aim to coordinate regional, national and European policy efforts. A new governance approach between the different decision-making levels should help to define competencies and be instrumental in meeting EU industrial performance goals by 2030 and 2050.
- Governments and international organisations need to address state-subsidised excess capacity in China, both for primary and semi-
fabricated aluminium. - The EU should request that its trade partners comply with the Paris Agreement and make climate change policies conditional to any new
trade deal. - The WTO rules should be reformed to protect the multilateral trade system through three levers:
introduce more transparency; create and review rules and disciplines; ensure better
enforcement mechanism. - Trade relations between the EU and the UK should be maintained after Brexit without barriers and disintegrating value chains. When developing its trade policy towards third country trading
partners, the UK should foster a fair trading environment and implement equivalent rules for trade in goods as in the EU.