| Dokumendiregister | Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium |
| Viit | 6-4/4033-1 |
| Registreeritud | 28.11.2025 |
| Sünkroonitud | 01.12.2025 |
| Liik | Sissetulev kiri |
| Funktsioon | 6 Rahvusvahelise koostöö korraldamine |
| Sari | 6-4 Tervitus- ja tutvustuskirjad, kutsed üritustel osalemiseks |
| Toimik | 6-4/2025 |
| Juurdepääsupiirang | Avalik |
| Juurdepääsupiirang | |
| Adressaat | Itaalia Ettevcõtlusministeerium |
| Saabumis/saatmisviis | Itaalia Ettevcõtlusministeerium |
| Vastutaja | Silver Tammik (Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium, Kantsleri valdkond, Strateegia ja teenuste juhtimise valdkond, EL ja rahvusvahelise koostöö osakond) |
| Originaal | Ava uues aknas |
1
Background note for the Fourth meeting of the Ministerial Alliance for Energy-
Intensive Industries
8th December 2025
At the second meeting of the Ministerial Alliance for Energy-Intensive Industries on the
18th of July, chaired by France, a joint declaration titled “Strengthening Europe’s energy -
intensive industries and securing our industrial future” was signed by ten Member States
(Austria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia,
and Spain). The document highlights the following priorities regarding:
- European carbon markets: stability of the ETS carbon price and revision of CBAM;
- Energy: competitive prices and build a genuine Energy Union;
- Trade: risks of trade diversion from other regions towards the internal market,
promote a level-playing field, appropriate use of the EU toolbox in certain markets;
- Decarbonisation efforts: develop lead markets, sustainable, resilience and preference
criteria, notably in EU public procurement and financial support schemes, promote
circularity. Meeting the needs of industrial decarbonisation requires a balanced
approach that supports the use of technologies/solutions that bring us closer to
climate neutrality, taking into account economic, environmental and social factors.
- Investments: remove barriers to the internal market and create quality jobs.
During the third meeting held on 30 September 2025, chaired by Spain, the delegations of 17
Member States gathered to reflect on the needs of energy-intensive industries in the 2028-
2034 MFF, with a particular focus on the European Competitiveness Fund.
In these days, the European Commission is expected to publish several legislations and
policies that represent key steps to relaunch European competitiveness of energy intensive
industries and to support a sustainable transition:
on 3rd December the “Economic Security Package” including the “RESource EU”;
on 10th December:
1. the “Industrial Accelerator Act”,
2. the two proposals for the CBAM revision, including measures to effectively
address loopholes and provide concrete solutions to prevent downstream and
export carbon leakage, and to discourage resource shuffling practices.
As regards critical and strategic raw materials, RESource EU stands as a flagship initiative
for European strategic autonomy in the realm of critical raw materials with the aim of
securing access to alternative sources of materials for European industry. Main actions
include: (i) speeding up critical material partnerships with countries (Ukraine, Australia,
Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or Chile), (ii) enhancing Europe’s domestic recycling
efforts, (iii) joint purchasing and stockpiling and (iv) boosting investment in strategic projects
for production and processing of critical raw materials.
Furthermore, the Commission recently announced the creation of the Critical Chemical
Alliance, to be convened for the first time in early January 2026. Its mandate will be to
develop criteria for identifying key chemical molecules and production sites that are
essential for maintaining Europe’s critical industrial capabilities, thereby paving the way for
targeted support and safeguard measures, and for the related legislative initiatives. The
Commission will draw on the work of the Alliance to outline a complex roadmap for
2
defining new strategic industrial policy directions for a sector facing the challenges of
transitioning to more sustainable and technologically advanced productions and molecules,
for which the appropriate industrial assets and reference markets need to be developed.
As regards the steel, aluminium and ferroalloys sectors, there is the need to ensure a
framework of fair conditions in international trade, technological neutrality for the clean
transition, competitive energy prices, and a framework that ensures the availability of scrap.
In view of the expiration of the steel safeguard measure in June 2026, the Commission
presented in October a new instrument to protect the EU steel sector from unfair impacts of
global overcapacity. We underline the importance of completing swiftly the legislative
process and setting an appropriate review mechanism, with the aim of ensuring that the
Regulation can be in place ahead of June 2026, when the current safeguard measure expires.
In addition, we welcome the decision to impose definitive safeguard measures on imports of
certain ferroalloys and encourage the European Commission to also consider implementing
trade protection on other products, such as silicon, in the coming months.
Within this context, an urgent issue concerns the introduction of restrictions on exports of
steel, copper, and aluminium scrap to protect European industry from achieving its
decarbonization goals. Scrap also plays a crucial role in reducing dependency on critical raw
materials and in supporting the circular economy and decarbonisation, thanks to the
significant energy and CO₂ savings enabled by recycling. Rising global demand has
increased prices and driven exports to non-EU countries, widening the gap between the EU’s
scrap needs and actual availability. This trend raises the risk of shortages of ferrous,
aluminium, and copper scrap, with potential disruptions to supply chains and to production
in strategic sectors.
It is therefore essential to adopt effective measures to address these shortages by recognising
the strategic importance of metal scrap, monitoring and limiting exports, and promoting the
development and use of high-quality secondary raw materials within the EU.
Finally, protection of EU market from unfair competition goes beyond the steel and
aluminium sectors, as now witnessed by the textile and the recycling of plastic sectors. EU’s
strong focus on product regulation, that will be strengthened by the implementation of the
Ecodesign regulation, combined with the lower energy costs and environmental standards in
many geographical areas, could result in endangering EU market integrity, competitiveness,
consumer’s safety and to disrupt recycling industry. Reaching the European goals in this
field implies a substantial strengthen of market surveillance, to ensure that all products sold
in the EU, included those that are imported, are safe, and sustainable, and compliant with
EU requirements. However, a reality check of targets set by relevant EU acts should be run,
taking account of current technical and economic capabilities.
Ministers/Representatives of the Members of the Alliance are invited to express their views
on the above mentioned topics, choosing one or more of the following questions:
1. What are your first reactions to the RESource EU plan? Are there any key points
missing?
2. In light of the already presented safeguard measures on steel and ferroalloys, what
additional actions could be taken to protect EU industries from products that do
3
not comply with Union standards and that create market distortions, as seen in
sectors such as plastics and textiles?
3. The European Commission is considering restrictions on scraps exports: how do
you assess the situation in your country, and what measures should be taken at EU
level?
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga. |
Dear Colleagues,
It is our pleasure to invite you to the forthcoming meeting of the Ministerial Alliance for Energy-Intensive Industries, which will be held on Monday, 8 December 2025, at the Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Brussels, before the COMPET Council.
Please find attached a formal invitation letter and a background note, which includes guiding questions to support our discussion.
Kindly note that each delegation will have a speaking time of 2 minutes and the working language is English.
The format of the delegation is 1+1.
A coffee reception will be offered from 7:30 a.m., and the meeting will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m., concluding at 9:00 a.m.
We sincerely hope that your Minister will be able to join us for this valuable exchange at the ministerial level.
We would be grateful if you could kindly confirm your attendance by Wednesday, 3 December, at [email protected]
Should you require any further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We look forward to welcoming you to Brussels for this important gathering.
Best regards.

Office of the Diplomatic Advisor
+39 06 42043-4221 -4773 -4468
1
Background note for the Fourth meeting of the Ministerial Alliance for Energy-
Intensive Industries
8th December 2025
At the second meeting of the Ministerial Alliance for Energy-Intensive Industries on the
18th of July, chaired by France, a joint declaration titled “Strengthening Europe’s energy -
intensive industries and securing our industrial future” was signed by ten Member States
(Austria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia,
and Spain). The document highlights the following priorities regarding:
- European carbon markets: stability of the ETS carbon price and revision of CBAM;
- Energy: competitive prices and build a genuine Energy Union;
- Trade: risks of trade diversion from other regions towards the internal market,
promote a level-playing field, appropriate use of the EU toolbox in certain markets;
- Decarbonisation efforts: develop lead markets, sustainable, resilience and preference
criteria, notably in EU public procurement and financial support schemes, promote
circularity. Meeting the needs of industrial decarbonisation requires a balanced
approach that supports the use of technologies/solutions that bring us closer to
climate neutrality, taking into account economic, environmental and social factors.
- Investments: remove barriers to the internal market and create quality jobs.
During the third meeting held on 30 September 2025, chaired by Spain, the delegations of 17
Member States gathered to reflect on the needs of energy-intensive industries in the 2028-
2034 MFF, with a particular focus on the European Competitiveness Fund.
In these days, the European Commission is expected to publish several legislations and
policies that represent key steps to relaunch European competitiveness of energy intensive
industries and to support a sustainable transition:
on 3rd December the “Economic Security Package” including the “RESource EU”;
on 10th December:
1. the “Industrial Accelerator Act”,
2. the two proposals for the CBAM revision, including measures to effectively
address loopholes and provide concrete solutions to prevent downstream and
export carbon leakage, and to discourage resource shuffling practices.
As regards critical and strategic raw materials, RESource EU stands as a flagship initiative
for European strategic autonomy in the realm of critical raw materials with the aim of
securing access to alternative sources of materials for European industry. Main actions
include: (i) speeding up critical material partnerships with countries (Ukraine, Australia,
Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or Chile), (ii) enhancing Europe’s domestic recycling
efforts, (iii) joint purchasing and stockpiling and (iv) boosting investment in strategic projects
for production and processing of critical raw materials.
Furthermore, the Commission recently announced the creation of the Critical Chemical
Alliance, to be convened for the first time in early January 2026. Its mandate will be to
develop criteria for identifying key chemical molecules and production sites that are
essential for maintaining Europe’s critical industrial capabilities, thereby paving the way for
targeted support and safeguard measures, and for the related legislative initiatives. The
Commission will draw on the work of the Alliance to outline a complex roadmap for
2
defining new strategic industrial policy directions for a sector facing the challenges of
transitioning to more sustainable and technologically advanced productions and molecules,
for which the appropriate industrial assets and reference markets need to be developed.
As regards the steel, aluminium and ferroalloys sectors, there is the need to ensure a
framework of fair conditions in international trade, technological neutrality for the clean
transition, competitive energy prices, and a framework that ensures the availability of scrap.
In view of the expiration of the steel safeguard measure in June 2026, the Commission
presented in October a new instrument to protect the EU steel sector from unfair impacts of
global overcapacity. We underline the importance of completing swiftly the legislative
process and setting an appropriate review mechanism, with the aim of ensuring that the
Regulation can be in place ahead of June 2026, when the current safeguard measure expires.
In addition, we welcome the decision to impose definitive safeguard measures on imports of
certain ferroalloys and encourage the European Commission to also consider implementing
trade protection on other products, such as silicon, in the coming months.
Within this context, an urgent issue concerns the introduction of restrictions on exports of
steel, copper, and aluminium scrap to protect European industry from achieving its
decarbonization goals. Scrap also plays a crucial role in reducing dependency on critical raw
materials and in supporting the circular economy and decarbonisation, thanks to the
significant energy and CO₂ savings enabled by recycling. Rising global demand has
increased prices and driven exports to non-EU countries, widening the gap between the EU’s
scrap needs and actual availability. This trend raises the risk of shortages of ferrous,
aluminium, and copper scrap, with potential disruptions to supply chains and to production
in strategic sectors.
It is therefore essential to adopt effective measures to address these shortages by recognising
the strategic importance of metal scrap, monitoring and limiting exports, and promoting the
development and use of high-quality secondary raw materials within the EU.
Finally, protection of EU market from unfair competition goes beyond the steel and
aluminium sectors, as now witnessed by the textile and the recycling of plastic sectors. EU’s
strong focus on product regulation, that will be strengthened by the implementation of the
Ecodesign regulation, combined with the lower energy costs and environmental standards in
many geographical areas, could result in endangering EU market integrity, competitiveness,
consumer’s safety and to disrupt recycling industry. Reaching the European goals in this
field implies a substantial strengthen of market surveillance, to ensure that all products sold
in the EU, included those that are imported, are safe, and sustainable, and compliant with
EU requirements. However, a reality check of targets set by relevant EU acts should be run,
taking account of current technical and economic capabilities.
Ministers/Representatives of the Members of the Alliance are invited to express their views
on the above mentioned topics, choosing one or more of the following questions:
1. What are your first reactions to the RESource EU plan? Are there any key points
missing?
2. In light of the already presented safeguard measures on steel and ferroalloys, what
additional actions could be taken to protect EU industries from products that do
3
not comply with Union standards and that create market distortions, as seen in
sectors such as plastics and textiles?
3. The European Commission is considering restrictions on scraps exports: how do
you assess the situation in your country, and what measures should be taken at EU
level?