Van Poelvoorde elected EUROFER president, sets steel priorities

The European Steel Association (EUROFER) has elected Geert Van Poelvoorde, Chairman of the Board of ArcelorMittal Europe Steel, as its new president, with his term beginning on 1 October.

Van Poelvoorde takes over the association at a time of weak European steel demand, declining exports and continued pressure from global overcapacity. According to EUROFER, EU steel exports to third countries fell by 20% in the first half of 2026. EU crude steel production reached 125.8 million tonnes in 2025 and declined by a further 1% during the first five months of this year.

The new president identified stronger European markets, competitive energy prices and improved access to export markets as priorities for the industry. He also called for changes to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to support investment in low-carbon steelmaking.

“Europe’s steel industry is investing in the transformation towards climate neutrality. But to trigger the next wave of investment across all of Europe, the EU ETS must be adjusted to create a viable business case,” Van Poelvoorde said.

He also argued that European steelmakers need stronger demand for EU-produced steel and competitive energy costs alongside a strong domestic industrial value chain.

Trade and exports among priorities

EUROFER regards the EU's new steel trade measure, which entered into force on 1 July, as an important response to global steel overcapacity. The association estimates that the measure could create conditions for around 15 million tonnes of European steel production to return annually. According to EUROFER, some capacity has already been restarted despite continued weak demand.

Van Poelvoorde said maintaining access to international markets would also be important, particularly for European low-carbon steel. European producers face carbon costs that many competitors outside the EU do not, he noted.

He therefore called for the forthcoming ETS review to provide a structural solution for steel exports and argued that the phase-out of free ETS allowances should be slowed significantly until conditions supporting the transition are in place across European steel-producing regions.

Van Poelvoorde succeeds Henrik Adam, Executive Chairman of Tata Steel Nederland, who takes over as Director General of the World Steel Association on 1 October. Peter Bernscher of Tata Steel Nederland has been elected EUROFER vice-president.

Source and Photo: Eurofer