WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3831/98 by Paul RÜBIG Impact of international financial turmoil on the European steel market - research
Date: 1998-12-22
Institutions: European Parliament, RUEBIG
Subjects: civil defence, competitiveness, economic recession, import (EU), industrial research, iron and steel industry, research and development, steel, technological change, third country













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91998E3831

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3831/98 by Paul RÜBIG Impact of international financial turmoil on the European steel market - research  


Official Journal C 320 , 06/11/1999 P. 0079 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-3831/98by Paul Rübig (PPE) to the Commission(22 December 1998)Subject: Impact of international financial turmoil on the European steel market - researchThe international steel trade faces new challenges; three major regions of the world - Russia, South-East Asia and Latin America - are facing economic problems. The consequences of this are twofold: the shift in traditional trade flows has led to massive increases in imports into Europe, with a 520 % rise in imports from Asia and a 109 % rise in imports from the USA in 1998, and the concentration of markets has resulted in a fall in European exports, exacerbated by a tendency towards regional protectionism. European steel producers have so far coped successfully with this development. What are now needed are targeted resources for research in the steel sector.What is the Commission's assessment of the Community's current activities and their anticipated impact on the steel sector in the light of the negotiated Fifth Framework programme for research and the planned steel research fund? What further initiatives should be taken?Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission(19 January 1999)With the start of the fifth framework programme several ways to support research in the area of steel will be available. The main focal point within the framework programme is the thematic programme "Promoting competitive and sustainable growth". The work programmes for key actions and generic activities are currently being prepared with the support of external advisory groups, in which experts in the field of steel research and technological development (RTD) are participating. In particular, a generic activity "New materials and production technologies in the steel field" has been introduced, which is tailored to the needs of the steel industry. Beside these activities the European coal and steel Community (ECSC) steel RTD programme will run in parallel until 2002, the expiry of the ECSC treaty.Given these numerous activities at Community level there is no need for additional initiatives at the moment in particular with regard to the interinstitutional discussion on the future of the ECSC. The ECSC consultative committee, Serdec (steel research and development committee), the technical advisory committee of the ECSC steel RTD programme, and the advisory groups of key actions in the fifth framework programme with steel experts are appropriate tools to identify the needs of the European steel industry in Community RTD programmes. They are also a flexible instrument to react rapidly to new research trends.