Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the production of annual Community statistics on steel for the reference years 2003-2009
Date: 2002-10-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU statistics, data collection, industrial statistics, iron and steel product, statistical method, steel

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Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the production of
annual Community statistics on steel for the reference years 2003-2009

(2003/C 45 E/17)

COM(2002) 584 final — 2002/0251(COD)

(Submitted by the Commission on 25 October 2002)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. Background

The present Community system for steel statistics rests on the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
Treaty which expired on 23 July 2002. There are some 300 enterprises in the European steel industry,
producing a fifth of world steel output. Almost all of them are large enterprises, with a strong interest in
using statistics. A comprehensive statistical system was developed in the last fifty years to meet ECSC
policy needs, and the needs of the industry. This was done in close co-operation with the European steel
associations. In most Member States, the Commission has collected data directly either from the steel
companies or their national associations. Up until 2000, there were 17 monthly questionnaires, one was
quarterly, and there were a dozen annual ones. The number was reduced in 2000.

In a companion regulation, the Commission is proposing to extend the life of the ECSC steel statistics
system until the end of 2002. This proposal deals with Community steel statistics from 2003 onwards.
Eurostat has carried out user needs studies, and these showed the areas where statistical information was
required after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty. The Commission's policy units, national ministries and the
industry requested that key statistics on the steel industry should continue to be made available. However
the needs for Community policy making will be much less after the end of the ECSC Treaty. For this
reason, this proposal implies a very large reduction in official Community steel statistics compared with
the ECSC statistical system.

One option would have been to make no proposal, but to rely on existing Community legislation. In fact,
this is largely the case. Statistics on production and sales of steel products, which constituted a large part
of the ECSC statistical system, will be absorbed into the existing Community system of production
statistics, Prodcom. A modernised list of steel products has recently been approved, and collection will
start in 2003. The monthly series on employment in steelworks will be discontinued, but annual data for
employment in the steel industry will continue to be available from Structural Business Statistics.

Four of the existing annual ECSC questionnaires produce information which are important for developing
and monitoring Community policy, but which are not collected under existing Community legislation. The
present proposal is for a regulation covering the period 2003 to 2009 to allow for a core set of the
information in these questionnaires to continue to be collected in all EU States where there is a significant
steel industry. The proposed regulation is for a fixed period, with a provision for an intermediate report
after four years to evaluate the results and propose possible future actions.

2. Content of the regulation

The proposed regulation covers data previously collected in four ECSC questionnaires (2-50, 2-58, 2-60
and 2-61). After discussion with users, the list of variables from these questionnaires has been reduced.
This list is the annex of Regulation. It covers: iron and steel scrap balance sheets; energy balance sheets;
investment by type of plant; and steel making capacity.

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The steel scrap balance data covers the demand and supply of iron and steel scrap. This is nowadays an
important raw material for steel making, and for which a free and open market is needed internationally.
The Commission may need this information if third countries restrict exports of scrap to help their
domestic industries.

The energy balance sheet yields not only information on energy use and production within the steel
industry but indirectly also on emission of pollutants. For example, blast furnaces use coke, limestone, and
iron ore to make steel, and produce carbon dioxide as a waste product. The energy balance sheet data
enables the quantity of these CO2 emissions to be calculated.

The investment expenditure and capacity data are used to assess possible future under- or over- capacity
for particular classes of steel products. This information is useful not only to the industry but also for
international trade negotiations. It also feeds into a network of world steel capacity monitoring organised
under the auspices of the OECD.

The adoption of this regulation would allow the compilation of important Community steel statistics series
to be continued.

The draft regulation was discussed at the meeting of the Statistical Programme Committee held on 19th
and 20th September 2001. A large majority of Member States were in favour of this Regulation.

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 285(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty,

Whereas:

(1) The statistics on the steel industry were based on the ECSC
Treaty which will come to an end on 23 July 2002. A new
collection of
therefore needed on the
Regulation is
Community statistics on the steel
to
the EC Treaty.

industry pursuant

(2) It is necessary to continue collecting statistics on the steel
industry in order to implement future Community policies
on the steel industry. No other existing statistical system at
a European level
is able to satisfy the need for such
statistics.

(3) A transitional phase running from 2003 to 2009 is needed
to determine whether steel statistics can be integrated into
other statistical systems.

(4) Enterprises

in

the

steel

industry

need worldwide
to
information on investment and capacity in order
assess possible future undercapacity or overcapacity for
particular classes of steel products. Community statistics
to a global
on investment
and capacity contribute
capacity,
information
network
organised under the auspices of the OECD.

on world

steel

of

(5) Statistics on energy consumption in the steel industry yield
information not only on energy use and production within
the steel
indirectly also on emission of
pollutants.

industry but

(6) Statistics on the availability of stocks of iron and steel scrap
this important raw
for which a free and open

are needed to monitor the use of
material
for steel making,
market is needed internationally.

(7) The measures necessary for the implementation of

this
Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the
procedures
implementing powers
the exercise of
conferred on the Commission (1),

for

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Subject-matter

This Regulation establishes a common framework for the
systematic production of Community statistics on steel
for
the reference years 2003-2009.

(1) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

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Article 2

Definitions

Article 7

Implementing measures

For the purpose of this Regulation,
the terms ‘Community
statistics’ and ‘production of statistics’ shall bear the meanings
given to them by Council Regulation (EC) 322/97 (1).

The following measures for the implementation of this Regu-
lation shall be laid down in accordance with the procedure
referred to in Article 8(2):

Article 3

Scope

Member States shall submit to the Statistical Office of the
European Communities (‘Eurostat’) data on the steel industry,
defined as group 27.1 of the general industrial classification of
economic activities
(‘NACE
Rev. 1’) established by Council Regulation (EEC) 3037/90 (2).

in the European Community,

Where the value-added at factor cost of the enterprises in a
Member State's steel industry represents less than 1 % of the
Community total, the data on the characteristics need not be
collected.

Article 4

Characteristics

(a) additions or modifications to the list of characteristics, or

deletions from it;

(b) transmission formats.

Article 8

Procedure

The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical
Decision

Committee,

instituted

by

1.
Programme
89/382/EEC/Euratom (3).

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the
provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period referred to in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be three months.

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

The data supplied, which shall conform to the format set out in
the Annex, shall relate to kind-of-activity unit characteristics
and to enterprises having 50 or more employees.

Article 9

Reports

Article 5

Time reference and periodicity

Member States shall compile the data specified in this Regu-
lation for the first time for the year 2003 and for each year
thereafter until 2009.

Article 6

Transmission of data

The competent national authorities shall send to Eurostat data
and metadata, supplied in accordance with this Regulation, in
electronic form.

Within five years of the entry into force of this Regulation, the
Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament
and the Council on its implementation.

In particular, the report shall:

(a) assess the benefits accruing to the Community, the Member
States and the providers and users of statistical information
of the statistics produced in relation to their costs;

(b) assess the quality of the statistics produced;

(c) verify synergy with other Community activities;

(d) propose any changes considered necessary to improve the

operation of this Regulation.

Article 10

Entry into force

Transmission shall conform to an appropriate interchange
standard approved in accordance with the procedure referred
to in Article 8(2). Eurostat shall make available detailed docu-
mentation in relation to approved standards and shall supply
guidelines on how to implement these standards according to
the requirements of this Regulation.

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the 20th day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly
applicable in all Member States.

(1) OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 293, 24.10.1990, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.

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LIST OF CHARACTERISTICS TO BE TRANSMITTED TO EUROSTAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 4

ANNEX

1. Yearly statistics on the steel and cast iron scrap balance sheet

Code

Unit: metric tonnes

Title

STEEL AND CAST IRON SCRAP BALANCE SHEET

1010

Stocks on first day of year

1020

Arising within the works

1030

Receipts (1031 + 1032 + 1033)

1031 — from home sources

1032 — from Community countries

1033 — from third countries

1040

Total available (1010 + 1020 + 1030)

1050

Consumption total

1051 — of which electric furnaces

1052 — of which stainless scrap

1060

Deliveries

1070

Stocks on last day of year (1040 - 1050 - 1060)

2. Fuel and Energy Consumption and Balance Sheet for Electrical Energy in the Steel Industry

Part A: Fuel and Energy Consumption broken down by type of plant (*)

Unit: metric tonnes or Giga Joules (GJ)

Code

Title

Comment

FUEL AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION

2010

Solid fuels (2011 + 2012)

2011 — Coke

2012 — Other solid fuels

2020

Liquid fuels

2030 Gas (2031 + 2032 + 2033 + 2034)

2031 — Blast furnace gas

2032 — Coke oven gas

2033 — Converter gas

2034 — Other gas

2040

External deliveries of blast furnaces gas

2050

External deliveries of converter gas

metric tonnes

metric tonnes

metric tonnes

metric tonnes

GJ

GJ

GJ

GJ

GJ

GJ

GJ

(*) Plant for load preparation — Blast furnaces and electric iron making furnaces — Melting shops — Rolling mill departments —

Electricity generating stations — Other plant.

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Part B: Balance Sheet for Electrical Energy in the Steel Industry

Code

Unit: MWh

Title

BALANCE SHEET FOR ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY

3100

Resources (3101 + 3102)

3101 — Gross production

3102 — Receipts from outside

3200

Used (3210 + 3220 + 3230)

3210

Consumption by plant (3211 + 3212 + 3213 + 3214 + 3215 + 3216 + 3217)

3211 — Sinter plant and plant for preparation of burden

3212 — Blast furnaces and electric iron making furnaces

3213 — Electric melting shops and continuous casting

3214 — Other melting shops and continuous casting

3215 — Rolling mill departments

3216 — Electricity generating stations

3217 — Other plant

3220

Deliveries to outside

3230

Losses

3. Enquiry on Investments in the Iron and Steel Industry (Expenditure and Capacity)

Part A: Expenditure

Unit: Millions of Euro

Code

Title

INVESTMENT EXPENDITURE IN THE IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY

4010

Coking plant

4020

Plant for load preparation

4030

Plant for ironmaking and ferro-alloys (including blast furnaces)

4040

Steelworks melting shops

4041 — of which electric

4050

Continuous casting

4060

Rolling mills (4061 + 4062 + 4063 + 4064)

4061 — Flat products

4062 — Long products

4063 — Cold wide strip mills

4064 — Coating installations

4070

Other plant

4100

General total (4010 + 4020 + 4030 + 4040 + 4050 + 4060 + 4070)

4200

Of which to combat pollution

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Part B: Capacity

Unit: 1 000 tonnes per year

Code

Title

MAXIMUM POSSIBLE PRODUCTION IN THE IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY (CAPACITY)

5010

Coke

5020

Load preparation

5030

Pig iron and ferro-alloys

5040

Crude steel (5041 + 5042)

5041 — of which electric

5042 — of which used in continuous casting

5050

Products obtained directly by hot rolling (5051 + 5052)

5051 — Flat products

5052 — Long products

5060

Products obtained from hot rolling products (excluding coated products)

5061 — of which products obtained by cold rolling

5070

Coated products