Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001216/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Valentina Palmisano (The Left)
The Commission has launched the Clean Industry Pact and the Steel Action Plan.
One of the only steelworks in the EU which uses coal to produce steel, the Taranto-based Acciaierie d’Italia (formerly ILVA) needs a yearly output of at least 6 million tonnes in order to turn a profit. However, the health impact assessment for these production levels was negative because operations would exceed the health risk threshold.
While production has plateaued at 2 million tonnes, 4 000 of the steelworks’ 12 000 employees have been temporarily laid off. The only way to safely ramp up production levels would be decarbonise the plant, but this process would, according to independent scientific studies, only be completed between 2040 and 2050 at the earliest.
In the light of the above:
- 1.What kind of financial support will the Commission provide for the Acciaierie d’Italia workers who risk losing their jobs?
- 2.What measures will the Commission take to protect the health of workers whose exposure to polluting substances exceeds the limits set by Directive 2010/75/EU, and will the Commission set up a fund specifically to compensate workers who have been exposed to asbestos and other carcinogens?
- 3.Is the Commission aware that funds worth EUR 400 million which were initially supposed to finance projects to clean up contaminated aquifers and sites in the area have since been reallocated to the Taranto steelworks so that they can keep production going, and what steps will the Commission take to ensure that the above clean-up operations – which are vital for the development of other sectors, including agriculture, animal rearing, mussel farming and tourism – go ahead?
Submitted: 21.3.2025