Meloni and Gozzi emphasize the need for an industrial reawakening

At the opening session, Federacciai’s General Director Flavio Bregant read a letter from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who called for a profound rethink of Europe’s current environmental policies.

Meloni stressed that the current approach has failed to reduce global emissions while giving an unfair advantage to global competitors:

“We must profoundly rethink Europe’s environmental policy, which so far has only ended up benefiting our global competitors — without truly impacting global emissions.”

The Prime Minister also noted that the Italian government is closely following the EU Action Plan for the Steel and Metallurgy Sector and the European Commission’s proposals to protect the industry from the negative effects of global overcapacity.

Concluding her message, Meloni expressed confidence in the strength of Italian industry:

“We are living in unpredictable times, yet we can count on one certainty: we are a great industrial power that has always given its best in difficult moments. We can do it again—with courage, vision, and concrete action. This is our opportunity, and we must seize it.”

Federacciai President Antonio Gozzi: “Industry Is the Future of Italy”

In his keynote address titled “Industry Is the Future of Italy,” Federacciai President Antonio Gozzi emphasized the strength of the Italian steel sector and its leading role in sustainability and social responsibility.

Gozzi explained that Federacciai’s decision to hold its annual meetings near industrial sites symbolizes the deep connection between Italy’s electric steel industry and the local communities that host it:

“Italian electric steelmaking is rooted in respect, innovation, social inclusion, and economic development within the territories where it operates.”

The 2025 report, Gozzi noted, highlights four key conditions for the future of Italian manufacturing:

• Fair conditions in international trade,

• Technological neutrality in the energy transition,

• Competitive energy prices, especially from renewable and decarbonized sources,

• Increased availability of ferrous scrap and other metallic inputs, such as DRI.

Gozzi underlined the need to reduce dependence on foreign technologies and maintain a strong industrial identity:

“Our goal is to make the sector independent from foreign technologies through technological neutrality—while never losing our passion for the factory and our closeness to those who work within it. Steel belongs to everyone. What makes Italian steel special is the tangible generational transition within companies. New generations are stepping up, and we are proud of that.”