His clear support for the European Union's new initiatives to strengthen industrial competitiveness was expressed by Metlen's president, Evangelos Mytileneos, through a statement to the Financial Times, in an extensive tribute to the paper on the increasing use of state aid in Europe.
Metlen's head described 'targeted support' as 'a positive step in the right direction', stressing that measures can effectively help European companies to address both high energy costs and charges from the European pollutant trading system.
The intervention of Evangelos Mytilinaios is of particular importance at a time when Europe is seeking a new model of industrial policy, under pressure from the energy crisis, the increasing geopolitical risk in the Middle East and international competition from the US and China.
The Financial Times report records the gradual shift of the European strategy from the logic of strict restrictions on State aid to a more flexible intervention framework. According to the data listed, EU Member States spent in 2024 more than 168 billion euros on state aid deemed compatible with European law, amounting to almost 1% of European GDP.
FT points out that the relaxation of state aid rules has accelerated since the pandemic and the energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while the new unrest in the Persian Gulf and the war with Iran are bringing to the fore the need to protect European industry from extreme fluctuations in energy costs.
In the same context, the European Commission has moved on to a new framework of state aid, allowing governments to support companies most affected by the energy crisis and geopolitical turbulence.
Mytilene's position comes in full line with the standing positions it has expressed in recent years on the need to formulate a more realistic European industrial policy, especially against the increased energy costs facing the European heavy industry.
The interesting thing is that the same report also highlights the objections of several countries and businesses, particularly from Scandinavia and the Netherlands, which warn that excessive use of subsidies can lead to distortions of the single market, favouring larger economies such as Germany and France.
However, for energy-intensive industries such as Metlen, the debate now concerns not only the green transition but also the maintenance of the competitiveness of European production in an international environment where state intervention is now considered part of the economic strategy and not an exception.
