Mr President, what we have heard from the Commission tonight is disappointing and frustrating news. Many people who have accepted the need for change and undergone very painful transformations in the last ten years will feel that the Commission, by informing us of its action, or inaction, is kicking us in the teeth. Failure by the Commission to follow through in its attempts to restructure the industry on a European basis and inject some economic logic into this industry can only have disastrous consequences in the longer term. It is disappointing to hear the Commission continue to ask independent, unsubsidized producers to close efficient and profitable plants, while allowing the continued payment of vast amounts of aid to state-supported companies that have failed to respond to the changing situation.

The aim of state intervention on a national or European scale should be to make industries more efficient and competitive in the longer term, not to throw money at inefficient producers. The Commission has a continuing duty to pursue its responsibilities under the Treaty, and the Commission must not give up. It must continue to pursue the questions still outstanding. Firstly, what is it doing about the continued operation of Saar-Stahl despite its bankruptcy? We must also qualify the package of measures associated with the privatization of Eko Stahl and ensure there are real cuts. It must also continue to pursue the issue of the restructuring of Bresciani in Italy and ensure that aid is not misdirected and capacity cuts are truly capacity cuts. The Commission must also attempt to make no early decisions on the import restrictions on Czechoslovakia and maintain for the moment production guidelines while the industry is still restructuring until the market returns to normal levels.

Whilst the current upturn in the industry and the consequent rise in prices have eased the pressure for change for the moment, we must continue to strive for a solution and build a truly European steel industry. If we do not, we can be absolutely sure that these problems will return to haunt us, and then there will be fewer options for their resolution in the future. The Commission has a duty to act and must not shirk its responsibility.