Today marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Schuman Declaration, a visionary proposal that placed coal and steel at the center of a united Europe and laid the foundations for decades of peace, prosperity and cooperation across the continent.
In our match with EUROMETAL, we are proud to recall the fact that our own roots are closely linked to this fundamental moment. In the same year 1950, just a few months after Robert Schuman's historic speech laid the foundations for a world based on cooperation in the field of coal and steel, shareholders of metallurgical companies gathered in Paris to found FIANATM, an international federation of Associations of non—governmental Enterprises, Pipe Manufacturers and Equipment., December 7. Their goal was to bring together national associations of steel, pipe, and non-ferrous metal manufacturers to support industrial recovery, promote cross-border trade, and strengthen economic cooperation - the very principles that underpinned the European project.
In 1999,[b]FIANATM[/b]merged with Brussels-based FENA, the European Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations, to create EUROMETAL, the European Federation of Steel, Pipe and Metal Products Trade Associations.
From the very beginning, we have been part of the European industrial complex, and today we continue to act as a distributor of steel on the continent.
Our members — shareholders, service centers and traders — are crucial for the functioning of the EU internal market. We connect manufacturers with end users, ensure supply chain flexibility, and actively support the green and digital transitions that will shape the new industrial era in Europe.
Seventy-five years after the Schuman Declaration, we remain convinced that Europe's future depends not only on its ability to produce, but also on its ability to connect, distribute, and transform — honestly, efficiently, and sustainably.
At EUROMETAL, we honor the legacy of those who helped build post-war Europe. We are proud of our place in this history and are determined to help shape its future based on industrial strength, open markets, and shared prosperity.
