European Association for Ductile Iron Pipe Systems (EADIPS) / Fachgemeinschaft Guss-Rohrsysteme (FGR) e. V.
EADIPS/FGR e. V.
1.
ID: 868937752234-76
Lobbying Activity
Response to Trade measure addressing the negative trade-related effects of global excess capacity on the EU steel sector
18 Aug 2025
European Association for Ductile Iron Pipe Systems welcomes the European Commissions consultation on the future of a post- safeguards tool for the steel industry. We urge the European Commission (Commission) to take the input received into account when evaluating a new potential measure to tackle the negative trade-related effects of global overcapacities, and to contribute to preserving a strong and sustainable industrial base in the EU. We believe it is necessary to extend protection to more metal products, such as pipes, and hollow profiles of cast iron CN codes ex 7303 00 10 and ex 7303 00 90. Our European industry is of major economic, environmental, and social importance, so these measures are urgent, especially at a time when the decarbonization of production facilities is advancing. Without adequate safeguards, we risk our sustainability efforts backfiring and weakening our competitiveness. We are facing increasing trade pressure and worrying vulnerabilities. Global overcapacity, market distortions and widespread protectionism are exacerbating an already critical situation. The Commission's action plan recognises this vulnerability and calls for a highly effective instrument to address it.
Read full responseResponse to European Water Resilience Strategy
4 Mar 2025
The EADIPS/FGR e.V. welcomes the Commissions decision to place water at the top of European policy and to create a European Water Resilience Strategy (EWRS). What is even more: In the eyes of the commission, water resilience must become as strategic a sector as defence or energy policy. The objective should be for Europe to be able to rely on its expertise, know-how, innovation and industry to meet the major challenges. These are: 1. Easy, permanent and affordable access to high-quality water for all citizens; 2. Protecting the quality of surface and groundwater; 3. Taking measures to counteract the scarcity of water resources due to global warming; 4. Repairing outdated distribution networks with an average leakage rate of > 25% in Europe; 5. Securing European sovereignty in the construction and maintenance of its infrastructure, as well as in its treatment and drinking water technologies. In this context, the secure financing of the measures plays an important role in the form of 1. support for financing in the water cycle by prioritising investments in water infrastructure, since water is largely invisible in the EU's multi-annual financial framework (MFF) and the inclusion of the topic of water in European financing systems. In order to ensure European sovereignty for a resilient water supply, the focus must be on the selection of sustainable and CO2-reduced or CO2-neutral technologies and solutions, which are also taken into account in public procurement. For example, the reciprocity clauses predefined in the public procurement directives, e.g. 2014/25/EU, must become mandatory and not remain optional in order to ensure fair competition with states that do not comply with WTO rules or bilateral agreements.
Read full responseResponse to Evaluation of the Public Procurement Directives
24 Feb 2025
EADIPS represents the interests of European manufacturers of cast iron products for water supply and wastewater disposal. The customers of EADIPS members are contracting authorities and operators of critical infrastructures to which Directive 2014/25 EU or the respective national procurement regulations apply. In the view of EADIPS members, the directive has not led to fair competition with comparable award criteria based on a cost-effectiveness approach that is only optional. To this day, the basis for awarding contracts is in most cases the price. This is a fatal development that must be counteracted in a revision of Directive 2014/25 EU. The European Green Deal, the EU Taxonomy Regulation and the CSR Directive have not only increased the importance of including sustainability aspects in public tenders. It has also become a mandatory task for tendering authorities. The European manufacturers represented by EADIPS reacted to this at an early stage and aligned their raw material procurement, production methods and transport for circular products accordingly. This includes CO2-reduced or CO2-neutral production, reduced resource consumption, compliance with high environmental, social and labour protection standards and employee rights. On the other hand, the EU continues to prioritise free trade and has given countries such as Turkey, India and China access to contracting authorities, while their public markets deny access to European companies. The principle of "reciprocity" is not respected and means that products can even be offered to contracting authorities at dumping prices. Contracting authorities are often not even aware that, on the basis of Article 85 of Directive 2014/25 EU, they can reject tenders for products originating in third countries with which the Union has not concluded an agreement in a multilateral or bilateral framework. This also means that the products are not evaluated using a cost-effectiveness approach, but that only the price is decisive. The European Commission must take action against this asymmetry in the awarding of public contracts as part of a revision of Directive 2014/25 EU. The revision of the public procurement directives must pursue the objectives of reduce the bureaucratic burden for the tendering authorities, not to further penalise European manufacturers provide tendering authorities with the tools to determine the best price-performance ratio, taking into account qualitative, environmental and/or social aspects. For example, award criteria must be included to give the contracting authority legal confidence that it will take aspects of social, environmental and economic sustainability into account. This concerns the following articles of Directive 2014/25 EU, among others Article 82 - Award criteria Article 83 - Life cycle costing Article 85 - Tenders covering products from third countries
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