Europe needs to take emergency energy-crisis action to ease the growing pressure on the industrial sector, a letter forwarded to the European Commission by European industry association Eurometaux has underlined.

The letter was signed by representatives of 40 major industrial enterprises and associations, including three leading Greek industrial players, Evangelos Mytilineos, head of Mytilineos group, Panos Lolos, ElvalHalcor’s Copper Segment general manager, and Antonis Kontoleon, president of EVIKEN, the Association of Industrial Energy Consumers.

Aluminium and zinc production in Europe has been forced to drop to 50 percent of capacity as a result of high energy costs, while the copper and nickel sectors are also facing serious problems, the Eurometaux letter notes.

Reasonable electricity and natural gas prices are necessary for production of metals, the letter underlines.

Europe cannot have a successful energy and raw materials strategy if electricity and gas prices remain at current levels for an extended period of time without relief, the letter says.

The crisis requires a comprehensive package of solutions, while no option should be disregarded during such unprecedented conditions, the association notes.

An improved temporary framework for state support as well as incentives for electricity purchase agreements with RES producers are among several proposals listed by Eurometaux in its letter to Brussels.