The essence of EURANIMI
At European level, there are well-known organisations efficiently lobbying for the interests of steel mills and producers of aluminium. End users are also strongly represented within the EU. The “middle of the supply chain” has however been absent from the debates for too long.
As a result, in our world of stainless steel and aluminium, numerous international trade barriers have been erected by the EU in the last few years: anti-dumping measures, anti-subsidy measures, safeguard measures, Tariff Rate Quotas following the Brexit and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, not to mention the questionable customs treatment subsequent to reports issued by the EU’s European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Finding one’s way through all these bureaucratic and ever changing regulations has become an enormous challenge for importers, distributors, traders, processors, and manufacturers who move in a more and more complex, costly and worst of all, unpredictable, import environment.
Together, we strive for an overall representation before the EU of importers of stainless steel and aluminium.
Because our primary goal is not the aggressive enforcement of our views with legal measures, but the prevention of legal disputes for our members, we initially act in an advisory and negotiating function for relevant decision makers.
When all options have been exhausted, we will of course fight with and for our members.
Together we are stronger than alone
It is quite simple. Many importers have already had the experience of being disadvantaged at European level.
Laws and legal decisions are often enough enforced by lobbies and made in favour of producers or consumers. The “essential middle” – the independent importers, distributors, stockholders, processors, traders, or manufacturer – could not participate loudly enough in the discourses held, or could not engage the financial resources necessary for legal proceedings to bend things in their advantage.
This international alliance of different companies – all of them independent of producers and mills –creates a platform that gives relevance and influence at European level.
A case example
Threat detected
As professionals in their own field of activity, each of our members is obviously constantly monitoring his own business situation. As soon as, for example, an aluminium importer notices that his sector risks facing heavy financial losses due to a new draft law regulating some specific imports, he will activate EURANIMI, who will immediately spread the info and take action together with all sector-members concerned.
Even if this decision does not affect all members of EURANIMI, the cumulative number of companies who count themselves among us will have the necessary weight to make the position of our affected members clear to the relevant decision-makers.
Negotiation and advice
Our aim is to use the relevant arguments to achieve averting the disadvantageous situation or, alternatively, obtain a fair compromise.
We are primarily concerned with advice and information to defend our position.
Legal action
Ideally, our negotiating efforts will be sufficient to reach an agreement. If this is not possible, we as a European association will focus on those affected and organise the best possible legal support.
The specific legal costs are shared by the affected parties themselves according to a fair cost-sharing settlement.
In the event of a legal dispute, we will continue to support the affected members with the power and the reputation of our association.