EU holds public consultation on aluminium scrap availability to prevent leakage and safeguard recycling targets

The European Commission has launched an essential public consultation with a specific emphasis on aluminium scrap availability and safeguarding its supplies within the European Union (EU), to achieve the green transition by meeting recycling and downstream manufacturing goals. Led by the Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, the process commenced on December 19, 2025, and will accept submissions till January 31, 2026. 

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The initiative is an attempt to assess whether or not the aluminium industry may require trade policy interventions. Seeking stakeholder contribution, it is to evaluate whether current trade patterns, influenced by increasing aluminium scrap export, risk undermining the EU’s recycling capacity, decarbonisation targets, and industrial competitiveness.

The consultation is open to opinions from recyclers, producers, downstream users, traders, and civil society, and includes a detailed questionnaire and a call for evidence. Stakeholders are asked to analyse market conditions, supply risks, and the potential impact of different policy tools, while at the same time, providing qualitative feedback that may extend beyond the fixed options for response.

According to the IndexBox industry analysis, EU aluminium scrap exports reached record levels in 2024, with a growing share shipped outside the bloc. This further raised concerns that domestic recyclers may face tighter supply and higher costs, particularly as global demand for low-carbon aluminium rises. 

Also read: EU risks losing aluminium scraps as overseas buyers step in

The Commission is examining whether targeted trade measures like export controls or similar regulations could be implemented to retain sufficient scrap within the EU without distorting the market situation. The consultation forms part of preparatory work referenced in the Steel and Metals Action Plan adopted in March 2025, and later on in the REsourceEU Action Plan, with expected trade measures to be designed by Q2 of 2026.

Industrial organisations such as BIR and Recycling Europe are jointly preparing the response to ensure the interests and objectives of the recyclers are effectively represented. Responses to the consultation will inform a Commission staff working document and guide future policy decisions. No specific measure has yet been proposed, and the process is positioned as evidence-gathering rather than a pre-determined move toward restrictions. 

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