Lower Climate Change Targets Necessary For Steel Industry To Survive: Austrian Steel CEO

　　Wolfgang Eder, CEO ofAustrian steel-based technology company voestalpine on Monday called for morerealistic climate change targets for the European steel industry as part of the2015 International Climate Change Agreement.

　　In an interview with theOe1 Mittagsjournal radio program, Eder, who is also Chairman of the World SteelAssociation, said he hopes the EU can set realistic climate protection targetsat the summit in Paris in December 2015.

　　He added the limitscurrently envisaged are "technically impossible" for the steelindustry to survive, and should the EU insist on sticking to these limits, thesteel industry would have to "throw in the towel."

　　Eder said however hedoes not expect the steel industry will move elsewhere as he can see signs of arethinking of policy toward more realistic target estimates.

　　He added it should beabout the setting of realistic limits that are achievable by technical means,and cannot be "utopian."

　　At present the steelindustry in Europe is already feeling the effects of a weak economy and lowinvestment, the voestalpine head said, adding it is something Europe can onlytackle through stimulating the economy, and that he hopes the EuropeanCommission Investment Plan can aid by providing start-up funding to attractmore project investors.