IndustriAll Europe mourns the loss of Enrico Gibellieri, a dear friend, esteemed colleague and dedicated comrade who dedicated his career to the advancement of Europe and the European steel sector. His work was characterised by a deep understanding of the political and economic importance of steel as a basic industry and of the role of the European Coal and Steel Community in rebuilding Europe and in promoting dialogue between workers' representatives and industry.

Throughout his career, he championed the cause of steelworkers and was known for building dialogue and links between trade unions, steel companies, research centres and EU institutions. He has been a member of the Italian metalworkers' union FIOM CGIL since the 1970s.

Enrico's journey was marked by many milestones that influenced the European steel industry policy and research. His career spanned over four decades as a senior engineer at Centro Sviluppo Materiali (CSM), one of the leading Italian and European research centres for processes and materials, where he contributed significantly to the advancement of steel technology.

Since the early 1980s he was an active and instrumental figure within the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). His dedication led to his appointment as the last President of the ECSC Consultative Committee. He presided over crucial decisions during the Community's expiry in 2002, closing a historic chapter in the European steel industry and in Europe.

Following the expiry of the ECSC, he played a key role in the creation of the Consultative Committee on Industrial Change (CCMI) within the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). As coordinator of the workers' delegates, he ensured communication and coordination between workers’ delegates and the European trade union federations.

His commitment to the steel industry was also reflected in his active participation in various trade union committees and EU working groups, including the European Metalworkers Federation/industriAll Europe Basic Metals Committee, the EU High Level Groups on the Steel Industry and on Energy Intensive Industries, the Advisory Group of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) and the European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP), where he served as Vice-President.

Enrico was a mentor and educator at heart. He founded and ran the Eurosteelmaster course for many years, sharing his knowledge and expertise with those who wanted to shape the future of steel policy in Europe. At the European Metalworkers' Federation and later at industriAll Europe, he mentored and supported a generation of young policy advisers.

Enrico will be missed.