This paper reports on the Congress of the Arab Iron and Steel Union (AISU) that has been convened in Beirut, Lebanon, September 29 - October 1, 2004. Presentations dealt with the global theme of the development of the steel industry in the Arab Countries or with the technical aspects of steel production routes and continuous casting.

La Revue de Métallurgie is forever associated with the name of the great French Scientist who created it in 1904: Henry Le Chatelier. On the occasion of the centenary of the Revue, the authors draw an overview of its history that is intimately linked with the one of Metallurgy. More recently, la Revue de Métallurgie has been able to evolve permanently with a view to afford a better service to its readers. Other French journals have merged with the Revue and an electronic version has been introduced in 2000 as a tribute to the new century. Nevertheless other circumstances must now be allowed for, in an ever more global World with new European industrial groups and universities or engineering schools ever more focused on the international. From now on, Industry and Science, the preferred couple of Henry Le Chatelier, must be considered on a European basis. This shows the way for la Revue de Métallurgie in the Future.

The automobile is still the favored means of locomotion in Europe. Easy to use and a freedom satisfier make it indispensable in our daily lives. And yet the car is at the same time accused of playing a major role in atmospheric pollution and global warming of the earth by the greenhouse effect, being the main source of harmful noise and danger, and thus obliging lawmakers to react and make it evolve under regulatory pressure. The purpose of this article is to determine the current situation and posture in terms of law and regulations concerning it and to describe the solutions offered by steel.

The forthcoming European legislation on cars and environment protection has an impact on the materials used for the production of cars. Weight reduction to limit the emission of green house effect gases is possible using new designs with recently developed high strength steels. Examples are described for the body in white and for hang-on panels. Specific steel products provide increased energy absorption capacity and stiffness, and the present coating technologies provide sheets with the required corrosion resistance. Methods are also developed to produce good quality scrap from the vehicles at their life end; they lead to a high degree of material recycling and to a reduction of waste.