Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: redundancies in textiles and automobile sectors

The Budgets Committee adopted a report drafted by Reimer BÖGE (PPE-DE, DE) and recommended that, for the general budget of the EU for the financial year 2008, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund should be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 3 106 882 in commitment and payment appropriations. This sum is for the benefit of Portugal and Malta, with the aim of assisting 1 549 Portuguese car industry workers and 675 Maltese textile industry workers to retrain.

The Committee recalled that, on 12 September 2007, Malta submitted an application to deploy the Fund, in respect of redundancies in the textile sector, specifically for workers made redundant by VF (Malta) Ltd and Bortex Clothing Ind Co Ltd. On 9 October 2007, Portugal submitted an application to deploy the Fund, in respect of redundancies in the automobile sector, specifically for workers made redundant by Opel in Azambuja, Alcoa Fujikura in Seixal and Johnson Controls in Portalegre. The applications comply with the requirements for determining the financial contributions as laid down in Article 10 of Regulation (EC) N°1927/2006.

The Committee requested the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to accelerate the mobilisation of the Fund. It stressed its concern, however, regarding the nature of measures financed from the Fund with a view to reducing the number of persons remaining unemployed. Members asked the Commission, in cooperation with the Portuguese authorities, to closely monitor the situation in relation to the provisions of Article 3, second paragraph, of Regulation (EC) N° 1927/2006 and to report to the legislative and budgetary authorities.