Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: redundancies in textiles sector in Spain and Portugal

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report drawn up by Reimer BÖGE (EPP, DE) on the proposal for a decision on mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to assist the textile industry in Spain and Portugal. Under the proposal, the Fund would be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 4 139 550 in commitment and payment appropriations.

MEPs recall that the European Union has set up the appropriate legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who suffer from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns and to assist their reintegration into the labour market. Spain and Portugal requested assistance in respect of cases concerning redundancies in the textiles sector, respectively in the regions of Cataluña and Norte-Centro and have fulfilled the eligibility criteria set up by the EGF Regulation. MEPs invite the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to accelerate the mobilisation of the Fund for the requested amount.

MEPs recall that the mobilisation of the EGF in payment appropriations should not jeopardise the funding of the European Union Social Fund. They express some doubts about whether complementarity with other existing instruments like the EU Social Fund is guaranteed.

In this context, the report commits the European Parliament to evaluate the functioning and added value of the EGF in the context of the general assessment of the programmes and other various instruments created by the IIA of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management, within the process of the 2007-2013 multiannual financial framework budget review.