Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: redundancies in telecommunications sector in Germany

The Committee on Budgets adopted unanimously the report drawn up by Reimer BÖGE (EPP, ED) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for a total amount of EUR 5 553 850 in commitment and payment appropriations in favour of Germany, in order to cover the assistance to workers made redundant in mobile phone sector.

MEPs recall that the European Union 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.

Given that Germany has requested assistance in respect of cases concerning redundancies in the telecommunications sector (workers made redundant by Nokia GmbH on 6 February 2009 in the region of Bochum) and has 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 European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for the requested amount.

MEPs underline that the European Union should use all its means to face the consequences of the global economic and financial crisis. They note, in this respect, that the EGF can play a crucial role in the reintegration of the workers made redundant into the labour market.

Once again, they 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 complimentarity 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.