Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: redundancies in the metal sector in Austria

PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund in respect of redundancies in the metal sector in Austria.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision 2011/652/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with point 28 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management (application EGF/2010/007/AT/Steiermark and Niederosterreich from Austria).

CONTENT: the European Parliament and the Council have decided that for the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2011, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) shall be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR8 284 908 in commitment and payment appropriations.

This amount is to assist in respect of redundancies in 54 enterprises in NACE Revision 2 Division 24 – manufacture of basic metals – in the contiguous NUTS regions of Steirmark (Styria, AT22) and Niedersterreich (Lower Austria, AT 12) in Austria.

Noting that the application from Austria fulfils the eligibility criteria set up by the EGF Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006), the European Parliament and the Council have decided to mobilise the requested amount.

To recall, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) was established to provide additional support for workers made redundant as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation and to assist them with their reintegration into the labour market. The Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 allows the mobilisation of the EGF within the annual ceiling of EUR 500 million.

The scope of the EGF was broadened for applications submitted from 1 May 2009 to include support for workers made redundant as a direct result of the global financial and economic crisis.