Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: technical assistance by the Commission

PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to finance technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: the rules applicable to financial contributions from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) are laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020).

In accordance with Article 11(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013, a maximum of 0.5% of the annual maximum amount of the EGF may be made available each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

Technical assistance to be funded (EGF/2014/000 TA) and breakdown of its estimated costs: the Commission therefore proposes to mobilise an amount of EUR 330 000 to finance the following tasks:

• monitoring and data gathering: the Commission will collect data on applications received, paid and wound up, and measures proposed and implemented. This data will be made available on the web site and in the form of an updated Statistical Portrait. The cost of these items is estimated at EUR 20 000;
• information: the website on the EGF, which the Commission has set up within its Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion area will be regularly updated and expanded, with each new element also being translated into all EU languages. The EGF will be covered in various Commission publications. Costs of all these items are estimated at EUR 20 000 in 2014 due to the time limitations and are expected to rise significantly in 2015;
• creation of a knowledge base/application interface: the Commission is continuing its work with a view to setting up an electronic application form and standardised procedures for EGF applications, which will allow applications under the new Regulation to be simplified, their processing to be speeded up and reports to be more easily extracted for varying needs. The cost of these items is estimated at EUR 100 000;
• administrative and technical support: the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF, with one member from each Member State, will be holding two meetings, together estimated at EUR 70 000. In addition, the Commission will be organising networking among the Member States, with two seminars of EGF implementing bodies in the Member States around the same dates, focusing on issues arising with the interpretation of the new EGF Regulation, particularly as regards the possible inclusion of NEETs in the measures. The cost of these items is estimated at EUR 120 000.

Financing: Article 11(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 states that 0.5% of this amount (i.e. EUR 750 000 in 2011 prices) can be made available each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission. Currently, the entire amount for 2014 remains available; nothing has yet been allocated to technical assistance.

The proposed decision to mobilise the EGF will be taken jointly by the European Parliament and the Council, as laid down in point 13 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management.

At the same time as it presents this proposal for a decision to mobilise the EGF, the Commission will present to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a transfer to the relevant budgetary line for the amount of EUR 330 000.

Source of payment appropriations: appropriations from the EGF budget line will be used to cover the amount of EUR 330 000 needed for technical assistance.