Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: technical assistance by the Commission in 2016

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Andrey NOVAKOV (EPP, BG) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for an amount of EUR 380 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for technical assistance at the intiative of the Commission (EGF/2016/000 TA 2016).

Members recalled that the Union set up legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who are suffering from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns and to assist their reintegration into the labour market.

They also recalled that the proposed amount of EUR 380 000 corresponds to approximately 0.23 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2016. Accordingly, they called upon Parliament to approve the proposed amount and measures.

Furthermore, the committee recalled the importance of networking and exchange of information on the EGF and supported, therefore, the funding of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF and the networking seminars on the implementation of the EGF. 

It welcomed the continued work on the standardised procedures for EGF applications and management using the functionalities of the electronic data exchange system (SFC2014). Members regretted, however, that the Commission did not present the progress of integration into SFC2014 from the beginning of 2011 until 2014 as requested in Parliament's resolution of 24 June 2015 on the proposal for the Technical Assistance in 2015.

They welcomed the fact that the Commission intends to invest EUR 70 000 of the available budget under the Technical Assistance in particular on improving the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of EGF support on individual participants. They recommended:

·        the budget for monitoring and evaluation be used to assess the longer term impact on EGF beneficiaries, the effectiveness and efficiency of deploying support on the ground as well as to carry out a deeper analysis of the economic mutations causing the dismissals of EGF beneficiaries;

·        the EGF coordinator and the Member State provide reliable and complete data on employment outcomes of beneficiaries twelve months after the implementation of the measures;

·        more detailed information on the measures accessed by individual participants be recorded and clearly communicated to allow, for instance, for a clearer cost-benefit assessment of different measures;

·        the approval of final case reports and the final case closure be coupled with the provision of complete beneficiary outcome information (at an aggregate level).

The committee reiterated its call on the Commission to invite the Parliament, within reasonable deadlines, to the expert group meetings and seminars in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission.

It asked the Commission to include in the mid-term evaluation all aspects regarding cost efficiency of all EGF projects, data on direct allowance support, as well as suggestions on improving participation of Member States in the EGF and synergies with measures covered by the ESF or national programmes.

Members also asked Member States and all the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to further improve procedural and budgetary arrangements in order to increase the impact of the EGF. They noted, in this regard, that Parliament is currently drafting an own-initiative report based on the evaluation by the Commission to take stock of the functioning of the EGF Regulation and the cases examined.

Lastly, the report asked the Member States to highlight more clearly the additionality of EGF funding and its link to other funds, and to consider the most appropriate ways for the EGF to add value, ensure synergy with other funding sources and avoid displacement and overlaps.