Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: technical assistance by the Commission in 2018

The European Parliament adopted by 575 votes to 107, with 4 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to provide the sum of EUR 345 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission (EGF/2018/000 TA 2018 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

Parliament 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 or of the global financial and economic crisis and to assist their reintegration into the labour market.

The maximum annual budget available for the EGF is EUR 150 million (2011 prices) and 0.5 % of this amount (i.e. EUR 861 515 in 2018) can be made available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission in order to finance preparation, monitoring, data gathering and creation of a knowledge base, administrative and technical support, information and communication activities as well as audit, control and evaluation activities necessary to implement the EGF Regulation.

Parliament has repeatedly underlined the necessity of improved value added, efficiency and employability of beneficiaries of the EGF as a Union instrument of support to workers made redundant.

The amount proposed EUR 345 000 corresponds to approximately 0.2 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2018.

Members welcomed the planned future release of the 2019 biennial reports and asked for a public and wide diffusion of those reports throughout the Union and recalled the importance of a dedicated website on the EGF to be accessible to all Union citizens as well as multilingualism when communicating broadly to the public.

Parliament took note that the Commission intends to invest EUR 105 000 of the available budget under the technical assistance in holding three meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF. It also noted the Commission’s intention to invest EUR 120 000 in order to promote networking through seminars among Member States, EGF implementing bodies and social partners.

It stressed the need to further enhance the liaising between all those involved in EGF applications, including, in particular, the social partners and stakeholders at regional and local level and to create as many synergies as possible.

Lastly, the European Parliament accepted the measures proposed by the Commission to be financed from the Fund and decided to approve the proposal for a decision annexed to the resolution and to mobilise EUR 345 000 in commitment and payment appropriations under the EGF, within the framework of the EU budget for 2018.