# EUR-Lex - 52014PC0672 - EN

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# 52014PC0672

**Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with 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 (application EGF/2014/010 IT/Whirlpool) /* COM/2014/0672 final */**

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

1.           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 of 17 December 2013 on the European Globalisation
Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006[1] (the 'EGF Regulation').

2.           The Italian authorities
submitted application EGF/2014/010 IT/Whirlpool for a financial contribution
from the EGF, following redundancies in Whirlpool
Europe S.r.l. and five suppliers
and downstream producers in Italy.

3.           Following its assessment of
this application, the Commission has concluded, in accordance with all applicable
provisions of the EGF Regulation, that the conditions for awarding a financial
contribution from the EGF are met.

SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION

EGF application: || EGF/2014/010 IT/Whirlpool

Member State: || Italy

Region(s) concerned (NUTS level 2): || Provincia Autonoma di Trento (ITH2)

Date of submission of the application: || 18.6.2014

Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the application: || 1.7.2014

Date of request for additional information: || 2.7.2014

Deadline of provision of the additional information: || 13.8.2014

Deadline for the completion of the assessment: || 5.11.2014

Intervention criterion: || Article 4(1)(a) of the EGF Regulation

Primary enterprise: || Whirlpool Europe S.r.l.

Sector(s) of economic activity (NACE Rev. 2 division)[2]: || Division 27 ('Manufacture of electrical equipment')

Number of subsidiaries, suppliers and downstream producers: || 5

Reference period (four months): || 10 December 2013 – 31 March 2014[3]

Number of redundancies or cessations of activity during the reference period (a): || 608

Number of redundancies or cessations of activity before or after the reference period (b): || 0

Total number of redundancies (a + b): || 608

Total estimated number of targeted beneficiaries: || 608

Budget for personalised services (EUR) || 3 024 000

Budget for implementing EGF[4] (EUR) || 126 000

Total budget (EUR) || 3 150 000

EGF contribution (60 %) (EUR) || 1 890 000

ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION

Procedure

4.           The Italian authorities submitted
application EGF/2014/010 IT/Whirlpool within 12 weeks of the date on which the
intervention criteria set out in Art. 4 of the EGF Regulation were met, on 18
June 2014. The Commission acknowledged receipt of the application within two
weeks of the date of submission of the application, on 1 July 2014. The
Commission requested additional information from the Italian authorities on 2
July 2014. Such additional information was provided within six weeks of the
date of the request. The deadline of 12 weeks of the receipt of the complete
application within which the Commission should finalise its assessment of the
application's compliance with the conditions for providing a financial
contribution expires on 5 November 2014.

Eligibility of the application

Enterprises and beneficiaries
concerned

5.           The application relates to
608 workers made redundant in Whirlpool Europe S.r.l. ('the primary enterprise') and five
providers and downstream producers. The primary enterprise operated in the
economic sector classified under NACE Rev. 2 division 27
('Manufacture of electrical equipment'). The redundancies
made by the enterprises concerned are located in the NUTS[5] level 2 region of Provincia Autonoma di Trento (ITH2).

Enterprises and number of dismissals

Whirlpool Europe S.r.l. || 502 || Euroristorazione S.r.l. || 6

Ge@ Trentina Servizi s.c. || 52 || Girardini srl || 40

Tecnoplast group S.r.l. || 7 || O.M.R. snc di Giacomini & Co || 1

Total no. of enterprises: 6 || Total no. of Dismissals: || 608

Intervention criteria

6.           The Italian authorities submitted
the application under the intervention criterion of Article 4(1)(a) of the
EGF Regulation, which requires at least 500 workers being made redundant or self-employed persons' activity ceasing,
over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State,
including workers made redundant in its suppliers and downstream producers.

7.           The
Italian authorities voluntarily shortened the reference period of four months
provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013. The reference period is from 10
December 2013 to 31 March 2014.

8.           The
application relates to:

– 
502 workers made redundant[6]
in the primary enterprise during the reference period of four months and

– 
106 workers made redundant in the five suppliers
and downstream producers of the primary enterprise during the reference period
of four months,

Calculation of redundancies and of
cessation of activity

9.           The redundancies have been
calculated as follows:

– 
454 from the date on which the employer, in
accordance with Article 3(1) of Council Directive 98/59/EC[7], notified the competent
public authority in writing of the projected collective redundancies. The Italian
authorities confirmed prior to the date of the completion of the assessment by
the Commission that these 454 redundancies have actually been effected;

– 
18 from the date of the employer's individual
notice to lay off or to terminate the contract of employment of the worker;

– 
136 from the date of the de facto termination of
the contract of employment or its expiry;

Eligible beneficiaries

10.         The total number of
eligible beneficiaries is 608.

Link between the redundancies and economic
crisis addressed in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009

11.         In order to establish the
link between the redundancies and the global financial and economic crisis
addressed in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009, Italy argues that in 2009, as a
consequence of the global financial and economic crisis, there was a significant
downturn in the economy at EU-28 level, as well as in the Italian economy. In
2009 the real GDP growth rate (percentage change on previous year) was – 4,5 %
at EU-28 level and – 5,5 % in Italy. In 2010 and 2011 the EU-28
economy recovered and the GDP growth rates were 2,0 % and 1,6 %
respectively while in 2012 the EU-28 GDP growth was again negative (– 0,4 %)
and slightly positive (0,1 %) in 2013. The Italian GDP growth rate was positive
in 2010 (1,7 %) and 2011 (0,4 %) and negative since then (-2,4 %
in 2012 and -1,9 % in 2013).

Real GDP
growth rate
(percentage change on previous year)

Source: Eurostat

12.         During the period 2009-2013
household consumption in Italy fell for four out of the five years compared
with the same period of the respective previous year. Household consumption at
EU-28 level also declined but to a lesser extent.

Household
consumption
(2005 = 100)

Source: Eurostat

13.         This situation of recession
has had a profound effect on the consumption choices of Italian households
which had reconsidered their buying decisions, in particular those related to
buying durable goods. Domestic appliances belongs to this group of goods.

14.         Available data[8] confirms the
significant downturn in production of NACE Rev.2 division 27 which includes the
manufacture of domestic appliances. The production of these commodities has
been falling in the EU-28 for six consecutive years (2008-2013). The main drop
in production happened in the period 2008-2009. In Italy the production of these
commodities followed the same negative trend as in the EU-28, but with a
sharper decline.

Production
in industry (NACE Rev.2 division 27)
Percentage change over previous year

|| 2008 || 2009 || 2010 || 2011 || 2012 || 2013

EU-28 || -9,2 || -18,0 || -0,3 || -3,3 || -3,8 || -2,0

Italy || -13,8 || -24,2 || -6,3 || -8,3 || -8,6 || -7,0

Source: Eurostat

15.         According to data referred
to by the Italian authorities[9],
as shown in the figure below, all five largest domestic appliance manufacturers
in Italy (Electrolux, Indesit, Whirlpool Europe, Franke and Antonio Merloni),
have suffered a sharp decline in production over the period 2008-2012 due to
the economic and financial crisis.

Production
of appliances of the five largest producers in Italy (2007-2012)

Source:
Euromonitor International

16.         To date, the manufacture of
electrical equipment sector has been the subject of three EGF applications[10], all of them based on
the global financial and economic crisis. The arguments presented in previous
EGF applications related to this sector remain valid.

Events giving rise to the redundancies
and cessation of activity

17.         The group Whirlpool Europe
has in Italy four production plants: Napoli (washing machines), Siena (freezers,) Spini di Gardolo - Trento (fridges) and Cassinetta Biandronno - Varese (fridges, hobs and ovens). In Varese there is also the headquarters for the region
Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

18.         Due to the economic and
financial crisis resulting in significant decline of household consumption, the
Italian market for big household appliances has dropped from 3 174 billion
in 2010 to 2 649 billion in 2013, this representing a decline by 16,5 %.

19.         In recent years, Whirlpool
made investments in the Spini di Gardolo site. However the investment did not
pay off due to the decline in demand for big household appliances and the
subsequent decrease in production (-170 000 units during the period
2008-2012 and further -40 000 units in 2013, representing a decrease in
production by 35 % in 2013 compared to 2008).

20.         The group Whirlpool Europe,
which in the first half of 2013 accumulated loss for a value of US 14 million
in Europe, developed a business plan in order to adapt its production structure
to the market's demand. This plan foresaw the closure of the plants in
Norrkoeping (Sweden) and Spini di Gardolo (Italy). On 28 June 2013, Whirlpool
Europe informed the relevant stakeholders of its plans for the closure of the
Italian site and its subsequent redundancies and on 20 January 2014 the
enterprise notified the competent public authority in writing of the projected
collective redundancies.

Expected impact of the redundancies
as regards the local, regional or national economy and employment

21.         The most dynamic component
of the Provincia di Trento's economy is the service sector, where employment
has long been in continuous expansion. In 2013, 51 % of workers in the
province were employed in service activities. In terms of value added, the
service sector is predominant (72,2 %), followed at a considerable
distance by industry (25,0 %) and agriculture (2,8 %).

22.         About 18 % of the
working population is employed in industry. The industrial enterprises in the
province, mostly of which are small and medium-sized, are located in the Adige's valley, in Vallagarina and Valsugana. They operate in the textile, wood, paper and
mechanics sectors. However, the only industrial district, formally defined as
such, is the district of porphyry and stones (NACE Rev. 2 division 23,
'manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products'), which has about 452
enterprises producing produce more than 1 400 000 tons of mineral
annually (data as of 2012)[11].

23.         Although the Province of Trento is one of the territories most dynamic and competitive in the EU, the
industry in this territory has been strongly affected by the prolonged downturn
which still continues. Available data[12]
on the variation of the turnover of the manufacturing show that the value of
production declined in 2012-2013 (-0.3%).

24.         The local labour market has
been affected by the economic downturn with a significant number of redundancies
in the main sectors of activity. According to Banca d'Italia[13], in 2013 the
employment rate decreased in the province of Trento by 0,6 percentage points to
65,5 %, which is slightly lower than the average of the Northeast Italy
(66,2 %). The drop in employment has affected both the construction sector
(-10.3 %) and industry (-2.4 %).

25.         According to data from
ALPAT[14]
(Labour Agency of the Autonomous Province of Trento), recruitments decreased by
1,6 % in 2011 and by 2% in 2012 compared with the previous year. The
recruitment of younger workers (up to 29 years) decreased by 5,8 % in 2011
and by 6,7 % in 2012 compared with the previous year.

26.         The unemployment rate has
doubled since the beginning of the crisis, raising from 2,9 % in 2007 to 6,1 %
in 2013. Redundancies at Whirlpool Europe S.r.l. — one of the top
employers in the territory until its closure — and its suppliers and
downstream producers will have a significant adverse impact on the regional
economy and will further aggravate the employment situation of Provincia di
Trento.

Targeted beneficiaries and proposed
actions

Targeted beneficiaries

27.         The estimated number of
targeted workers expected to participate in the measures is 608. The breakdown
of these workers by sex, citizenship and age group is as follows:

Category || Number of targeted beneficiaries

Sex: || Men: || 422 || (69,41 %)

|| Women: || 186 || (30,59 %)

Citizenship: || EU citizens: || 506 || (83,22 %)

|| non-EU citizens: || 102 || (16,78 %)

Age group: || 15-24 years: || 32 || (5,26 %)

|| 25-29 years: || 52 || (8,55 %)

|| 30-54 years: || 462 || (75,99 %)

|| 55-64 years: || 62 || (10,20 %)

|| over 64 years: || 0 || (0,00 %)

Eligibility of the proposed actions

28.         The
personalised services to be provided to redundant workers consist of the
following actions:

– 
Information sessions, intake and registration: The first measure provided to all participants includes
information on available services and training programmes and on skills and
training requirements. It is also the opportunity for the workers willing to
participate in the measures to formalize an agreement of participation and
interest.

– 
Counselling and guidance. The counsellor intervenes immediately after the enrolling process
and is a key figure in the process toward reintegration into job. Only the
counsellor has the full picture of the development of the worker assigned to
him/her. The counsellor shares with the worker a "pact of action"
which is revised or complemented if needed. The counsellors will provide
vocational guidance to the dismissed workers who can access the counselling
services at any time upon request (i.e. when having difficulties making
choices, when feeling their motivation decreasing or simply when in need for
support).

– 
Skills assessment.
This is intended to help workers to identify their own skills and the
opportunities related to their own interests and to establish a realistic
career plan. The measure, which involves intensive and personalized
counselling, is structured as a pathway consisting of various stages in which
the worker and the counsellor work out on an issue (e.g. opportunities,
interests, analysis of the motivations and expectations, etc). Following these
assessments, a summary paper is put together, setting out the worker's skills,
his/her individual project and an action plan.

– 
General training and re-training. This measure aims to train workers in four competences defined as
key competences in the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 18 December 2006 on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning[15]: 1) Communication
in the mother tongue; 2) Communication in foreign languages; 3) Mathematical
competence and basic competences in science and technology; and 4) Digital
competence. These courses combine classroom attendance and distance learning to
avoid the syndrome of 'return to school desk'.

– 
Vocational training. The vocational training will focus on sectors where opportunities
exist or will arise such as tourism; food and beverage; environment and waste
recycling; etc. or jobs which require vocational licensing. such as driving
licences for trucks, buses and lorries; assembly, disassembly and processing of
scaffolding; heating systems; etc.

– 
Coaching. This
aims to train workers in the four key competences for lifelong learning not
included in the general training and retraining measure: 1) Learning to
learn; 2) Social and civic competences; 3) Sense of initiative and
entrepreneurship; and 4) Cultural awareness and expression. This training
is structured in two individual sessions and three group sessions (team
coaching).

– 
Accompaniment after reintegration into work
and accompaniment towards entrepreneurship. To smooth
the transition mentors will continue guiding the workers after their reintegration
into employment. The accompaniment towards self employment and business
creation will consist of personalized tutoring during the whole process of
starting the business (feasibility analysis, and assistance for preparing a
business plan, support regarding administrative requirements, etc.).

– 
Jobsearch allowance. For each day they participate in the EGF measures, the workers
will receive an allowance equivalent to one day of the Italian subsistence allowance
'CIGS'[16].

– 
Participation allowance and contribution to
commuting expenses. To cover the expenses incurred
when participating in the measures the beneficiaries will receive EUR 20
per day of participation.

– 
Hiring benefit. This
payment benefits the redundant workers by facilitating their re-employment
under fix-term or permanent contracts in a different company. For re-employment
under permanent contracts the hiring company will receive EUR 3 000
per worker while for re-employment under fixed-term contracts of at least 12
months, the hiring company will receive EUR 2 000 per worker.

29.         The
proposed actions, here described, constitute active labour market measures within
the eligible actions set out in Article 7 of the EGF Regulation. These
actions do not substitute passive social protection measures.

30.         The Italian authorities
have provided the required information on actions that are mandatory for the
enterprises concerned by virtue of national law or pursuant to collective
agreements. They have confirmed that a financial contribution from the EGF will
not replace any such actions.

Estimated budget

31.         The estimated total costs are
EUR 3 150 000, comprising expenditure for personalised services
of EUR 3 024 000 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and
publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 126 000.

32.         The
total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 1 890 000
(60 % of total costs).

Actions || Estimated number of participants || Estimated cost per participant (EUR) (*) || Estimated total costs (EUR) (**)

Personalised services (Actions under Article 7(1)(a) and (c) of the EGF Regulation)

Information sessions, intake and registration (Informazione e sensibilizzazione, presa in carico e patto di accompagnamento) || 608 || 6 || 3 500

Counselling and guidance (Counselling e patto di azione) || 500 || 379 || 189 500

Skills assessment (Bilancio delle competenze) || 200 || 670 || 134 000

General training and re-training (Formazione alle competenze generali o trasversali) || 500 || 2 000 || 1 000 000

Vocational training (Formazione specialistica / per patenti di mestieri) || 200 || 3 200 || 640 000

Coaching || 80 || 1 331 || 106 500

Accompaniment after reintegration into work and accompaniment towards entrepreneurship (Accompagnamento all'inserimento professionale). || 250 || 402 || 100 500

Sub-total (a): || – || 2 174 000;

(71,89 %)

Allowances and incentives (Actions under Article 7(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation)

Jobsearch allowance (Indennità di CIGS) || 200 || 300 || 60 000

Participation allowance and contribution to commuting expenses (Indennità di partecipazione o di frequenza) || 400 || 100 || 40 000

Hiring benefit (Incentivi all'assunzione) || 250 || 3 000 || 750 000

Sub-total(b): || – || 850 000;

(28,11 %)

Actions under Article 7(4) of the EGF Regulation

1. Preparatory activities || – || 14 687

2. Management || – || 61 840

3. Information and publicity || – || 12 368

4. Control and reporting || – || 37 105

Sub-total (c): || – || 126 000;

(4,00 %)

Total costs (a + b + c): || – || 3 150 000

EGF contribution (60 % of total costs) || – || 1 890 000

(*) To avoid decimals, the
estimated costs per worker have been rounded. However the rounding has no
impact on the total cost of each measure which remains as in the application
submitted by Italy.

(**) Totals do not tally due to
roundings.

33.         The costs of the actions
identified in the table above as actions under Article 7(1)(b) of the EGF
Regulation do not exceed 35 % of the total costs for the coordinated
package of personalised services. The Italian authorities confirmed that these actions
are conditional on the active participation of the targeted beneficiaries in
job-search or training activities.

Period of eligibility of expenditure

34.         The Italian authorities
started providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 4
February 2014. The expenditure on the actions referred to in point 28 shall therefore
be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 4 February 2014
to 18 June 2016.

35.         The Italian authorities started
incurring the administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 4 February
2014. The expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity,
control and reporting activities shall therefore be eligible for a financial
contribution from the EGF from 4 February 2014 to 18 December 2016.

Complementarity with actions funded
by national or Union funds

36.         The sources of national
pre-financing or co-funding are as follow: Whirlpool Europe S.r.l. (primary
enterprise) for an amount of EUR 1 200 000 in support of its
former workers, and public funding from the INPS[17] for an amount of EUR 60 000.

37.         The Italian authorities
have confirmed that the measures described above receiving a financial
contribution from the EGF will not also receive financial contribution from other
Union financial instruments.

Procedures for consulting the targeted
beneficiaries or their representatives or the social partners as well as local
and regional authorities

38.         The Italian authorities
have indicated that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been
drawn up in consultation with the workers and the social partners.

39.         The planned measures, their
content, the relevant aspects of their implementation (including the timing)
were presented and discussed with the Whirlpool former workers of the Spini di
Gardolo site during the meetings (15 in total) held during the period of
February-March 2014. Of the total workers participating at these meetings, 393
have already enrolled as participants in the measures.

40.         The social partners have
been involved from the beginning in the management of corporate crisis of
Whirlpool Europe Srl, concerning the site of Spini di Gardolo. They were a key
element in the design of the coordinated package of personalized services
proposed for EGF funding. On 1 April 2014 an agreement
formalising their participation was signed by the representatives of the trade
unions Rappresentanza Sindacale Aziendale di Confederazione Generale
Italiana del Lavoro (RSA di CGIL), Confederazione Italiana Sindacati dei
Lavoratori (CISL), Unione Italiana del Lavoro (UIL), Federazione
Impiegati Operai Metallurgici (FIOM), Federazione Italiana
Metalmeccanici (FIM) and Unione Italiana Lavoratori Metalmeccanici del Trentino.
Furthermore, the package of services has also been
agreed by the Economic and Social stakeholders represented in the Board of
Directors of ALPAT (this is the trade union confederations CGIL, CISL and UIL
of Trentino, the Associazione degli industriali del Trentino, Associazione
degli Artigiani e delle Piccole Imprese del Trentino and Unione
Commercio e Turismo del Trentino)[18].The
Economic and Social stakeholders will also be involved in the monitoring of the
implementation and the possible redesign of the measures, as well as being associated
in the evaluation of the results.

Management and control systems

41.         The application contains a
description of the management and control system which specifies the
responsibilities of the bodies involved. Italy has notified the Commission that
the financial contribution will be managed by the Ministero del lavoro e delle
politiche sociali - Direzione Generale per le Politiche Attive e Pasive del
Lavoro (MLPS — DG PALP) as follows: MLPS — DG
PALP — Ufficio A (former DG POF - Div. VII) will act as managing
authority, MLPS — DG PALP — Ufficio B (former DG POF - Div. VI) as
certification authority and MLPS — DG PALP — Ufficio C (former DG POF - Div. II)
as audit authority. ALPAT will be the intermediate body for the managing
authority.

Commitments provided by the Member State concerned

42.         The Italian authorities
have provided all necessary assurances regarding the following:

– 
the principles of equality of treatment and
non-discrimination will be respected in the access to the proposed actions and
their implementation;

– 
the requirements laid down in national and EU
legislation concerning collective redundancies have been complied with;

– 
where the dismissing enterprises have continued
their activities after the lay-offs, they have complied with their legal
obligations governing the redundancies and have provided for their workers
accordingly;

– 
the proposed actions will provide support for
individual workers and will not be used for restructuring companies or sectors;

– 
the proposed actions will not receive financial
support from other Union funds or financial instruments and any double
financing will be prevented;

– 
the proposed actions will be complementary with
actions funded by the Structural Funds;

– 
the financial contribution from the EGF will comply
with the procedural and material Union rules on State aid.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION

Budgetary proposal

43.         Article 12 of Council
Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 laying down the Multiannual Financial
Framework for the years 2014-2020[19]
allows for the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF)
within the annual ceiling of EUR 150 million (2011 prices) over and above the
relevant headings of the financial framework.

44.         Having examined the
application in respect of the conditions set out in Article 13(1) of the
EGF Regulation, and having taken into account the number of targeted beneficiaries,
the proposed actions and the estimated costs, and considering the maximum
possible amount of a financial contribution from the EGF and the scope for
reallocating appropriations, the Commission proposes to mobilise the EGF for
the amount of EUR 1 890 000,
representing 60 % of the total costs of the proposed actions, in order to provide a financial
contribution for the application.

45.         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[20].

46.         The Commission presents
separately a transfer request in order to enter in the 2014 budget specific
commitment appropriations, as required under point 13 of the Interinstitutional
Agreement of 2 December 2013.

Source of payment appropriations

47.         Appropriations allocated to
the EGF budget line in the 2014 budget will be used to cover the amount of
EUR 1 890 000.

Related acts

48.         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 1 890 000.

49.         At the same time as it
adopts this proposal for a decision to mobilise the EGF, the Commission will
adopt a decision on a financial contribution, by means of an implementing act,
which will enter into force on the date at which the European Parliament and
the Council adopt the proposed decision to mobilise the EGF.

Proposal for a

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European
Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with 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
(application EGF/2014/010 IT/Whirlpool)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the
European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) and repealing Regulation
(EC) No 1927/2006[21],
and in particular Article 15(4) thereof,

Having regard to 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[22],
and in particular point 13 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the
European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)       The European Globalisation
Adjustment Fund (EGF) was established to provide support for workers made
redundant and self-employed persons whose activity has ceased as a result of
major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation, as a
result of a continuation of the global financial and economic crisis addressed
in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009[23],
or as a result of a new global financial and economic crisis and to assist them
with their reintegration into the labour market.

(2)       The EGF shall not exceed a
maximum annual amount of EUR 150 million (2011 prices), as laid down in
Article 12 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013.

(3)       Italy submitted an
application to mobilise the EGF, in respect of redundancies[24] in Whirlpool Europe S.r.l. and five suppliers and downstream producers in
  Italy, on 18 June 2014 and supplemented it by additional information as
provided by Article 8.3 of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013. This application
complies with the requirements for determining a financial contribution from
the EGF as laid down in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013.

(4)       The EGF should, therefore,
be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of an amount of EUR 1 890 000 for the application submitted by Italy,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

For the general budget of the European
Union for the financial year 2014, the EGF shall be mobilised to provide the
sum of EUR 1 890 000 in commitment and payment appropriations.

Article 2

This decision
shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament                        For
the Council

The President                                                 The
President

[1]               OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855.

[2]               Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical
classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and amending Council
Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 as well as certain EC regulations on specific
statistical domains (OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1).

[3]               The Italian authorities voluntarily shortened the
4-months reference period provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013

[4]               In accordance with the fourth paragraph of Article 7
of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013.

[5]               Commission Regulation (EU) No 1046/2012 of 8 November
2012 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament
and of the Council on the establishment of a common classification of territorial
units for statistics (NUTS) as regards the transmission of the time series for
the new regional breakdown (OJ L 310, 9.11.2012, p. 34).

[6]               Within the meaning of Article 3(a) of the EGF
Regulation.

[7]               Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on
the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to collective
redundancies (OJ L 225, 12.8.1998, p. 16).

[8]               Eurostat, Production in industry (NACE Rev.2 Division
27). Annual data, percentage change. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics/search_database

[9]               Euromonitor International, http://www.euromonitor.com/

[10]             EGF/2009/010 LT AB Snaige COM(2010) 008,
EGF/2011/023 IT Antonio Merloni COM(2013) 90 and EGF/2014/010 IT
Whirlpool, the current case.

[11]             Filiera del Porfido di Qualità, http://www.trentinosviluppo.it/Contenuti-istituzionali/Press-room/Comunicati-stampa/Porfido-278-aziende-scommettono-sulla-filiera-di-qualita

[12]             Banca d’Italia (2013),  L’economia delle Province autonome
di Trento e di Bolzano, Economie Regionali, numero5; Banca d’Italia (2013), 
L’economia delle Province autonome di Trento e di Bolzano. Aggiornamento
congiunturale, Economie Regionali, numero27.

[13]             Banca d’Italia (2013), L’economia delle Province autonome
di Trento e di Bolzano, Economie Regionali, numero5; Banca d’Italia (2013),
L’economia delle Province autonome di Trento e di Bolzano. Aggiornamento
congiunturale, Economie Regionali, numero27.

[14]             ALPAT, Osservatorio del mercato del lavoro, http://www.agenzialavoro.tn.it/agenzia/osservatorio

[15]             OJ L394/10, 30.12.2006

[16]             CIGS is a scheme under Italian law, consisting of a
financial benefit paid by Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale-INPS
(National Institute of the Social Security) in favour of workers suspended from
undertaking the work performance or working reduced hours.

[17]             Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale.

[18]             Association of Industrialists of Trentino, the
Association of Artisans and Small-sized Enterprises of Trentino and Commerce
and Tourism of the Trentino.

[19]             OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884.

[20]             OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.

[21]             OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855.

[22]             OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.

[23]             OJ L 167,  29.6.2009, p.26.

[24]             Within the meaning of Article 3(a) of the EGF
Regulation.