EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 212/165

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund

P6_TA(2009)0339

European Parliament resolution of 5 May 2009 on the 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 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 (COM(2009)0150 – C6-0115/2009 – 2009/2033(ACI))

2010/C 212 E/28

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2009)0150 – C6-0115/2009),

having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management (1), and in particular point 28 thereof,

having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2) (EGF Regulation),

having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinion of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A6-0266/2009),

A. whereas the European Union has set up appropriate legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who suffer from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns and to assist their reintegration into the labour market,

B. whereas the Union's financial assistance to workers made redundant should be dynamic and made available as quickly and efficiently as possible, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission adopted during the conciliation meeting on 17 July 2008, and having due regard for the provisions of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the Fund,

C. whereas Spain has requested assistance in respect of cases concerning redundancies in the automobile sector in the autonomous communities of Castilla y Leon and Aragon (3) and has fulfilled the eligibility criteria set up by the EGF Regulation,

D. whereas Article 8(1) of the EGF Regulation provides that up to 0,35 % of the annual amount may be used to finance monitoring, information, administrative and technical support, audit, control and evaluation activities necessary to implement the EGF Regulation,

E. whereas on the basis of that Article the Commission proposed to deploy the Fund in order to set up the EGF website providing information on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund in all EU languages, supported by publications, audio-visual activities and by network for the exchange of best practices between Member States (4), which is in line with the will of the European Parliament to raise citizens' awareness of EU actions,

1. Requests the institutions involved in the decision and implementation process to make the necessary efforts to accelerate the mobilisation of the Fund;

2. Recalls that the European Union should use all its means to tackle the consequences of the global economic and financial crisis; notes, in this respect, that the Fund can play a crucial role in the reintegration of the workers made redundant into the labour market;

3. Welcomes the Commission initiative to provide the citizens of the European Union with a transparent, user-friendly and up-to-date website;

4. Stresses that the mobilisation of the EGF in payment appropriations should not jeopardise the funding of the European Social Fund;

5. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

6. Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and Commission.

(1) OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 406, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

(3) EGF/2008/004 ES/Castilla y Leon and Aragon.

(4) SEC(2008)2986.