EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 286/47

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Mobilisation of the European Globilisation Adjustment Fund: Sweden – Volvo; Austria – Steiermark; Netherlands – Heijmans

P7_TA(2009)0107

European Parliament resolution of 16 December 2009 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on 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)0602 – C7-0254/2009 – 2009/2183(BUD))

2010/C 286 E/11

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2009)0602 – C7-0254/2009),

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) (IIA of 17 May 2006), 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 (A7-0079/2009),

A. whereas the European Union has set up the 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 IIA of 17 May 2006 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the Fund,

C. whereas Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands have requested assistance in respect of cases concerning redundancies in the automotive sector in Sweden (3) and Austria (4), and in the construction sector in one enterprise, Heijmans N.V., in the Netherlands (5);

D. whereas the applications have fulfilled the eligibility criteria set up by the EGF Regulation,

1. Requests the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to accelerate the mobilisation of the EGF;

2. Recalls the institutions' commitment to ensure a smooth and rapid procedure for the adoption of the decisions on the mobilisation of the Fund, providing one-off, time-limited individual support geared to helping workers who have suffered redundancies as a result of globalisation;

3. Stresses that the possibility of grouping proposals for decisions on the mobilisation of the fund together into batches in accordance with Article 12(3) of the EGF Regulation puts in jeopardy the right of the budgetary authority to examine each application on the basis of its own merits and could, as a consequence, penalise certain of them;

4. Stresses that the European Union should use all its means to face the consequences of the global economic and financial crisis; emphasises that in this respect the EGF can play a crucial role in the reintegration of the workers made redundant into the labour market;

5. Stresses that, in accordance with Article 6 of the EGF Regulation, it should be ensured that the EGF supports the reintegration of the individual redundant workers into employment; reiterates that assistance from the EGF shall not replace actions which are the responsibility of companies by virtue of national law or collective agreements, nor measures restructuring companies or sectors;

6. Reminds the Commission, in the context of mobilising the EGF, not to systematically transfer payment appropriations from the European Social Fund, since the EGF was created as a separate specific instrument with its own objectives and deadlines;

7. Recalls that the functioning and the added value of the EGF should be evaluated in the context of the general assessment of the programmes and other various instruments created by the IIA of 17 May 2006, within the process of the 2007-2013 multiannual financial framework budget review;

8. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

9. Calls on the Commission from now on to submit proposals to authorise the mobilisation of the Fund separately for every single application;

10. 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;

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

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

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

(3) EGF/2009/007 SE/Volvo.

(4) EGF/2009/009 AT/Steiermark.

(5) EGF/2009/011 NL/Heijmans N.V.