Wednesday 14 September 2011

Mobilisation of Globalisation Adjustment Fund: technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission

P7_TA(2011)0371

European Parliament resolution of 14 September 2011 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 (application EGF/2011/000 TA 2011 - technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission) (COM(2011)0358 – C7-0167/2011 – 2011/2130(BUD))

2013/C 51 E/48

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Commission proposal to the Parliament and the Council (COM(2011)0358 – C7-0167/2011),

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 trilogue procedure provided for in point 28 of the IIA of 17 May 2006,

having regard to the letter of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0270/2011),

whereas the European Union has set up the appropriate 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,

whereas the Commission implements the EGF in accordance with the general rules laid down by Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (3) and with the implementing rules applicable to this form of implementation of the budget,

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 EGF,

whereas up to 0,35 % of the annual EGF amount can be made available each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission, in order to finance monitoring, information, administrative and technical support, and audit, control and evaluation activities necessary to implement the EGF Regulation, as stipulated in Article 8(1) of that Regulation, including the provision of information and guidance for Member States in using, monitoring and evaluating the EGF and providing information to the European and national social partners on using the EGF (Article 8(4) of the EGF Regulation),

whereas, in accordance with Article 9(2), ‧Information and publicity‧, of the EGF Regulation, the Commission is to set up an internet site, available in all languages, to provide information on applications, highlighting the role of the budgetary authority,

whereas, on the basis of those Articles, the Commission requested that the EGF be mobilised in order to cover its administrative needs for monitoring and information on the implementation of the EGF, creation of a knowledge base which would allow applications and their processing to be speeded up, administrative and technical support, exchange of successful practices among the Member States and mid-term evaluation of the EGF,

whereas the application fulfils the eligibility criteria laid down by the EGF Regulation,

Requests the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to improve procedural and budgetary arrangements in order to accelerate the mobilisation of the EGF; appreciates, in this sense, the improved procedure put in place by the Commission, following Parliament's request to accelerate the release of grants, aimed at presenting to the budgetary authority the Commission's assessment on the eligibility of an EGF application together with the proposal to mobilise the EGF; hopes that further improvements in the procedure will be made within the framework of the upcoming reviews of the EGF and that greater efficiency, transparency and visibility of the EGF will be achieved;

Welcomes the fact that, following repeated requests from Parliament, for the first time the 2011 budget shows payment appropriations of EUR 47 608 950 on the EGF budget line 04 05 01; recalls that the EGF was created as a separate specific instrument with its own objectives and deadlines and that it therefore deserves a dedicated allocation, which will avoid transfers from other budget lines, as happened in the past, which could be detrimental to the achievement of the various policies objectives;

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

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) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.

Wednesday 14 September 2011

ANNEX

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 (application EGF/2011/000 TA 2011 - technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission)

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision 2011/658/EU.)