EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 23.10.2017 COM(2017) 613 final Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund following an

application from Greece – EGF/2017/003 GR/Attica retail



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 (the ‘EGF Regulation’). 2.On 13 April 2017, Greece submitted an application EGF/2017/003 GR/Attica retail for a financial contribution from the EGF, following redundancies in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 Division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) in the NUTS level 2 regions of Attica (EL30) and 10 other regions in Greece. 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/2017/003 GR/Attica retail Member State Greece Region(s) concerned (NUTS level 2) Eastern Macedonia, Thrace (EL11) Central Macedonia (EL12) Western Macedonia (EL13) Thessaly (EL14) Epirus (EL21) Western Greece (EL23) Central Greece (EL24) Peloponnese (EL25) Attica (EL30) Southern Aegean (EL42) Crete (EL43) Date of submission of the application 13 April 2017 Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the application 13 April 2017 Receipt of translation 12 May 2017 Date of request for additional information 26 May 2017 Date of request for additional 2 weeks to provide the requested information 7 July 2017 Deadline for provision of the additional information 21 July 2017 Receipt of translation of additional information 16 August 2017 Deadline for the completion of the assessment 8 November 2017 Intervention criterion Article 4(2) of the EGF Regulation



Number of enterprises concerned 9 Sector(s) of economic activity (NACE Revision 2 Division) Division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) Reference period (nine months): 19 April 2016 - 19 January 2017 Total number of redundancies 725 Total number of eligible beneficiaries 725 Total number of targeted beneficiaries 725 Budget for personalised services (EUR) 4 720 250 Budget for implementing EGF (EUR) 195 000 Total budget (EUR) 4 915 250 EGF contribution (60 %) (EUR) 2 949 150 ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION Procedure 4.Greece submitted application EGF/2017/003 GR/Attica retail within 12 weeks of the date on which the intervention criteria set out in Article 4 of the EGF Regulation were met, on 13 April 2017. The Commission acknowledged receipt of the application on the same date, and requested additional information from Greece on 26 May 2017. Such additional information was provided within eight weeks, after an extension of the deadline by two weeks at the duly justified request of Greece. 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 8 November 2017. Eligibility of the application Enterprises and beneficiaries concerned 5.The application relates to 725 workers made redundant in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 Division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles). The redundancies made by the 9 enterprises are located in the NUTS level 2 regions of Attica (EL30) and 10 other regions.



Enterprises and number of dismissals within the reference period ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΝΙΚΗ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ Α.Ε.Ε. 428 ΝΟΤΟΣ COM ΣΥΜΜΕΤΟΧΕΣ Α.Ε. 33 DIXONS SOUTH - EAST EUROPE SA 42 ΠΕΤ ΣΙΤΙ ΑΕΒΕ 23 ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΛΟΓΙΚΑ ΕΛΛΑΣ 37 ΣΑΡΑΦΙΔΗΣ Α.Ε. 28 ΑΤΗΝΗ ΧΟΝΤΟΣ Α.Ε.Ε 29 ΑΦΟΙ ΒΕΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΙ Α.Ε. 49 ΜΕΤΡΟ ΑΕΒΕ 56



Total no. of enterprises: 9 Total no. of dismissals: 725 Total no. of self-employed persons whose activity has ceased: 0 Total no. of eligible workers and self-employed persons: 725 Intervention criteria 6.Greece submitted the application under the intervention criteria of Article 4(2) derogating from the criteria of Article 4(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation, which requires at least 500 workers being made redundant over a reference period of nine months in enterprises operating in the same economic sector defined at NACE Revision 2 Division and located in one region or two contiguous regions defined at NUTS 2 level in a Member State. There were 513 redundancies in the NUTS level 2 region of Attica (EL30). 7.The reference period of nine months for the application runs from 19 April 2016 to 19 January 2017. Calculation of redundancies and of cessation of activity

8.The redundancies during the reference period have been calculated as follows: –269 from the date of the employer's individual notice to lay off or to terminate the contract of employment of the worker, –456 from the date of the de facto termination of the contract of employment or its expiry, Eligible beneficiaries 9.The total number of eligible beneficiaries is 725. Link between the redundancies and the global financial and economic crisis addressed in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009 10.In order to establish the link between the redundancies and the global financial and economic crisis addressed in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009, Greece argues that the Greek economy was in deep recession since the beginning of the crisis in 2008. According to ELSTAT, the Greek Statistical Authority, since 2008 and until 2016 the Greek real GDP has decreased by 26,2 percentages, public consumption by 22,8 percentages and private consumption by 24,4 percentages whilst unemployment increased about 14 percentage points. Even though the Greek economy is estimated to be on the recovery path and forecasts for some of these indicators are positive for 2017, the labour market will continue to experience difficulties in the near future as well. 11.Since 2008 the Greek government has been taking measures such as increasing tax rates, streamlining public expenditure and decreasing public employees' salaries in order to deal with foreign debt repayments. Wages in the private sector have also been decreasing in an attempt to increase the competitiveness of the Greek economy. 12.An immediate effect of the reduced income has been a decrease in consumption, especially of non-essential goods. Since 2009, the household consumption in Greece continued decreasing until 2013, despite a slow recovery at the EU-28 level. After a slight recovery in 2014, the downward trend of household consumption in Greece started again in 2015. 13.According to the ELSTAT report on household income and living conditions, 21,2 % of Greeks were below the poverty threshold in 2016. 14.According to a recent study by IME-GSEVEE, published in January 2016, one out of three households stated that their income level has declined in 2015 compared with the previous year, while 94,2 % of households state that their income fell significantly since the beginning of the crisis. 15.Over the period 2009-2016, the consumer confidence indicator deteriorated greatly during the first four years, from -46 in 2009 to -75 in 2012, and despite a recovery in 2014-2015 (-49), since 2016 the indicator severely deteriorated to -73,3 in February 2017. 16.To date, the retail trade sector has been the subject of seven EGF applications, all based on the global financial and economic crisis. Events giving rise to the redundancies and cessation of activity 17.According to the Greek authorities, the events giving rise to these redundancies were mainly two: (1) the decrease of available household income ― due to the increase in the tax burden, decreasing salaries and rising unemployment ― resulting in a huge drop of purchasing power; (2) the drastic reduction of loans to enterprises and individuals due to the lack of cash in the Greek banks. According to the Bank of Greece, the annual growth rate for loans granted to households and enterprises has been negative since 2010 in the Greek banks. 18.Due to the drop of purchasing power of Greek households as of 2008, demand for essential goods and durable consumer goods declined. This led to a significant fall of retail sales between 2008-2015 which ranged from 60 % for household appliances to 30 % for food retailers and 23 % for supermarkets. According to Infobank Hellastat SA, the fall in retail sales is expected to continue in the future. 19.In this framework, retail companies met serious problems in terms of viability, as their financing elements and performance went from bad to worse during the crisis period. The overall turnover index in the retail trade sector had a constant downward trend, decreasing by more than 63 % over the period 2008-2016, from 112,6 in 2008 to 71,1 in 2016. 20.The continuing decline in the incomes of the Greek consumers changed their consumption habits and attitude. Also, the continuing growth of e-sales, which reached 18,3 % in November 2016, put an even bigger pressure on traditional retail stores. All these contributed to an already high unemployment rate. According to the 2016 Annual Report of the Greek General Confederation of Workers (GSEE) Labour Institute, 164 000 jobs have been lost between 2008-2015 in the retail trade, manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for 64.2 % of total job losses. Expected impact of the redundancies as regards the local, regional or national economy and employment 21.Although in the last four years unemployment in Greece has been slowly decreasing, the unemployment rate was still the highest in EU (23,6 %) in 2016.

22.The Greek authorities argue that the redundancies in the 11 regions concerned will further aggravate the unemployment situation, which already deteriorated as a result of the economic and financial crisis. In 2016, Greece had the highest unemployment rates amongst EU Member states and the fifteenth highest worldwide. Unemployment rate Source: Eurostat and ELSTAT 23.Most of the redundancies are concentrated in Attica (70,7 %) region, while the rest occurred in other 10 regions (29,3 %). At the end of 2016 the unemployment rate in Attica was 22,9 %, while for the other 10 regions concerned it ranged from 19,5 % in Aegean region to 26,8 % in the Epirus and Western Macedonia regions. Furthermore, there is a lack of job offers in the regions if compared with the high number of job seekers. 306 749 people appeared as job seekers in the same period (February 2016) only in the Attica region. 24.In this framework, the redundancies in the retail trade enteprises have overburdened the regions which have already been severely hit by the negative consequences of the crisis. Explanation of the exceptional circumstances underlying the admissibility of the application 25.Greece argues that this application should be assimilated to an application under Article 4(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation due to exceptional circumstances having a serious impact on employment and the local, regional or national economy. The requirements of Article 4(1)(b) are not entirely met because it is difficult to demonstrate that the two NUTS 2 level regions separated by water (EL42 and EL43) are contiguous to the other regions concerned and are part of the same local or regional labour market. 26.Contiguity in the sense of Article 4(1)(b), in the case of two regions separated by water, is not defined in the EGF Regulation and Greece argues that these 20 workers, who were made redundant from shops belonging to the same parent company Electroniki Athinon SA should be treated equally and benefit from the same type of measures as the other workers made redundant in the regions located on the main land. 27.Furthermore, these 2 regions separated by water are small local and isolated labour markets and both these regions already have a very high unemployment rate, 19,5 % in Southern Aegean and 23,5 % in Crete. Targeted beneficiaries and proposed actions Targeted beneficiaries 28.The estimated number of redundant workers expected to participate in the measures is 725. The breakdown of these workers by sex, citizenship and age group is as follows: Category Number of

targeted beneficiaries Sex: Men: 408 (56,3 %) Women: 317 (43,7 %) Citizenship: EU citizens: 714 (98,5 %) non-EU citizens: 11 (1,5 %) Age group: 15-24 years: 0 (0,0 %) 25-29 years: 26 (3,6 %) 30-54 years: 81 (11,2 %) 55-64 years: 438 (60,4 %) over 64 years: 180 (24,8 %) Eligibility of the proposed actions 29.The personalised services to be provided to redundant workers consist of the following actions: –Professional counselling: This accompanying measure, which will be offered to all participants with special attention to the elderly beneficiaries, consists of 25 individual sessions of 45 minutes each with a specialised counsellor and covers the following stages: 1 Information. This first measure addressed to all participants provides basic information about the project and their prospects from accepting to participate in it. 2 Registration of beneficiaries and exploration of needs. This includes providing information on available services and training programmes, on skills and training requirements, as well as preparation of a personal file of all participants. 3 Personal and professional assessment. This is intended to help workers identify their skills, opportunities and constraints related to their interests as well as to establish a realistic career plan. The outcome will be a personal and professional assessment which includes the participant's skills, qualifications and training needs.

4 Personal and professional development process. This includes: (1) training in horizontal skills (2) job-search assistance and techniques, training on drafting of CVs, cover letters and how to prepare a job interview; (3) career guidance: the counsellors will provide up-to-date information on labour market issues and will steer them towards specific job offers; (4) preparation of the initial summary individual project and an action plan. 5 Development and preparation of the individual action plan. The counsellors will also accompany the workers during the implementation of their training pathways and individual plans of reintegration into employment. The participants interested in setting up a business will receive general support and counselling towards entrepreneurship. 6 Monitoring. This provides a follow up of the participants during the six months that follow the end of the implementation of the measures. –Training, retraining and vocational training. This measure consists in providing vocational training courses to workers which correspond to their needs, especially of the elderly beneficiaries and the current needs in the labour market. The two types of training are: continuous vocational training programmes and specialised trainings or specific educational programmes. The training courses might also be complemented with traineeships. –Contribution to business start-up. In order to promote entrepreneurship, the workers who set up their own businesses will receive up to EUR 15 000 as a contribution to cover setting-up costs. The condition is that the beneficiaries maintain their business for at least one year. –Job-search allowance and training allowance. To cover the expenses incurred when participating in the professional counselling measure, the beneficiaries will receive EUR 40 for expenses for participating in a 45 minute session with a counsellor. While in training the allowance will be EUR 3,33 per hour. –Job creation subsidy. As a recruitment incentive, employers will receive a subsidy of EUR 650 (gross) per person for six months, provided that they maintain the contract for the EGF beneficiary for six more months after the subsidy ends. 30.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. 31.Greece has provided the required information on actions that are mandatory for the enterprise concerned by virtue of national law or pursuant to collective agreements. They have confirmed that a financial contribution from the EGF will not replace such actions. Estimated budget 32.The estimated total costs are EUR 4 915 250, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 4 720 250 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 195 000. 33.The total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 2 949 150 (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) Professional counselling (Επαγγελματική συμβουλευτική) 725 1 250 906 250 Vocational training (Επαγγελματική Κατάρτιση) 680 1 500 1 020 000 Specialised training/education (Εξειδικευμένη κατάρτιση / εκπαίδευση) 45 4 000 180 000 Contribution to business start-up (Συνεισφορά για σύσταση επιχείρησης) 65 15 000 975 000 Sub-total (a): Percentage of the package of personalised services – 3 081 250 (65,28 %) Allowances and incentives (Actions under Article 7(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation) Job search allowances (Επιδόματα αναζήτησης εργασίας) 725 1 000 725 000 Training allowances (Επιδόματα κατάρτισης) 680 1 000 680 000 Job creation subsidy (Επιδότηση θέσεων εργασίας) 60 3 900 234 000 Sub-total (b): Percentage of the package of personalised services: – 1 639 000 (34,72 %) Actions under Article 7(4) of the EGF Regulation 1. Preparatory activities – 25 000 2. Management – 90 000 3. Information and publicity – 55 000 4. Control and reporting – 25 000 Sub-total (c): Percentage of the total costs : – 195 000 (3,97 %) Total costs (a + b + c): – 4 915 250 EGF contribution (60 % of total costs) – 2 949 150 34.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. Greece confirmed that these actions are conditional on the active participation of the targeted beneficiaries in job-search or training activities. 35.Greece confirmed that the costs of investments for self-employment, business start-ups and employee take-overs will not exceed EUR 15 000 per beneficiary. Period of eligibility of expenditure 36.Greece started providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 13 July 2017. The expenditure on the actions will therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 13 July 2017 to 13 July 2019. 37.Greece started incurring the administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 5 June 2017. The expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities shall therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 5 June 2017 to 13 January 2020. Complementarity with actions funded by national or Union funds 38.The source of national pre-financing or co-funding is the Public Investment Programme of the Greek Ministry of Economy and Development.

39.Greece has confirmed that the measures described above receiving a financial contribution from the EGF will not also receive financial contributions 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 40.Greece has indicated that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up in consultation with the General Secretary and the representatives of Labour Institute of the General Confederation of Hellenic Workers (GSEE) 41.In January 2017 six meetings took place at the office of General Secretary of Ministry of Labour; three of these meetings between the General Secretary and the representatives of GSEE and the other three between the General Secretary and the Coordinating Committee of the dismissed workers. Management and control system 42.The application contains a description of the management and control system which specifies the responsibilities of the bodies involved. Greece has notified the Commission that the financial contribution will be managed and controlled by the same bodies that manage and control the European Social Fund (ESF) funding in Greece. The National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) Task Force at the Department of Employment and Social Economy of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity will act as managing authority, the EDEL (the Financial Audit Committee) as audit authority and the Special Service for Certification and Verification of Co-financed Programs as certification authority. Commitments provided by the Member State concerned 43.Greece has 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, –the dismissing enterprises, which have continued their activities after the lay-offs, have complied with their legal obligations governing the redundancies and provided for their workers accordingly, –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 44.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 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020. 45.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, the Commission proposes to mobilise the EGF for the amount of EUR 2 949 150, representing 60 % of the total costs of the proposed actions, in order to provide a financial contribution for the application. 46.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. Related acts

47.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 2 949 150. 48.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 following an

application from Greece – EGF/2017/003 GR/Attica retail 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, 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, and in particular point 13 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Whereas: (1)The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aims 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, 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 is not to 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)On 13 April 2017, Greece submitted an application to mobilise the EGF, in respect of redundancies in the economic sector classified under the Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community ('NACE') Revision 2 Division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics ('NUTS') level 2 regions of Attica (EL30), Eastern Macedonia, Thrace (EL11), Central Macedonia (EL12), Western Macedonia (EL13), Thessaly (EL14), Epirus (EL21), Western Greece (EL23), Central Greece (EL24), Peloponnese (EL25), Southern Aegean (EL42) and Crete (EL43) in Greece. It was supplemented by additional information provided in accordance with Article 8(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013. That 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)In accordance with Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013, the application from Greece is considered admissible since the redundancies have a serious impact on employment and the local, regional or national economy. (5)The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of EUR 2 949 150 in respect of the application submitted by Greece. (6)In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the EGF, this decision should apply from the date of its adoption, HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2017, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 2 949 150 in commitment and payment appropriations.