P7_TA(2012)0491

European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: application EGF/2011/014 RO/Nokia

European Parliament resolution of 12 December 2012 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/2011/014 RO/Nokia from Romania) (COM(2012)0618 — C7-0359/2012 — 2012/2275(BUD))

(2015/C 434/39)

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2012)0618 — C7-0359/2012),

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 (A7-0414/2012),

whereas the Union has set up the appropriate legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who are suffering as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns and to assist workers' reintegration into the labour market,

whereas the scope of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) was broadened for applications submitted from 1 May 2009 to include support for workers made redundant as a direct result of the global financial and economic crisis,

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 Romania has requested assistance for 1 904 redundancies, 1 416 of which are targeted for assistance in SC Nokia Romania SRL and one supplier in Romania,

whereas the application fulfils the eligibility criteria set up by the EGF Regulation,

Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 2(a) of the EGF Regulation are met and that Romania is therefore entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation;

Notes that the Romanian authorities submitted the application for EGF financial contribution on 22 December 2011, supplemented by additional information up to 22 August 2012, and that its assessment was only made available by the Commission on 19 October 2012; regrets the lengthy evaluation periods and enquires as to why this particular application required 8 months of assessment; urges the Commission to speed up the evaluation process;

Welcomes the first application of Romania for EGF support;

Welcomes the fact that in order to provide workers with immediate assistance, the Romanian authorities decided to start the implementation of the measures on 8 December 2011 — ahead of the final decision about granting EGF support for the proposed coordinated package;

Recalls the importance of improving the employability of all workers by means of adapted training and the recognition of skills and competences developed throughout workers' professional careers; expects the training on offer in the coordinated package to be adapted not only to the level and needs of the dismissed workers, but also to the current business environment;

Regrets that the redundancies in Cluj in Romania and in Salo in Finland (application EGF/2012/006/FI/Nokia from Finland) stem from a corporate decision of Nokia to move its production plants to Asia and are part of its plan to reduce global employment in Nokia Corporation by 17 000 workers by the end of 2013;

Emphasises that lessons should be learned from the preparation and implementation of this and other applications involving mass dismissals;

Calls for reciprocity in trade between the Union and third countries as an essential condition for companies in the Union to gain access to new non-European markets;

Requests the institutions involved make the necessary efforts to improve procedural and budgetary arrangements in order to accelerate the mobilisation of the EGF; appreciates the improved procedure put in place by the Commission, following Parliament's request for accelerating the release of grants, aimed at presenting the Commission's assessment on the eligibility of an EGF application, along with the proposal to mobilise the EGF, to the budgetary authority; hopes that further improvements in the procedure will be integrated in the new Regulation on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014–2020) and that greater efficiency, transparency and visibility of the EGF will be achieved;

Notes that the EGF has already acted in favour of 1 337 workers dismissed as a result of the re-location of Nokia from Germany to Romania in 2008; notes that three years later, the EGF must act again as the production plant opened in Cluj, following the closure in Germany, was closed down in 2011 as a result of re-location to Asia; enquires whether as to whether Nokia benefited from any financial incentives at a regional, national or Union level (in particular from the cohesion funds) at the time of its relocation from Germany to Romania;

Recalls the institutions’ commitment to ensure a smooth and rapid procedure for the adoption of the decisions on the mobilisation of the EGF, providing one-off, time-limited individual support which is geared towards helping workers who have been made redundant as a result of globalisation and the financial and economic crisis; emphasises the role that the EGF can play in the reintegration of workers made redundant into the labour market;

Notes that the Commission proposal indicates that another EGF application is expected to cover the second round of dismissals in Nokia in Salo and therefore calls on the Commission to clarify to what extent Nokia itself financially supports the redundancy programme;

Stresses that, in accordance with Article 6 of the EGF Regulation, it should be ensured that the EGF supports the reintegration of individual redundant workers into employment; further stresses that the EGF assistance can only co-finance active labour market measures which lead to durable, long-term employment; reiterates that assistance from the EGF must not replace actions which are the responsibility of companies by virtue of national law or collective agreements, nor measures restructuring companies or sectors;

Regrets that the Commission's proposal does not present any statistics concerning unemployment rates in the region; notes, however, that in 2011, almost 40 % of the total working population of the Cluj-Napoca region specialising in the IT and communications sectors worked in Nokia; notes that the impact of Nokia dismissals on employment in the region is considerable;

Notes that information provided about the coordinated package of personalised services to be funded from the EGF includes information about how it complements actions funded by the Structural Funds; reiterates its call to the Commission to present a comparative evaluation of those data in its annual reports in order to ensure full respect of the existing regulations and that no duplication of Union-funded services can occur;

Welcomes the fact that following requests from Parliament, the 2012 budget shows payment appropriations of EUR 5 0 0 00 000 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 therefore deserves a dedicated allocation, which will avoid transfers, to the extent possible, from other budget lines, as has happened in the past, which could be detrimental to the achievement of the policy objectives of the EGF;

Expects the Commission to explain if Nokia was involved in the creation of the coordinated package of personalised service and possible involement in co-financing;

Regrets the decision of the Council to block the extension of the ‘crisis derogation’, which allows for the provision of financial assistance to workers made redundant as a result of the current financial and economic crisis in addition to those losing their job because of changes in global trade patterns, and allows for an increase in the rate of Union co-financing to 65 % of the programme costs, for applications submitted after the 31 December 2011 deadline; calls on the Council to reintroduce this measure without delay;

Regrets that there are no details concerning the types of training measures and internships to be provided within the coordinated package and how these are matched with the local skills and qualification needs and possible areas of future growth in the region;

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.

ANNEX

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 (application EGF/2011/014 RO/Nokia from Romania)

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision 2013/15/EU.)