P9_TA(2022)0055

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers — application EGF/2022/000 TA 2022 — Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission

European Parliament resolution of 8 March 2022 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers — EGF/2022/000 TA 2022 — Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission (COM(2022)0025 — C9-0025/2022 — 2022/0015(BUD))

(2022/C 347/23)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2022)0025 — C9-0025/2022),

— having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 (1) (‘EGF Regulation’),

— having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027 (2), and in particular Article 8 thereof,

— having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources (3), (‘Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020’), and in particular point 9 thereof,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0037/2022),

A. whereas the Union has set up legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who are suffering from the consequences of globalisation and of technological and environmental changes, such as changes in world trade patterns, trade disputes, significant changes in the trade relations of the Union or the composition of the internal market and financial or economic crises, as well as the transition to a low-carbon economy, or as a consequence of digitisation or automation;

B. whereas the Union’s assistance to displaced workers should be dynamic and made available as quickly and efficiently as possible, having due regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 with respect to the adoption of decisions to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF);

C. whereas the Union had first extended the scope of the EGF to provide financial support in the case of any major restructuring event, and thus covering economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis;

D. whereas the adoption of the new EGF Regulation in 2021 further expanded the scope of the EGF to major restructuring events caused by the transition to a low-carbon economy or as a consequence of digitisation or automation, while also reducing the required threshold for the activation of the EGF from 500 dismissed workers to 200;

E. whereas Article 8(1) of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 sets the maximum annual amount for the EGF to EUR 186 million (in 2018 prices) and whereas Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation provides that up to 0,5 % of that amount, can be made available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission;

F. whereas the Commission did not to request any technical assistance support in 2021 due to uncertainty concerning general operations, in particular events that would require physical presence, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;

G. whereas technical assistance may consist of technical and administrative expenditure for the implementation of the EGF, such as preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, as well as data gathering, including in relation to corporate information technology systems, communication activities and those enhancing the EGF’s visibility as a fund or with regard to specific projects and other technical assistance measures;

H. whereas the proposed amount of EUR 290 000 corresponds to approximately 0,14 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2022;

1. Agrees with the measures proposed by the Commission to be financed as technical assistance in accordance with Article 11(1) and (4), as well as with Article 12(2), (3) and (4), of the EGF Regulation;

2. Welcomes the setting up of a dedicated website for the EGF and calls on the Commission to regularly update and expand it, in order to increase the visibility of European solidarity demonstrated by the EGF to the general public and increase the transparency of Union action;

3. Welcomes the continued work on the standardised procedures for EGF applications and management using the functionalities of the electronic data exchange system (Shared Fund Management Common System — SFC), which allows for the simplification and faster processing of applications, and better reporting;

4. Takes note that the Commission will use the available budget under the administrative support for holding meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF, which includes two members from each Member State, and one seminar with the participation of the implementing bodies of the EGF and social partners in order to promote networking among Member States;

5. Calls on the Commission to continue to invite Parliament systematically to these meetings and seminars in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Framework Agreement on relations between Parliament and the Commission;

6. Calls on the Commission to adapt the best practices which were developed during the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, when appropriate and needed, and not to eliminate them altogether when the circumstances of the pandemic allow, but to use them as a basis for better working methods and exchanges;

7. Underlines the need to further strengthen the general awareness and the visibility of the EGF; points to the fact that such goal can be pursued by featuring the EGF in various Commission publications and audio-visual activities as provided for in Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation;

8. Reminds applicant Member States of their key role in widely publicising the actions funded by EGF to the targeted beneficiaries, local and regional authorities, social partners, the media and the general public, as set out in Article 12 of the EGF Regulation;

9. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

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 L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 48.

(2) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11.

(3) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28.