EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 224/46

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund

P7_TA(2009)0009

European Parliament resolution of 15 September 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)0371 – C7-0115/2009 – 2009/2066(BUD))

2010/C 224 E/18

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2009)0371 – C7-0115/2009),

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 (A7-0006/2009),

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 Spain and Portugal have requested assistance in respect of cases concerning redundancies in the textiles sector, respectively in the regions of Cataluña (3) and Norte-Centro (4) and 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 Fund;

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

3. Recalls that the mobilisation of the EGF in payment appropriations should not jeopardise the funding of the European Social Fund; expresses some doubts about whether complementarity with other existing instruments like the European Social Fund is guaranteed;

4. Undertakes to evaluate the functioning and added value of the EGF 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;

5. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

6. 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;

7. 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/2008/005 ES/Cataluña.

(4) EGF/2009/001 PT/Norte-Centro.