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/2012/005 SE/Saab from Sweden) (COM(2012)0622 — C7-0363/2012 — 2012/2279(BUD))
Date: 2012-12-12
Institutions: Committee on Budgets, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Committee on Regional Development, European Parliament
Subjects: European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Sweden, collective dismissal, commitment of expenditure, economic recession, employment aid, general budget (EU), motor vehicle industry, payment appropriation, reintegration into working life








C_2015434EN.01019901.xml










23.12.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 434/199





P7_TA(2012)0488
European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: application EGF/2012/005 SE/Saab
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/2012/005 SE/Saab from Sweden) (COM(2012)0622 — C7-0363/2012 — 2012/2279(BUD))
(2015/C 434/36)

The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2012)0622 — C7-0363/2012),










—


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 (A7-0413/2012),










A.


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;










B.


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;










C.


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;










D.


whereas Sweden has requested assistance for 3  748 total eligible redundancies, 1  350 of which are targeted for assistance for workers of Saab Automobile SA, one of its subsidiaries, namely SAAB Automobile Powertrain AB, and 16 of its suppliers in Sweden;










E.


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












1.


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












2.


Welcomes the Swedish application; deplores, however, that despite applying for EGF support, Sweden is among the countries undermining the future of the Fund after 2013 and blocking the extension of the crisis derogation;












3.


Notes that the Swedish authorities submitted the application for EGF financial contribution on 25 May 2012 and that its assessment was made available by the Commission on 19 October 2012; welcomes the relatively speedy evaluation period;












4.


Welcomes the fact that the Swedish authorities aimed to help the dismissed workers immediately and that the implementation of the coordinated package of personalised services started already on 20 December 2011 — ahead of the decision to grant EGF support;












5.


Emphasises the importance of improving the employability of all workers by means of adapted training and recognition of skills and competences developed throughout workers' professional careers; expects the training on offer in the coordinated package to be adapted to the level and needs of the dismissed workers and to the current business environment;












6.


Notes that this is yet another EGF application addressing dismissals in the automotive sector and that with 16 applications, this sector has been the subject of the most EGF applications submitted, both in relation to crisis and to globalisation criteria;












7.


Emphasises the fact that lessons should be learned from the preparation and implementation of this application and other applications involving the mass dismissal of workers;












8.


Regrets that bankruptcy of Saab led to a 20 % increase in unemployment in the region of Trollhättan, where the production plant was based; notes that the Swedish authorities targeted only 1  350 of 3  239 dismissed workers for EGF support; calls on the Swedish authorities to use the EGF to its full potential for dismissed workers;












9.


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;












10.


Recalls the institutions’ commitment to ensuring a smooth and rapid procedure for the adoption of 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;












11.


Welcomes the fact that the Swedish authorities emphasise the additional measures contained in the package, in comparison with regular services available to the unemployed;












12.


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; deplores the fact that the EGF might provide an incentive for companies to replace their contractual workforce with a more flexible and short-term one;












13.


Welcomes the fact that the training offered is matched with the future skills and qualifications needed in the region and that it will be focused on growth areas, such as the renewable sector;












14.


Notes that the information provided on 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;












15.


Notes that the municipality developed positive relations with the social partners while assisting Saab workers; regrets, however, that the Commission proposal does not include more detailed information concerning the consultation process of the social partners in the implementation of measures and in particular, concerning the involvement, possibly financial, of Saab;












16.


Regrets the fact that the payment appropriations of EUR 5 0 0 00  000 on the EGF budget line (line 04 05 01) in the 2012 budget has proved to be insufficient to cover all needed payments; regrets that the Commission has proposed to cover this payment through a transfer of payment appropriations from European Progress Microfinance Facility (line 04 04 15) instead of asking for fresh money through Draft Amending Budget No 6/2012, as it justifiably did for other requests for EGF mobilisation; 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 from other budget lines, as happened in the past, which could be detrimental to the achievement of the policy objectives of the EGF;












17.


Regrets the decision of the Council to block the extension of the ‘crisis derogation’, allowing to provide 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 allowing the increase in the rate of Union co-financing to 65 % of the programme costs, for applications submitted after the 31 December 2011 deadline, and calls on the Council to reintroduce this measure without delay;












18.


Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;












19.


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;












20.


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 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/2012/005 SE/Saab from Sweden)


(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision 2013/18/EU.)