Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with 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 (application EGF/2014/007 IE/Andersen Ireland)
Date: 2014-10-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Ireland, collective dismissal, commitment of expenditure, economic consequence, economic recession, employment aid, financial aid, general budget (EU), jewellery and goldsmith's articles, payment appropriation, reintegration into working life













EUR-Lex - 52014PC0616 - EN











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52014PC0616

Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with 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 (application EGF/2014/007 IE/Andersen Ireland) /* COM/2014/0616 final - 2014/ () */









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[1] (the 'EGF Regulation').

2.           The Irish authorities
submitted application EGF/2014/007 IE/Andersen Ireland for a financial
contribution from the EGF, following redundancies in Andersen
Ireland Limited in Ireland.
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/2014/007 IE/Andersen Ireland 
 Member State || Ireland 
 Region(s) concerned (NUTS level 2) || Southern and Eastern (IE02) 
 Date of submission of the application || 16.5.2014 
 Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the application || 30.5.2014 
 Date of request for additional information || 30.5.2014 
 Deadline of provision of the additional information || 11.7.2014 
 Deadline for the completion of the assessment || 3.10.2014 
 Intervention criterion || Article 4(2) of the EGF Regulation 
 Primary enterprise || Andersen Ireland Limited 
 Sector(s) of economic activity (NACE Rev. 2 division)[2] || Division 32 ('Manufacture of jewellery, bijouterie and related articles') 
 Number of subsidiaries, suppliers and downstream producers || 0 
 Reference period (four months): || 21 October 2013 - 21 February 2014 
 Number of redundancies or cessations of activity during the reference period (a) || 171 
 Number of redundancies or cessations of activity before or after the reference period (b) || 0 
 Total number of redundancies (a + b) || 171 
 Total estimated number of targeted beneficiaries || 138 
 Number of targeted young persons not in employment, education or training (NEETs) || 138 
 Budget for personalised services (EUR) || 2 332 000 
 Budget for implementing EGF[3] (EUR) || 170 000 
 Total budget (EUR) || 2 502 000 
 EGF contribution (60 %) (EUR) || 1 501 200 
ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION
Procedure
4.           The Irish  authorities submitted
application EGF/2014/007 IE/Andersen Ireland within 12 weeks of the date on
which the intervention criteria set out in paragraphs 6 to 8 below were met, on
16 May 2014. The Commission acknowledged receipt of the application within two
weeks of the date of submission of the application, on 30 May 2014, and requested
additional information from the Irish authorities on the same date. Such
additional information was provided within six  weeks of the request. 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 3 October 2014. 
Eligibility of the application
Enterprises and beneficiaries
concerned
5.           The application relates to
171 workers made redundant in Andersen Ireland Limited. The enterprise operated
in the economic sector classified under NACE Rev. 2 division 32 ('Manufacture
of jewellery, bijouterie and related articles'). The redundancies made by the enterprise
concerned are mainly located in the NUTS[4]
level 2 region of IE02 Southern and Eastern.
Intervention criteria
6.           The Irish authorities submitted
the application under the intervention criteria of Article 4(2) of the EGF
Regulation, derogating from the criteria of Article 4(1)(a), which requires at
least 500 workers being made redundant or self-employed
persons' activity ceasing, over a reference period of four
months in an enterprise in a Member State. In the application, a reference
period of four months is demonstrated, while the number of workers being made
redundant is lower than the 500 person threshold for an Article 4(1)(a)
application. Ireland has argued that exceptional circumstances prevail in this
case, as the redundancies have a serious impact on employment and the local and
regional economy (see paragraphs 15 to 17).
7.           The
reference period of four months runs from 21 October 2013 to 21 February 2014.
8.           The
application relates to:
–              
171 workers made redundant[5]
in the primary enterprise during the reference period of four months.
Calculation of redundancies and of
cessation of activity
9.           The redundancies have been
calculated as follows:
–              
171 from the date of the de facto termination of
the contract of employment or its expiry.
Eligible beneficiaries
10.         No further workers made
redundant before or after the reference period of four months are included. The
total number of eligible beneficiaries is therefore 171. 
Link between the redundancies and major
structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation
11.         In order to establish the link
between the redundancies and major structural changes in world trade patterns
due to globalisation, Ireland argues that in terms of both volume and value,
non-EU imports have come to dominate the EU costume (i.e. fashion) jewellery
market for the past five years or more. The main non-EU producing countries are
 China, India, Thailand, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Mexico, Philippines, Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa. These countries began to rapidly increase their production during the
pre-crisis years 2003-2007, with China predominant among the newer producers,
accounting for some 83 % of total volume into the EU in 2007, ahead of India and Thailand.
In 2008, Eurostat figures cited by Ireland show that sales within the EU by both EU and non-EU producers started from an almost
identical position of 56 000 tonnes in volume of product. Both experienced
drops in volume, perhaps attributable to the aftermath of the 2008/2009 global
economic and financial crisis. However, while the EU volume of product sold in
the EU market dropped to 10 600 tonnes in 2012, the non-EU imported
product, though dropping also, dropped far less to 45 700 tonnes. Where
there had been parity in 2008, four year later the EU was outstripped four-fold
by imports. Of this volume of non-EU product, 95% was imported from mostly
Asian countries such as China, India, Thailand, and the Philippines. These are precisely the same locations where several companies based in the EU
had meanwhile moved their production facilities, including market leaders Folli
Follie and Swarovski.
This situation has been
further exacerbated by the shift in trade in the sector that has seen a move
from the traditional marketing model used by Andersen Ireland and its parent Pierre Lang, with thousands of sales personnel across the European
market, being replaced by the virtual, global and without borders model of
online sales. This has boosted the advantages already enjoyed by non-EU
manufacturers and finally led to the redundancy of the 171 strong workforce in
Rathkeale as well as reductions in the European sales personnel of the company.
12.         This is the first EGF
application for workers made redundant in the sector of jewellery, bijouterie
and related articles.
Events giving rise to the
redundancies and cessation of activity 
13.         The events giving rise to
the redundancies in Andersen Ireland Limited are the closure of the plant in
Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, and the dismissal of the entire workforce.
Andersen Ireland, a subsidiary of Pierre Lang,
established the plant in 1976. Andersen Ireland was one of two manufacturing
plants for the Pierre Lang group, the other based in Vienna. The Rathkeale
plant manufactured jewellery on a made-to-order basis for Pierre Lang. The
products were then transported to Vienna in a finished or semi-finished state.
The Pierre Lang group, established in 1961, was
bought in January 2010 by Helmut Spikker of Germany. In August 2011, following
protracted negotiations over loan repayments, the Raiffeisenbank requested that
Pierre Lang be put into receivership. In December 2012, SMB (Schoeller
Metternich Beteiligungen) acquired all the assets of Pierre Lang. In Ireland, the Industrial Development Authority (IDA Ireland) was actively engaged with
Andersen throughout 2012, positioning it as a value option for potential buyers
during the 2012 sale. When no solution had been forthcoming by mid-August 2013,
senior management in Austria made the decision to voluntarily put Andersen Ireland into liquidation. The full workforce was made redundant, with the first workers
laid off in October 2013.
Global factors had been impacting the
enterprise over several years already. The enterprise's turnover had fallen
from EUR 18 million in 2008 to EUR 8.9 million in 2012, with the wages bill
almost halved from EUR 7 million to EUR 3.9 million over the same period.
Materials and overheads fell from EUR 11.1 million in 2008 to EUR 3 million in
2012, with 55 % of these costs relating to Irish suppliers.
Expected impact of the redundancies
as regards the local, regional or national economy and employment
14.         The redundancies have a
significant adverse impact on the local and regional economy, as Andersen Ireland was a major employer in this mainly rural area, where it had been active for 37
years. Of the 171 strong workforce, 119 workers (69.6 %) were female. According
to the latest census (2011), the unemployment rate for the Rathkeale area (39.3
%) was more than double the national average (19 %).
15.         On average, workers had been
employed by the company for at least 15 continuous years, with some having worked
there for more than 30 years. 
Explanation of the exceptional
circumstances underlying the admissibility of the application
16.         Ireland argues that,
despite the fact that fewer than 500 redundancies occurred within the
four-month reference period, this application should nevertheless be
assimilated to an application under Article 4.1(a) of the EGF Regulation due to
exceptional circumstances with a serious impact on employment and the local,
regional or national economy. To this end, they cite the fact that 171 jobs
lost in Rathkeale is a large number in the circumstances of this small-town and
rural area, and that the large majority of the redundant workers are women
whose wage was often the sole or most significant income for entire families in
this economically challenged area. The 2011 census shows that the area has an
exceptionally high dependency ratio (63.2 % dependant, either through age or
unemployment, which is significantly higher than the national average of 45.8 %).
17.         The census also shows that
the levels of both education and skills in the area lag behind the national
average, and the proportion of lone families is high. Rathkeale was officially
recognised as a disadvantaged community in 2009, when it was included in the
government's action plan aimed at revitalising such communities.
18.         There have been no recent
plant openings in the area that might provide new employment opportunities for
the workers. The nearest city is Limerick, some 30 km away, which was affected
in 2009 by the closure of the Dell factory, for which an EGF application was submitted
and approved. A new pharmaceutical factory in the same city requires workers
with different skills sets and greater mobility and adaptability than the
redundant Andersen Ireland workers.
Targeted beneficiaries and proposed
actions
Targeted beneficiaries
19.         The estimated number of
targeted workers  expected to participate in the measures is 138. The breakdown
of these workers by sex, citizenship and age group is as follows:
 Category || Number of targeted beneficiaries 
 Sex: || Men: || 36 || (26.09 %) 
   || Women: || 102 || (73.91 %) 
 Nationality: || EU citizens: || 137 || (99.28 %) 
   || non-EU citizens: || 1 || (0.72 %) 
 Age group: || 15-24 years: || 1 || (0.72 %) 
   || 25-29 years: || 2 || (1.45 %) 
   || 30-54 years: || 124 || (89.86 %) 
   || 55-64 years: || 11 || (7.97 %) 
   || over 64 years: || 0 || (0,00 %) 
20.         Additionally, the Irish
authorities will provide personalised services co-financed by the EGF to up to 138
young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) under the age of
25 on the date of submission of the application, given that  the redundancies
occur in the NUTS level 2 region of Southern and Eastern (IE02), which is
eligible under the Youth Employment Initiative.
21.         The total estimated number
of targeted beneficiaries expected to participate in the measures, including
NEETs, is therefore 276.
Eligibility of the proposed actions
22.         The
personalised services to be provided to the redundant workers and NEETs consist
of the following actions, which will be highly personalised and will seek to
open the widest possible range of employment opportunities in an area where
there are few expanding sectors or production sites. Significant upskilling of
the redundant workers will be required. 
–              
Occupational guidance and career planning
supports: The redundant workers will be provided
with early guidance, to help them assess their situation and prospects in a
clear methodical manner. Further guidance will follow, focusing on a course to
new employment once the initial shock of unemployment has been mitigated
somewhat. Services include individualised profiling, needs identification,
learning assessment, CV preparation, career guidance, job search assistance and
other related supports and advice. The EGF Co-ordination Unit is setting up an
office in close proximity to the affected location which will serve as a
one-stop shop for the workers and NEETs, but will also be able to draw on other
agencies as appropriate.
–              
EGF Training Grants: This scheme, which has been tested in previous EGF applications,
allows the redundant workers and NEETs to have full access to the broadest
range of training schemes, particularly for courses not accessible via the
public system. All courses are formally accredited. The scheme operates at both
second and third level education, with annual maxima of EUR 3,000 and 5,000
applying respectively. Course fees are paid directly by the EGF Co-ordination
Unit to the service provider, subject to relevant criteria such as attendance,
progression, etc.
–              
Training and second level education
programmes: The Andersen workers and NEETs will be
given the widest possible choice of education and training programmes. The main
objective is to enable the targeted persons to remain in, or return to, the
labour market. The Andersen cohort has already expressed interest in varied
areas, such as finance and administration, computer skills, healthcare, retail
and lifestyle professions as well as manufacturing and production processes. Consideration
will also be given to persons wishing to avail of internship, work placement
and community oriented employment schemes.
–              
Third level education programmes : A wide range of programmes is being made available in a number of
third level institutions and universities. Both part-time and full-time courses
are available, and uptake will depend on the targeted persons' educational
attainment, needs and suitability. Final choice will be with the individual in
accordance with the personalised service ethos characteristic of the EGF.
–              
Skillsnets training supports : Skillsnets are networks of three or more companies operating in
the same industrial sector or geographical area that co-operate to provide
training where individual companies may not be able to do so. Training is
geared at reintegration to employment and generally includes a period of
practical on the job training in locally based companies. Training is provided
in the skills needed by the participating companies and could therefore offer
good opportunities towards a future job. Working side by side with employed
persons also helps the targeted beneficiaries in terms of networking, creating
workplace links and keeping up with specific industry skillsets.
–              
Enterprise/self-employment supports: The Local Enterprise Boards will provide 'soft' services such as
mentoring, advice, assistance with preparing business plans, training in areas
such as sales and marketing, business management, taxation and book keeping,
etc, as well as 'hard' supports in terms of limited grant aids for business
start-ups, ranging around EUR 8,000 on average, up to EUR 15,000 maximum for
more high potential businesses.
–              
Income supports including course expense
contributions: Various income supports for
beneficiaries engaged in education or training will be provided -- the supports
in question being strictly limited to a maximum of 35 % of the overall package
of personalised measures and conditional on the active participation of the
beneficiary in job-search, training and education. The Course Expenses
Contribution scheme provides for a contribution to be made towards travel and
subsistence, course equipment and materials.
23.         The personalised services
which are to be provided to NEETs consist of the same actions as those provided
to the redundant workers. Progress will be monitored over the course of the
programme in order to assess whether particular types of courses are more
suited for or requested by the NEET persons and every effort will be made to
facilitate a personalised approach.
24.         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. 
25.         The Irish authorities have 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
26.         The estimated total costs are
EUR 2 502 000, comprising expenditure for personalised services
of EUR 2 332 000 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and
publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 170 000.
27.         The EGF Coordination Unit, currently
based in Raheen (30 kms from Rathkeale), will be establishing a local office in
either Rathkeale itself or nearby Newcastle West (between Rathkeale and Limerick City). This will effectively constitute a one-stop-shop for guidance and
information. It will enable the redundant workers and NEETs to locally access
all relevant supports in terms of both guidance, advice, eligibility, training
etc. and to be guided by an experienced EGF team to the relevant external
supports as appropriate.
28.         The
total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 1 501 200
(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) 
 Occupational guidance and career planning supports || 200 || 800 || 160 000 
 EGF Training Grants || 95 || 8 211 || 780 000 
 Training and second level education programmes || 73 || 4 658 || 340 000 
 Third level education programmes || 25 || 5 600 || 140 000 
 Skillsnets training supports || 40 || 4 000 || 160 000 
 Enterprise / self employment supports || 15 || 6 400 || 96 000 
 Sub-total (a): || – || 1 676 000 
 (71,9 %) 
 Allowances and incentives (Actions under Article 7(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation) 
 Income supports including course expense contributions || 233 || 2 815 || 656 000 
 Sub-total(b): || – || 656 000 
 (28,1 %) 
 Actions under Article 7(4) of the EGF Regulation 
 1. Preparatory activities || – || 10 000 
 2. Management || – || 120 000 
 3. Information and publicity || – || 20 000 
 4. Control and reporting || – || 20 000 
 Sub-total (c): || – || 170 000 
 (6,8 %) 
 Total costs (a + b + c): || – || 2 502 000 
 EGF contribution (60 % of total costs) || – || 1 501 200 
29.         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. The Irish authorities confirmed that these actions
are conditional on the active participation of the targeted beneficiaries in
job-search or training activities.
30.         The Irish authorities
confirmed that the costs of investments for self-employment and business
start-ups will not exceed EUR 15 000 per beneficiary. 
Period of eligibility of expenditure
31.         The Irish authorities
started providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 21
October 2013. The expenditure on the actions referred to in point 22 shall therefore
be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 21 October 2013 to 16
May 2016, with the exception of third level education, which will be eligible
for a financial contribution until 16 November 2016.
32.         The Irish authorities started
incurring the administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 24 September
2013. The expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity,
control and reporting activities shall therefore be eligible for a financial
contribution from the EGF from 24 September 2013 to 16 November 2016. 
Complementarity with actions funded
by national or Union funds
33.         The sources of national
pre-financing or co-funding are the Irish Exchequer, which is pre-financing the
services and will also co-finance the programme upon approval of the EGF
contribution. Expenditure will be drawn from the National Training Fund and
voted expenditure subheads of the Department of Education and Skills and other
relevant Government Departments.
34.         The Irish authorities have confirmed
that the measures described above receiving a financial contribution from the
EGF will not also receive financial contribution 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
35.         The Irish authorities have
indicated that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn
up in consultation with the targeted beneficiaries and the representatives of
the targeted beneficiaries as well as the social partners. This process was
started immediately after the notification to the relevant public authorities
of the impending collective redundancies, when the EGF Managing Authority
contacted the company management and trade union / worker representatives to
discuss and identify the potential needs of the redundant workers. The EGF
Co-ordination Unit has already carried out a comprehensive survey of the
affected workers to identify the targeted cohort, their educational and
training background and their potential personalised service needs in order to
improve their re-employability prospects.
36.         Further meetings were held
with inter alia worker representatives in March and May 2014 on the EGF
process, data gathering and application progression. It is intended to
establish a consultative forum  to complement the work of the EGF Co-ordination
Unit in order to afford the redundant workers with the opportunity to input on
an ongoing basis to the EGF programme's implementation.
37.         A local open day for both
affected redundant workers and NEET persons was held on 9 June 2014 in
Rathkeale to showcase the range of supports available under the programme and
to enable prospective EGF beneficiaries to discuss options with service
providers. The event was launched by the Minister for Training and Skills,
Ciaran Cannon, T.D.
Management and control systems
38.         The application contains a
description of the management and control system which specifies the
responsibilities of the bodies involved. Ireland has notified the Commission
that the financial contribution will be managed by the designated staff of the
Department of Education and Skills, who have been appointed as the EGF Managing
Authority. The Managing Authority examines and pays EGF claims submitted by
Intermediate Bodies on behalf of public expenditure bodies.
39.         Intermediate Bodies are
responsible for claiming EGF funding from the Managing Authority and in most
cases for its disbursement. Intermediate Bodies are also responsible for
verification that the purpose, scope and scale of funding is appropriate within
the terms of the EGF application. In addition, they ensure that monitoring and
adequate recording and internal control procedures in relation to all
EGF-related expenditure and claims are established by public beneficiary bodies
and duly documented.
40.         The EGF Certifying
Authority is responsible for the certification of expenditure statements
related to EGF co-financed measures. In doing so, the Certifying Authority
satisfies itself on compliance with all requirements relating to the accuracy,
legality, eligibility and regularity of expenditure. It also certifies the
Statement Justifying the Expenditure to be sent as part of the final report.
41.         An independent audit body
will submit its opinion with the final report.
Commitments provided by the Member State concerned
42.         The Irish authorities have 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 enterprise has complied with its
legal obligations governing the redundancies and has provided for the workers
accordingly;
–              
the proposed actions will provide support for
individual workers and will not be used for restructuring companies or sectors;
–              
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
43.         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[6].
44.         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 1 501 200, representing 60 % of the total costs of the proposed actions, in order to provide a financial
contribution for the application.
45.         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[7].
Related acts
46.         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 1 501 200.
47.         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, in accordance with 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
(application EGF/2014/007 IE/Andersen Ireland)
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[8],
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[9],
and in particular point 13 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the
European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)       The European Globalisation
Adjustment Fund (EGF) was established 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 addressed
in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009[10],
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 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[11] 
(3)       Ireland submitted an
application to mobilise the EGF, in respect of redundancies[12] in Andersen Ireland Limited in Ireland, on 16 May 2014 and supplemented it by additional information as provided for in
Article 8(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013. This 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 6 (2) of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013, Ireland has decided to provide
personalised services co-financed by the EGF also to NEETs.
(5)       The EGF should, therefore,
be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of an amount of EUR 1 501 200 for the application submitted by Ireland,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1
For the general budget of the European
Union for the financial year 2014, the European Globalisation adjustment Fund  shall
be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 1 501 200 in commitment
and payment appropriations.
Article 2
This decision
shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels,
For the European Parliament                        For
the Council
The President                                                 The
President
[1]               OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855.
[2]               Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical
classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and amending Council
Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 as well as certain EC regulations on specific
statistical domains (OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1).
[3]               In accordance with the fourth paragraph of Article 7
of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013.
[4]               Commission Regulation (EU) No 1046/2012 of 8 November
2012 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament
and of the Council on the establishment of a common classification of
territorial units for statistics (NUTS) as regards the transmission of the time
series for the new regional breakdown (OJ L 310, 9.11.2012, p. 34).
[5]               Within the meaning of Article 3(a) of the EGF
Regulation.
[6]               OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884.
[7]               OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.
[8]               OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855.
[9]               OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.
[10]             Regulation (EC) No 546/2009 of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 18 June 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 on
establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund  (OJ L 167,  29.6.2009,
p.26).
[11]             Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 laying
down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 (OJ L 347,
20.12.2013, p. 884).
[12]             Within the meaning of Article 3(a) of the EGF
Regulation.