Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (application from Germany – EGF/2015/002 DE/Adam Opel)
Date: 2015-07-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, collective dismissal, commitment of expenditure, distribution of EU funding, general budget (EU), motor vehicle industry, payment appropriation

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 14.7.2015  COM(2015) 342 final   Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund  (application from Germany – EGF/2015/002 DE/Adam Opel)  
 
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

1. 

2. 

3. 

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 1927/20061 (the ‘EGF Regulation’). 

On  26  February  2015,  Germany  submitted  application  EGF/2015/002 DE/Adam 
Opel  for  a  financial  contribution  from  the  EGF,  following  redundancies2  in  Adam 
Opel AG and one supplier in Germany. 

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 

Member State 

Region(s) concerned (NUTS level 2) 

EGF/2015/002 DE/Adam Opel 

Germany 
Arnsberg (DE A5) 

Date of submission of the application 

26 February 2015 

Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the 
application 

12 March 2015 

Date of request for additional information 

12 March 2015 

Deadline for provision of the additional 
information 

23 April 2015 

Deadline for the completion of the assessment 

16 July 2015 

Intervention criterion 

Primary enterprise 

Article 4(1)(a) of the EGF Regulation 

Adam Opel AG 

Number of enterprises concerned 

2 

Sector(s) of economic activity 
(NACE Revision 2 Division)3 

Division 29 (Manufacture of motor 
vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers) 

Number of subsidiaries, suppliers and 
downstream producers 

1 

Reference period four months: 

15 August 2014 – 15 December 2014 

Number of redundancies during the reference 
period (a) 

2 881 

1 
2 
3 

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855. 
Within the meaning of Article 3 of the EGF Regulation. 
OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1. 

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Number of redundancies before or after the 
reference period (b) 

Total number of redundancies (a + b) 

Total number of eligible beneficiaries 

Total number of targeted beneficiaries 

Number of targeted young persons not in 
employment, education or training (NEETs) 
Budget for personalised services (EUR) 
Budget for implementing EGF4 (EUR) 
Total budget (EUR) 
EGF contribution (60 %) (EUR) 

ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION 

Procedure 

0 

2 881 

2 881 

2 692 

0 

11 151 640 
446 066 
11 597 706 
6 958 623 

4. 

Germany submitted application EGF/2015/002 DE/Adam Opel on 26 February 2015 
within 12 weeks of the date on which the intervention criteria set out in Article 4 of 
the  EGF  Regulation  were  met.  The  Commission  acknowledged  receipt  of  the 
application  within  two  weeks  of  the  date  of  submission  of  the  application,  on  12 
March 2015, and requested additional information from Germany 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 16 July 2015. 

Eligibility of the application 

Enterprises and beneficiaries concerned 

5. 

The application relates to 2 881 workers made redundant by Adam Opel AG and one 
supplier. The primary enterprise operates in the economic sector classified under the 
NACE  Revision  2  Division  29  (Manufacture  of  motor  vehicles,  trailers  and  semi-
trailers). The redundancies made by the primary enterprise are mainly located in the 
NUTS5 level 2 region of Arnsberg (DE A5). 

Enterprises and number of dismissals within the reference period 

Adam Opel AG 
Total no. of enterprises: 2 

2 826 

Johnson Controls 

55 

Total no. of dismissals:  

2 881 

Total no. of self-employed persons whose activity has ceased:  

0 

Total no. of eligible workers and self-employed persons:  

2 881 

4 
5 

In accordance with the fourth paragraph of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013. 
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). 

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Intervention criteria 

6. 

7. 

8. 

Germany submitted the application under the intervention criteria of  Article 4(1)(a) 
of  the  EGF  Regulation,  which  requires  at  least  500  workers  being  made  redundant 
over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State, including 
workers  made  redundant  by  suppliers  and  downstream  producers  and  /  or  self-
employed persons whose activity has ceased. 

The reference period of four months for the application runs from 15 August 2014 to 
15 December 2014. 

The redundancies during the reference period are as follows: 

– 

– 

2 826 workers made redundant in Adam Opel AG, 

55 workers made redundant in Johnson Controls Objekt Bochum GmbH & Co. 
KG, a supplier of Adam Opel AG. 

Calculation of redundancies and of cessation of activity 

9. 

The redundancies during the reference period have been calculated as follows: 

– 

2 881  from  the  date  of  the  employer's  individual  notice  to  lay  off  or  to 
terminate the contract of employment of the worker. 

Eligible beneficiaries 

10. 

The total number of eligible beneficiaries is 2 881. 

Link  between  the  redundancies  and  the  global  financial  and  economic  crisis  addressed  in 

Regulation (EC) No 546/2009 

11. 

12. 

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In order to establish the link between the redundancies and the global financial and 
economic  crisis  addressed  in  Regulation  (EC)  No  546/2009,  Germany  argues  that 
due  to  the  crisis,  the  number  of  cars  sold  in  Europe  is  the  lowest  since  1997.  In 
Western Europe sales dropped dramatically and reached a 20-year record low6. As a 
consequence  of  the  financial  and  economic  crisis,  the  number  of  newly  registered 
cars in the EU and EFTA Member States saw a 25 % drop between 2007 and 2013 
(from  more  than  16 million  newly  registered  cars  down  to  12 million,  according  to 
the  European  Automobile  Manufacturers  Association).  Manufacturers  of  small  and 
medium-sized vehicles of the medium-price segment have been hit particularly hard, 
whereas  sales  of  economy  as  well  as  of  premium  or  luxury  vehicles  were  not  as 
much  affected  by  the  crisis.  The  German  Automobile  Manufacturers  Association 
(Verband  der  Automobilindustrie)  reports  a  sharp  drop  in  market  share  for  all 
relevant manufacturers on the European market of small and medium-sized vehicles 
within  the  medium-price  segment,  such  as  Opel,  Fiat,  PSA,  Renault  (excluding 
Dacia),  Ford and  Toyota,  since 2007. In  addition to  the overall drop  in  car sales, a 
shift  from  medium-priced  vehicles  to  economy  vehicles  could  be  observed.  The 
sharp  drop  in  overall  car  sales  can  be  attributed  to  the  ongoing  economic  and 
financial  crisis.  Between  2007  and  2013,  EUROSTAT  reports  a  significant  rise  of 
unemployment within the EU (7,2 % in 2007 to 10,8 % in 2013), which is likely to 
have had an impact on consumer spending. 

Adam Opel AG, a German car manufacturer acquired by General Motors in 1931, is 
selling its Opel and Vauxhall-branded cars primarily on the European market and is 

European  Automobile  Manufacturers  Association  (ACEA),  The  Automobile  Industry  Pocket  Guide 
2014-2015, p. 57f. 

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13. 

14. 

one  of  the  major  players  in  the  medium-price  segment  of  small  and  medium-sized 
vehicles.  Adam  Opel  AG  has  thus  been  hit  particularly  hard  by  the  crisis.  As  a 
consequence  of  the  developments  described  above,  Opel/Vauxhall  car  sales  in 
Europe dropped dramatically. Between 2007 and 2013, sales fell by 39 %. 

As  a  consequence  of  the  sharp  decline  of  car  cales,  Adam  Opel  AG  faced  the 
problem  of  overcapacities.  As  the  fixed  costs  of  operating  a  production  plant 
remained  equal,  a  reduction  of  the  number  of  produced  vehicles  meant  rising 
production  costs  per  vehicle  and  thus  a  reduced  margin.  Adam  Opel  AG  currently 
operates five plants for the production of Opel and Vauxhall cars in Europe: two in 
Germany (the third plant, Bochum, has been shut down since 31 December 2014 and 
is  the  subject  of  this  proposal),  and  one  each  in  Poland,  the  United  Kingdom  and 
Spain. 

To date,  the NACE Revision 2 Division  29 sector  (Manufacture of  motor vehicles, 
trailers and semi-trailers) has been the subject of 21 EGF applications, 11 of which 
based  on  trade  related  globalisation  and  10  on  the  global  financial  and  economic 
crisis.  In  many  of  these  cases,  both  criteria  (globalisation  and  crisis)  in  varying 
degrees influenced the decision to lay off workers. It is then up to the Member State 
to determine which was the principal cause in a specific application and to provide a 
reasoned analysis of the link between the redundancies and that particular criterion, 
showing a clear causality. 

Events giving rise to the redundancies and cessation of activity 

15. 

16. 

The event giving rise to these redundancies is the complete shutdown of Adam Opel 
AG’s  production  plant  in  Bochum.  Between  2007  and  2013,  Opel  reduced  the 
production volumes of the Bochum plant by 55 %. Overproduction caused by a sharp 
drop in car sales as a consequence of the financial and economic crisis forced Adam 
Opel  AG  to  readjust  its  production  capacities  in  Europe  in  order  to  match  them  to 
demand. The ensuing restructuring process led to the closure of the Opel production 
facility  in  Antwerp,  Belgium.  The  closure  of  the  Antwerp  plant  was  the  subject  of 
application  EGF/2010/031 BE/Generals  Motors  Belgium,  which  Belgium  based  on 
the  crisis  criterion.  The  continuation  of  the  global  financial  and  economic  crisis 
pressurised Adam Opel AG to downsize its production capacities again and to close 
one of its remaining factories. As the lines of cars produced in its Bochum plant were 
about to reach the end of their respective production cycles, Adam Opel AG decided 
to shut down this particular factory. 

In  February  2013,  Adam  Opel  AG  tried  to  seek  a  collective  agreement  with  its 
German  workforce,  offering  the  continuation  of  all  German  production  plants  and 
guaranteed employment of all workers in Germany until the end of December 2016. 
The production plant in Bochum would be shut down by the end of that period. The 
social  partners  of  all  production  plants  concerned,  except  Bochum,  agreed  to  the 
plan. As concerns the Bochum production plant, which still employed a workforce of 
3 280 in 2013, Adam Opel AG continued negotiations with Gewerkschaft IG Metall 
metal  workers.  A  further  reduction in  car  sales  forced  Adam  Opel  AG  to  close the 
Bochum production facility earlier than originally planned. In June 2014, the social 
partners agreed to the closure of the plant as end of December 2014 and the creation 
of  a  transfer  company.  In  August  2014,  all  workers  were  offered  agreements  to 
benefit  from  the  services  of  transfer  companies.  2 637  of  them  signed  a  tripartite 
agreement to be employed by a transfer company upon the end of their employment 
with Adam Opel AG.  

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17. 

18. 

The creation of a transfer company is not mandatory under German law. There is no 
obligation on the part of the dismissing company to contribute towards the creation 
of  a  transfer  company.  Without  the  participation  of  the  dismissing  company,  no 
transfer  company  would  be  set  up,  and  the  dismissed  personnel  would  be 
unemployed.  If  the  dismissing  company  does  offer  to  participate,  and  if  the  social 
partners agree to the creation of a transfer company, German social law sets the legal 
frame (§§ 110 and 111,SGB III).  

Due  to  the  closure  of  the  plant  of  Adam  Opel  AG,  its  supplier  Johnson  Controls 
Objekt Bochum GmbH&Co. KG had to adjust its production capacities likewise and 
decided  to  close  down  the  production  facilities  for  Opel  components.  On  23 
September  2014,  the  social  partners  agreed  to  a  social  plan.  As  a  consequence,  55 
workers were dismissed. The social plan does not comprise the creation of a transfer 
company and the redundant personnel is unemployed. 

Expected impact of the redundancies as regards the local, regional or national economy and 

employment 

19. 

The  redundancies  have  a  significant  adverse  impact  on  the  local  economy  in 
Bochum. Bochum is a city in the Ruhr area, a highly urbanised industrial area in the 
German  Federal  State  of  North  Rhine-Westphalia.  The  Ruhr  area,  traditionally  a 
coal-mining  and  steel  producing  region,  has  been  facing  tremendous  structural 
challenges  since  the  1960s.  Whereas  in  the  1980s  the  coal  mining  sector  still 
employed more than 100 000 workers, this number has dropped by about 90 %. Coal 
mining  in  the  Ruhr  area  is  expected  to  cease  operations  by  2018,  when  the 
government subsidies finally end.  The unemployment rate in the Ruhr area  already 
reaches levels far above the German average. The unemployment rate in the city of 
Bochum is currently 11 % (28 809 unemployed citizens are registered with the local 
Public Employment Service). The absence of a transfer company in the case of Opel 
would  have  caused  a  rise  in  the  number  of  unemployed  people  by  more  than  5 %. 
More than 25 % of the redundant personnel is aged over 55 and would thus have an 
even  more  signifant  impact  on  the  number  of  unemployed  of  that  particular  age 
group (in Bochum, there are currently 4 940 unemployed registered over the age of 
55). 

Targeted beneficiaries and proposed actions 

Targeted beneficiaries 

20. 

The estimated number of redundant workers expected to participate in the measures 
is  2 692.  The  breakdown  of  these  workers  by  sex,  citizenship  and  age  group  is  as 
follows: 

Sex: 

Category 

Men: 

Women: 

Number of  
targeted beneficiaries 

2 583  (95,95 %) 

109 

(4,05 %) 

Citizenship:  EU citizens: 

2 552  (94,80 %) 

non-EU citizens: 

140 

(5,20 %) 

Age group: 

15-24 years: 

25-29 years: 

60 

48 

(2,23 %) 

(1,78 %) 

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30-54 years: 

55-64 years: 

over 64 years: 

1 878  (69,76 %) 

706  (26,23 %) 

0 

(0 %) 

Eligibility of the proposed actions 

21. 

As set out above, the social partners agreed on the creation of transfer companies and 
entrusted TÜV Nord Transfer GmbH with the creation of three transfer companies, 
catering  to  three  different  batches  of  redundant  workers  of  the  Adam  Opel  AG 
Bochum plant. This is necessary as a total of 188 workers are part of a closure team 
whose job is to wind up the facilities. Whereas the major part of dismissed workers 
entered the first transfer company on 1 January 2015, members of the closure teams 
enter  the  second  and  third  company  on  1  April  and  1  July  2015,  respectively. 
According to the social plan, Adam Opel AG agreed to offer additional measures for 
its  former  employees  and  these  offers  and  additional  measures  are  provided  by  the 
transfer  company,  but  are  not  part  of  the  EGF  application.  As  soon  as  the  German 
authorities  are  sufficiently  confident  that  EGF  funding  is  likely  to  be  forthcoming, 
the 55 dismissed former workers of Johnson Controls Objekt Bochum GmbH & Co. 
KG  will  be  offered  to  participate  in  the  measures  carried  out  by  the  transfer 
companies.  They  will  not  be  signing  an  employment  contract  with  the  transfer 
company, but will be allowed to participate in the EGF financed measures carried out 
by the transfer company. All of the following measures combine to form a package 
of  personalised  services  coordinated  by  the  transfer  companies  and  aimed  to  re-
integrate the redundant workers into employment:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Vocational training measures (Qualifizierungen): These are offered to eligible 
workers  following  profiling  and  career  guidance  interviews,  and  with  the 
intention  of  helping  them  to  benefit  from  opportunities  in  the  labour  market. 
Training courses offered will focus on sectors with future prospects, such as IT, 
transport,  logistics  or  electronics.  Courses  can  be  provided  individually  or  in 
groups,  and  they  range  from  basic  competences  to  upskilling  courses  and 
courses preparing the participants for career changes and work in other sectors 
or for starting up their own businesses. 

Career  Guidance  (Berufsorientierung):  This  package  will  include  various 
instruments  such  as  job  market  analyses,  job  search,  dissemination  of 
knowledge of self-marketing strategies, job application as well as job interview 
training. 

Peer  groups  /  workshops:  These  will  be  group  fora  assisted  by  a  facilitator, 
helping participants to exchange ideas and reflections. Peer groups may focus 
on a range of topics, such as time management, self-management, labour law, 
promotion of health measures or learning techniques. 

Business  start-up  advisory  service  (Existenzgründerberatung):  This  will 
comprise  a  package  of  advisory  services  for  those  interested  in  starting  their 
own  businesses.  These  services  will  include  individualised  taylor-made 
coaching measures. 

Job  Search  (Stellenakquise)  /  job  fairs  (Jobmessen):  professional  job  scouts 
will help to locate potential job vacancies not yet published, which might suit 
eligible workers. Events such as job fairs will be organised to facilitate contacts 
between potential employers and candidates. 

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– 

– 

Follow-up  mentoring  and  advisory  services  (Nachbetreuung  und  -  beratung): 
workers can benefit from further guidance counselling services after taking up 
new employment in order to facilitate transition into a new job and to minimise 
the risk of a job loss. 

Training  allowance  (Transferkurzarbeitergeld):  this  amounts  to  60 %  of  the 
worker’s previous net income, or 67 % if one or more children are resident in 
the recipient’s household. It is payable for up to twelve months from the date 
when the worker enters the transfer company.  

22. 

23. 

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. 

Germany has 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 

24. 

The  estimated 
total  costs  are  EUR 11 597 706,  comprising  expenditure  for 
personalised  services  of  EUR 11 151 640  and  expenditure  for  preparatory, 
management, 
information  and  publicity,  control  and  reporting  activities  of 
EUR 446 066. 

25. 

The total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 6 958 623 (60 % of 
total costs). 

Actions 

Estimated 
number of 
participants 

Estimated 
cost per 
participant 
(rounded 
figures) 
(EUR) 

Estimated total 
costs 
(EUR)  

Personalised services (Actions under Article 7(1)(a) and (c) of the EGF Regulation) 

Vocational training measures 
(Qualifizierungsmaßnahmen) 

Career Guidance (Berufsorientierung) 

Peer Groups/Workshops  

Business start-up advisory service 
(Existenzgründerberatung) 

1 559 

3 445 

5 370 244 

750 

600 

931 

697 917 

388 

232 939 

25 

3 138 

78 456 

Job Search (Stellenakquise)  

500 

657 

328 299 

Follow-up mentoring and advisory services 
(Nachbetreuung / Beratung)  

1 050 

515 

540 711 

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Sub-total (a): 
Percentage of the package of personalised 
services  

– 

7 248 566 

(65,00 %) 

Allowances and incentives (Actions under Article 7(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation) 

Training allowance 
(Transferkurzarbeitergeld)  

Sub-total (b): 
Percentage of the package of personalised 
services: 

 Actions under Article 7(4) of the EGF Regulation 

1. Preparatory activities 

2. Management 

3. Information and publicity 

4. Control and reporting 

Sub-total (c): 
Percentage of the total costs : 

Total costs (a + b + c): 

EGF contribution (60 % of total costs) 

2 637 

1 480 

3 903 074 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

3 903 074 

(35,00 %) 

66 910 

245 336 

22 303 

111 517 

446 066 

(3,85 %) 

11 597 706 

6 958 623 

26. 

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.  Germany  confirmed  that  these  actions  are 
conditional  on  the  active  participation  of  the  targeted  beneficiaries  in  job-search  or 
training  activities.  Only  documented  activities  may  be  taken  into  account  and 
Germany will take care to provide an audit trail. 

Period of eligibility of expenditure 

27. 

28. 

Germany  started  providing  the  personalised  services  to  the  targeted  beneficiaries 
from 1 January 2015. The expenditure on the actions referred to above shall therefore 
be  eligible  for  a  financial  contribution  from  the  EGF  from  1  January  2015  to  26 
February 2017. 

Germany  started  incurring  the  administrative  expenditure  to  implement  the  EGF  as 
from 1 January 2015. The expenditure for preparatory, management, information and 
publicity,  control  and  reporting  activities  shall  therefore  be  eligible  for  a  financial 
contribution from the EGF from 1 January 2015 to 26 August 2017.  

Complementarity with actions funded by national or Union funds 

29. 

The  sources  of  national  pre-financing  or  co-funding  are  the  Federal  budget  and 
Bundesagentur  für  Arbeit  (Federal  Public  Employment  Service).  These  fund  the 
national contribution of 40% of the total costs of EGF financed measures offered by 
the  transfer  company.  The  personalised  services  start  with  the  entrance  of  the 
workers  into  the  transfer  company,  which  is  initially  financed  by  the  German 
government and the dismissing company. Workers are paid training allowances (the 
"Transferkurzarbeitergeld"), which are eligible for EGF while the redundant workers 
follow active labour market policy measures (which do not have to be co-funded by 

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the  EGF,  and  which  during  the  initial  period  are  funded  by  the  transfer  company 
mechanisms set out above). The additional EGF-financed active labour market policy 
measures start at a later date, once the German EGF authorities perceive a degree of 
certainty that their EGF application is likely to succeed. 

30. 

Germany  has  confirmed  that  the  measures  described  above  receiving  a  financial 
contribution  from  the  EGF  will  not  also  receive  financial  contributions  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 

31. 

Germany  has  indicated  that  the  co-ordinated  package  of  personalised  services  has 
been drawn up in consultation with the social partners as set out above. 

Management and control systems 

32. 

The application contains a description of the management and control system which 
specifies  the  responsibilities  of  the  bodies  involved.  Germany  has  notified  the 
Commission that the financial contribution will be administered by the same bodies 
within  the  Federal  Ministry  for  Labour  and  Social  Affairs  (Bundesministerium  für 
Arbeit  und  Soziales)  which  administer  the  ESF.  However,  within  the  'Gruppe 
Europäische  Fonds  für  Beschäftigung',  it  is  the  'Referat  EF  4'  which  acts  as  the 
managing authority for the EGF, while the managing authority for the ESF is 'Referat 
EF 1'. The  'Organisationseinheit Prüfbehörde' is  the control authority  for both  EGF 
and  ESF.  These  bodies  also  administered  the  previous  EGF  contributions  to 
Germany.  

Commitments provided by the Member State concerned 

33. 

Germany has 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 enterprises, which  have  continued their activities after  the  lay-
offs have complied with their legal obligations governing the redundancies and 
provided for their workers accordingly, 

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 

34. 

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) 

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35. 

36. 

No 1311/2013  of  2  December  2013  laying  down  the  multiannual  financial 
framework for the years 2014-20207. 

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 6 958 623, representing 60 % of the total 
costs  of  the  proposed  actions,  in  order  to  provide  a  financial  contribution  for  the 
application. 

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 management8. 

Related acts 

37. 

38. 

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 6 958 623. 

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. 

7 
8 

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. 
OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. 

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11 

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Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund  
(application from Germany – EGF/2015/002 DE/Adam Opel) 

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 1927/20069, 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 management10, and in particular point 13 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

9 
10 
11 

The  European  Globalisation  Adjustment  Fund  (EGF)  aims  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, or as a result of a 
new  global  financial  and  economic  crisis,  and  to  assist  them  with  their  reintegration 
into the labour market. 

The  EGF  is  not  to  exceed  a  maximum  annual  amount  of  EUR 150 million  (2011 
in  Article 12  of  Council  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom) 
prices),  as 
No 1311/201311. 

laid  down 

On  26  February  2015,  Germany  submitted  an  application  EGF/2015/002 DE/Adam 
Opel for a financial contribution from the EGF, following redundancies in Adam Opel 
AG  and  one  supplier  in  Germany.  It  was  supplemented  by  additional  information  in 
accordance  with  Article 8(3)  of  Regulation  (EU)  No 1309/2013.  That  application 
complies with the requirements for determining a financial contribution from the EGF 
in accordance with Article 13 of that Regulation. 

The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of 
EUR 6 958 623 in respect of the application submitted by Germany. 

In  order  to  minimise  the  time  taken  to  mobilise  the  EGF,  this  decision  should  apply 
from the date of its adoption, 

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855. 
OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. 
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). 

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HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

Article 1 

For  the  general  budget  of  the  European  Union  for  the  financial  year  2015,  the  European 
Globalisation  Adjustment  Fund  shall  be  mobilised  to  provide  the  sum  of  EUR 6 958 623  in 
commitment and payment appropriations. 

Article 2 

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Union. It shall apply from [the date of its adoption]. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

  

Date to be inserted by the Parliament before the publication in OJ. 

EN 

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