European Parliament resolution of 26 May 2016 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (application from France — EGF/2015/010 FR/MoryGlobal) (COM(2016)0185 — C8-0136/2016 — 2016/2043(BUD))
Date: 2016-05-26
Institutions: Committee on Budgets, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Committee on Regional Development, European Parliament
Subjects: European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, France, dismissal, employment aid, financial aid, general budget (EU), globalisation, regions of France, reintegration into working life, road transport








C_2018076EN.01015801.xml










28.2.2018   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 76/158





P8_TA(2016)0229
Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: application EGF/2015/010 FR/MoryGlobal
European Parliament resolution of 26 May 2016 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (application from France — EGF/2015/010 FR/MoryGlobal) (COM(2016)0185 — C8-0136/2016 — 2016/2043(BUD))
(2018/C 076/31)

The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2016)0185 — C8-0136/2016),










—


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 (1) (EGF Regulation),










—


having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 (2), and in particular Article 12 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 (3) (IIA of 2 December 2013), and in particular point 13 thereof,










—


having regard to the trilogue procedure provided for in point 13 of the IIA of 2 December 2013,










—


having regard to the letter of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,










—


having regard to the letter of the Committee on Regional Development,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0182/2016),










A.


whereas the Union has set up legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who are suffering from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns or of the global financial and economic crisis 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 to the IIA of 2 December 2013 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF);










C.


whereas the adoption of the EGF Regulation reflects the agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council to reintroduce the crisis mobilisation criterion, to set the Union financial contribution to 60 % of the total estimated cost of proposed measures, to increase efficiency for the treatment of EGF applications in the Commission and by the Parliament and the Council by shortening the time for assessment and approval, to widen eligible actions and beneficiaries by introducing self-employed persons and young people and to finance incentives for setting up own businesses;










D.


whereas France submitted application EGF/2015/010 FR/MoryGlobal for a financial contribution from the EGF, following redundancies in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 Division 49 (Land transport and transport via pipelines) and Division 52 (Warehousing and support activities for transportation) throughout mainland France, and whereas 2 132 redundant workers eligible for an EGF contribution are expected to participate in the measures; whereas the request follows the judicial liquidation of MoryGlobal and is a follow-up to the application EGF/2014/017 FR/Mory-Ducros;










E.


whereas the application was submitted under the intervention criteria of point (a) of Article 4(1) 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;












1.


Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in point (a) of Article 4(1) of the EGF Regulation are met and that, therefore, France is entitled to a financial contribution of EUR 5 146 800 under that Regulation, which represents 60 % of the total cost of EUR 8 528 000;












2.


Notes that the Commission respected the deadline of 12 weeks from the receipt of the application from the French authorities, on 19 November 2015, until the finalisation of its assessment on the compliance with the conditions for providing a financial contribution, on 7 April 2016 and notified its assessment to Parliament that day;












3.


Considers that the redundancies in MoryGlobal are linked to the general decline in physical output in Europe, which has led to a reduction in volumes to be transported and a price war in the road haulage sector, resulting in a steady deterioration in operating margins and a series of losses for the sector in France since 2007, followed by a wave of bankruptcies, including that of Mory-Ducros and later of MoryGlobal, which re-employed 2 107 of Mory-Ducros’ former workers;












4.


Points out that the EGF support for 2 513 former Mory-Ducros workers, approved in April 2015 (4), amounts to EUR 6 052 200;












5.


Notes that, to date, the land transport and transport via pipelines sector has been the subject of two other EGF applications: EGF/2014/017 FR/Mory-Ducros and EGF/2011/001 AT/Nieder- und Oberoesterreich, both based on the global financial and economic crisis, relating to 2 804 redundancies in that sector; notes that several measures in the two applications are similar;












6.


Notes the fact that the French authorities started providing the personalised services to the affected workers on 23 April 2015, ahead of the application on the granting of EGF support for the proposed coordinated package;












7.


Welcomes the fact that France put in place the social plan, in which MoryGlobal also participates financially, before obtaining the top up from EGF; appreciates that the assistance requested from EGF does not include measures under point (b) of Article 7(1) of the EGF Regulation, namely allowances, but is orientated towards measures with real added value for the future reintegration into the labour market of the workers made redundant;












8.


Notes that the EGF cofunded personalised services to be provided consist of advice and guidance provided by a team of expert consultants, which are additional to the social plan and the Contrat de Sécurisation Professionnelle funded by the French State to help the workers back into employment; notes that the three contractors operating the team of consultants are the ones providing services to the workers made redundant by Mory-Ducros; expects the Commission and the French authorities to strictly follow the principle according to which payments to the agencies are to be made on the basis of results achieved;












9.


Notes that the contractors (BPI, Sodie and AFPA Transitions) shall assist the redundant workers and help them find solutions to remain in the labour market and find new jobs, through personalised services such as collective and individual information sessions, job transition and accompaniment towards new jobs;












10.


Considers that workers in the 55-64 age group are at a higher risk of long-term unemployment and exclusion from the labour market with the possible effect of social exclusion; considers therefore that those workers, who make up over 19 % of the beneficiaries expected to be targeted by the proposed actions, have specific needs when it comes to providing them with personalised approach in accordance with Article 7 of the EGF Regulation;












11.


Notes that France indicated that the coordinated package of personalised services was drawn up in consultation with the representatives of the targeted beneficiaries and the social partners;












12.


Reminds that, in line with Article 7 of the EGF Regulation, the design of the coordinated package of personalised services should anticipate future labour market perspectives and required skills and should be compatible with the shift towards a resource-efficient and sustainable economy; welcomes the fact that France has provided all necessary assurances that the proposed actions will be complementary to actions funded by the Structural Funds as a combined measure to adjust to global challenges in order to achieve sustainable economic growth as highlighted in the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund 2007-2014 European Implementation Assessment (5);












13.


Notes that the contractors operating the team of consultants are the same as those providing services to the workers made redundant by Mory-Ducros; calls on the Commission to provide an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the ongoing support for the redundant workers of Mory-Ducros, as the current application is a follow-up to the EGF/2014/017 FR/Mory-Ducros application, and the personalised services are provided by the same contractors;












14.


Takes into account the sensitivity of the specific labour market since France has the highest share of EU-28 value added within the land transport services sector;












15.


Notes that French authorities confirm that the proposed actions do not receive financial support from other Union funds or financial instruments and that they are complementary to actions funded by the Structural Funds;












16.


Reiterates that assistance from the EGF comes in addition to national measures and must not replace actions which are the responsibility of Member States or of companies;












17.


Appreciates the improved procedure put in place by the Commission, following the Parliament’s request for the accelerated release of grants; notes the time pressure that the new timetable implies and the potential impact on the effectiveness of case instruction;












18.


Recalls its appeal to the Commission to assure public access to all the documents related to EGF cases;












19.


Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;












20.


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;












21.


Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its Annex, to the Council and the Commission.






(1)  OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855.

(2)  OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884.

(3)  OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.

(4)  Decision (EU) 2015/738 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (application EGF/2014/017 FR/Mory-Ducros, from France) (OJ L 117, 8.5.2015, p. 47).

(5)  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2016/558763/EPRS_IDA(2016)558763_EN.pdf



ANNEX


DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL


on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund


(application from France — EGF/2015/010 FR/MoryGlobal)


(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2016/989.)