Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund following an application from Belgium – EGF/2019/001 BE/Carrefour
Date: 2019-10-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, collective dismissal, commitment of expenditure, employment aid, financial aid, general budget (EU), globalisation, reintegration into working life, supermarket

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.10.2019 COM(2019) 442 final  Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund following an application from Belgium – EGF/2019/001 BE/Carrefour  
 
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 20 June 2019, Belgium submitted an application EGF/2019/001 BE/Carrefour for 
a  financial  contribution  from  the  EGF,  following  redundancies2  in  Carrefour 
Belgique SA in Belgium. 

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 
Regions concerned (NUTS3 level 2) 

Date of submission of the application 

EGF/2019/001 BE/Carrefour 

Belgium 
The redundancies concern the whole 
of Belgium 
20 June 2019 

Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the 
application 

20 June 2019 

Date of request for additional information 

4 July 2019 

Deadline for provision of the additional 
information 

15 August 2019 

Deadline for the completion of the assessment 

7 November 2019 

Intervention criterion 

Primary enterprise 

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

Carrefour Belgique SA  

Number of enterprises concerned 

1 

Sector of economic activity 
(NACE Revision 2 Division)4 

Division 47 (Retail trade, except 
motor vehicles and motorcycles) 

Reference period (four months): 

30 November 2018 – 30 March 2019 

1 
2 
3 

4 

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

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Number of redundancies during the reference 
period (a) 

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

Total number of redundancies (a + b) 

Total number of eligible workers 

Total number of targeted workers 

Number of targeted young persons not in 
employment, education or training (NEETs) 
Budget for personalised services (EUR) 
Budget for implementing EGF5 (EUR) 
Total budget (EUR) 
EGF contribution (60 %) (EUR) 

ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION 

Procedure 

751 

268 

1 019 

1 019 

400 

330 

2 665 047 
55 000 
2 720 047 
1 632 028 

4. 

Belgium submitted application EGF/2019/001 BE/Carrefour within 12 weeks of the 
date  on  which  the  intervention  criteria  set  out  in  Article 4  of  the  EGF  Regulation 
were  met,  on  20  June  2019.  The  Commission  acknowledged  receipt  of  the 
application  the  same  day  and  requested  additional  information  from  Belgium  on  4 
July 2019. 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 7 November 2019. 

Eligibility of the application 

Enterprises and beneficiaries concerned 

5. 

The  application  relates  to  751  workers  made  redundant  in  Carrefour  Belgique  SA. 
The enterprise operates in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 
Division 47 (Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles). The redundancies 
made by Carrefour Belgique concern the whole of Belgium.  

Intervention criteria 

6. 

7. 

Belgium 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 30 November 2018 
to  30  March  2019.  The  redundancies  during  the  reference  period  concern  751 
workers made redundant in Carrefour Belgique. 

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

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Calculation of redundancies and of cessation of activity 

8. 

All 751 redundancies during the reference period were calculated as from the date of 
the de facto termination of the contract of employment or its expiry. 

Eligible beneficiaries 

9. 

In addition to the workers already referred to, the eligible beneficiaries include 268 
workers  made  redundant  before  or  after  the  reference  period.  These  workers  were 
made redundant after the general announcement of the projected redundancies on 25 
January 20186. A clear causal link can be established with the event that triggered the 
redundancies during the reference period. 

10. 

The total number of eligible beneficiaries is therefore 1 019. 

Link between the redundancies and major structural changes in world trade patterns due to 
globalisation 

11. 

12. 

Belgium argues that retail trade is going through a period of major changes, due to 
globalisation (online shopping), this resulting in redundancies. Changing patterns of 
consumers' habits and digitalisation also have an impact on retail trade. 

Worldwide online sales have been steadily growing for many years. In 2015, global 
retail  e-commerce  sales  accounted  for  7,4%  of  total  retail  spending.  In  2017,  it 
reached  USD 2 382  trillion,  marking  a  28%  increase  over  the  previous  year  and 
making up 10,4% of total retail sales worldwide. In 2019, worldwide online sales are 
expected to grow by 20,7% and to make up 14,1% of total retail spending7. 

Retail e-commerce sales worldwide 2017-2019 
(USD trillions, % change and % of total retail sales) 

  Retail e-commerce sales 

  % of change 

  % of total retail sales 

13. 

According to forecasts, this upward trend will continue in the forthcoming years. In 
2023 worldwide retail e-commerce sales are expected to triple the sales accounted in 
2018, making up 22% of total retail spending8. 

6 

7 
8 

http://www.gondola.be/fr/news/food-retail/plan-de-transformation-carrefour-belgique-signature-du-
protocole-daccord 
Worldwide retail ecommerce sales (https://www.emarketer.com/content/global-ecommerce-2019) 
Ibid. 

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Retail e-commerce sales worldwide 2020-2023. Forecast. 
(USD trillions, % change and % of total retail sales) 

14. 

  Retail e-commerce sales 

  % of change 

  % of total retail sales 

In the EU, the percentage of the population purchasing online increased from 47% to 
69% over the period 2013-20189. Along with the increase in the number of e-buyers, 
there  have  been  shifts  in  the  choice  of  the  e-sellers.  Shoppers  making  online 
purchases  from  sellers  in  their  own  country  declined  although  only  by  one 
percentage  point,  from  89%  in  2013  to  88%  in  2018;  whilst  EU  cross-border 
shopping increased significantly from 26% to 36% and online shopping from sellers 
outside the EU is becoming more and more popular. It grew from 14% to 26% over 
the same period10. 

15. 

Marketplaces  are  an  ever-present  feature  of  the  e-commerce  world.  The  top  three 
players are Amazon, Aliexpress, and eBay, which operate as global players. 

Retailer choice  
(last cross border online purchase)11 

Amazon

Alibaba/Aliexpress

40% 

eBay

Wish

Zalando

ASOS

Apple

Other

[PERCENTAG
E] 

2% 
[PERCENTAG
E] 

25% 

14% 

8% 

8% 

16. 

9 
10 
11 

For  price-based  considerations,  consumers  tend  to  turn  to  such  international  web-
shops, based in non-EU countries. Non-EU online shopping is having a major impact 
on the sales of conventional retail stores in the EU. 

Eurostat. Internet purchases by individuals [isoc_ec_ibuy]. 
Eurostat. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/pdfscache/46776.pdf 
Cross-border ecommerce shopper survey, 2017 
https://www.eurocommerce.eu/media/159952/2018.07.02%20-%20ecommerce%20report_annex.pdf 

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17. 

The  global  trends  also  apply  to  Belgium.  According  to  Comeos12,  67%  of  the 
Belgians bought online in 2018, compared to only 46% in 2012. This represents an 
increase of 21 p.p. in six years. Belgian e-buyers making monthly online  purchases 
are  44%  of  the  total,  9%  do  so  weekly.  More  than  150  euros  is  a  normal  monthly 
budget for 42% of the Belgian e-buyers. 39% of Belgians e-buyers declare they will 
spend more or much more in 2019 than the previous year. For half of the respondents 
it is irrelevant whether the webshop is Belgian or not13.  

18. 

To date, the retail sector has been the subject of 10 EGF applications, two of which 
based on trade related globalisation14 and eight on the global financial and economic 
crisis15. 

Events giving rise to the redundancies and cessation of activity 

19. 

20. 

21. 

22. 

12 
13 
14 
15 

16 
17 

18 

Carrefour  Belgium  operates  through  three  brands:  Carrefour  Express  (proximity 
shops)  a  brand  that  is  profitable  and  expanding  (opening  of  20-25  stores  a  year); 
Carrefour Market (supermarkets), focused on fresh products, is also expanding with 
an  ambition  to  open  10  stores  a  year;  and  Carrefour  Hypermarkets.  Out  of  45 
Carrefour hypermarkets, 19 are not profitable16. 

The  events  giving  rise  to  the  redundancies  are  the  closure  of  one  Carrefour 
hypermarket and the renting out of parts of the stores’ surface to external retailers, in 
some of the hypermarkets still operating. As stated above, online shopping from non-
EU sellers is having a major impact on the sales of conventional stores in the EU.  

The products for which online sales are already high or are expected to grow in the 
near future are the same as the non-food offer in hypermarkets. Fashion is a mature 
product  in  e-commerce.  'Booming  products'17  are  books  and  ebooks,  computer  and 
electronics,  health  and  beauty,  and  entertaiment.  By  contrast,  only  few  Belgian 
consumers  buy  food  online,  although  e-buyers  declare  they  intend  to  do  so  more 
often in the future18. 

For  Carrefour  the  growth  of  online  sales  has  contributed  to  the  decline  in  sales  of 
non-food  products  in  its  hypermarkets  (the  turnover  of  non-food  products  declined 
by  6%  in  2017,  and  by  19%  since  2010),  undermining  profitability  of  this  type  of 
stores. Belgium indicated that the redundancies are mainly due to the difficulties in 
the non-food sector described above. 

Belgian Federation for Commerce and Services 
Comeos. E-commerce Belgium 2018. https://static.comeos.be/E-commerce_Belgium_2018.pdf 
The current application and EGF/2017/005 FI/Retail, COM(2017) 618.  
EGF/2010/010 CZ/Unilever, COM(2011) 61, 
EGF/2010/016 ES/Aragón Retail, COM(2010) 615, 
EGF/2011/004 EL/ALDI Hellas, COM(2011) 580, 
EGF/2014/009 EL/Sprider Stores, COM(2014) 620, 
EGF/2014/013 EL/Odyssefs Fokas, COM(2014) 702, 
EGF/2015/011 GR/Supermarket Larissa, COM(2016) 210, 
EGF/2016/005 NL/Drenthe Overijssel Retail,COM(2016) 742, and 
EGF/2017/003 GR Attica Retail, COM(2017) 613. 
Carrefour. ‘Plan de transformation Carrefour Belgique’ (January 2018) 
Booming products are products that many consumers buy online already and plan to do so more often in 
the future. 
Comeos. E-commerce Belgium 2018, op.cit. 

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Carrefour hypermarkets turnover. Non-food19. 
(all taxes included) 
(year-over-year percentage change) 

1,9 

-0,1 
2012

2011

2013

-4,5 

2014
-2,7 

2015

2016

2017

-3,3 

-6,5 

-5,9 

Carrefour hypermarkets profitability20 
(ROC21in million euro) 

2012

-3,5 

2013

-3,3 

2014

2015

2016

-5,6 

-11,7 

-22,7 

0

-5

-10

-15

-20

-25

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

23. 

Although the redundancies concern the whole of the country,  Belgium expects  that 
they have a particularly significant adverse impact on the employment situation and 
thus  on  the  regional  economy  of  Wallonia.  The  expected  impact  is  linked  to  the 
scarcity  of  jobs  in  the  region,  the  relatively  high  unemployment  rate  and,  as  a 
consequence, the expected difficulties of redeployment for the redundant workers, in 
particular those aged 50+, since one out of four job-seekers in Wallonia are workers 
over 55 years. 

19 
20 
21 

Carrefour. ‘Plan de transformation Carrefour Belgique’ (January 2018). 
Ibid. 
Return on customers (ROC) is an indicator of shops profitability. It calculates the profitability offered 
by the customers in view of the investments made and continue to be made to serve, satisfy, and retain 
them.  ROC  equals  a  firm’s  current-period  cash  flow  from  its  customers  plus  any  changes  in  the 
underlying customer equity, divided by the total customer equity at the beginning of the period. 

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24. 

25. 

26. 

Although  the  number  of  job  seekers  in  the  region  declined  by  1,5%  in  2018 
compared  with  the  previous  year,  the  unemployment  rate  in  Wallonia  (8,6%22)  is 
more  than  twice  the  unemployment  rate  in  Flanders  (3,5%23)  and  above  the  EU 
average  of  6,9%.  Furthermore,  in  Wallonia  other  indicators  show  lower  labour 
market  performances:  interim  activity  slowed  down  (- 2,3%  of  hours  worked 
between December 2017 and December 2018), temporary unemployment increased 
(+ 5,8% on an annual basis) and, bankruptcies rose in the last quarter of 2018 (+ 5% 
compared to the same quarter of 2017). In addition, job creation is expected to slow 
down in 2019 (about 15 000 jobs less than in 2018)24. 

In  2018,  57%  of  the  job-seekers  in  Wallonia  were  long-term  unemployed 
(> 12 months),  while  workers  unemployed  over  more  than  two  years  represented 
67% of the total long-term unemployed job-seekers25. 

According to Comeos, although employment in the retail sector in Belgium is not yet 
declining,  there  are  concerns  that  digitalisation  and  automation  of  warehouses  will 
very soon have an impact on thousands of relatively unskilled jobs26. 

Targeted beneficiaries and proposed actions 

Targeted beneficiaries 

27. 

Due to the particularly difficult employment situation in Wallonia, Belgium expects 
that  only  the  400  workers  made  redundant  in  this  region  will  participate  in  the 
measures. The breakdown of these workers by sex, citizenship and age  group is  as 
follows: 

Category 

Number of  
targeted beneficiaries 
(workers) 

Sex: 

Men: 

Women: 

Citizenship:  EU citizens: 

non-EU citizens: 

Age group: 

15-24 years: 

25-29 years: 

30-54 years: 

55-64 years: 

over 64 years: 

118 

282 

379 

21 

0 

7 

(29,5%) 

(70,5%) 

(94,8%) 

(5,2%) 

(0,0%) 

(1,7%) 

68 

(17,0%) 

325 

(81,3%) 

0 

(0,0%) 

28. 

Additionally, Belgium will provide personalised services co-financed by the EGF to 
up to 330 young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) under the 

22 

23 
24 
25 

26 

Statbel 
(https://statbel.fgov.be/fr/themes/emploi-formation/marche-du-travail/emploi-et-chomage#panel-11) 
Ibid. 
Le Forem. Marché de l’emploi. Tendances et conjoncture en Wallonie. Janvier 2019 
Iweps. Séries statistiques du marché du travail en Wallonie. Décembre 2018 
(https://www.iweps.be/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dmc1812.pdf) 
https://www.lecho.be/entreprises/grande-distribution/Malgre-Carrefour-l-emploi-dans-la-grande-
distribution-a-progresse/9976847 

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age  of  25  on  the  date  of  submission  of  the  application,  given  that  240  of  the 
redundancies  referred  to  in  paragraph  5  occur  in  the  NUTS  level  2  regions  of 
Province Hainaut (BE32) and Province Liège (BE33)], that had youth unemployment 
rates  for  young  persons  aged  15  to  24  of  at  least  20%27,  based  on  the  annual  data 
available for 201828. 

29. 

The  total  estimated  number  of  eligible  beneficiaries  expected  to  participate  in  the 
measures, including NEETs, is therefore 730.  

Eligibility of the proposed actions 

30. 

The personalised services to be provided to redundant workers and NEETs consist of 
the following actions:  

– 

Support/Guidance/Integration:  This  set  of  services  expands  the  standard 
activities  in  support  of  Carrefour  former  workers  carried  out  by  the  Walloon 
Public  Employment  Service  (Forem)  Redeployment  Units  on  behalf  of  the 
dismissing  enterprise.  The  standard  offer  will  be  extended  beyond  the 
mandatory  period29  and  additional  specific  services  will  be  proposed  to  the 
redundant workers, such as active job-search and job-matching services. 

The support and mobilisation of NEETs is carried out by Forem and its trade 
union partners.  

NEETs  will  have  the  opportunity  to  participate  in  "Coup  de  boost",  an 
intensive  socio-professional  support  scheme,  of  nine  months  duration.  The 
participants will be proposed a variety of collective and individual activities on 
topics  related  to  job  search  (preparation  for  the  job  interview,  asking  for  an 
interview,  etc.),  developing  self-confidence  and  communication;  activities  to 
discover  the  professional  environment  and  training  (visits,  internships,  work 
experience, ...); individual interviews with counsellors and/or social coaches to 
help each young person define his professional project; adapted information on 
labour  law  and  social  rights  and  support  in  administrative  procedures; 
exchange activities where young people can support each other and share their 
professional experiences, job search and training; etc. 

The  goal,  at  the  end  of  the  support,  is  that  the  NEET  gets  a  first  job  or 
integrates  in  a  qualifying  training  program.  An  additional  support  is  also 
foreseen after "Coup de Boost" to ensure that the NEET is well integrated into 
training or employment and to overcome difficulties that might arise. 

– 

– 

Training,  retraining  and  vocational  training.  Workers  and  NEETs  will  have 
access to the standard training offer of Forem and its partners and specific job 
search  modules  will  be  deployed  as  well.  In  addition,  after  the  profiling  and 
validation  of  individual  professional  projects  with  the  vocational  counsellor, 
specific  training  will  be  offered  to  cater  for  the  identified  needs.  Training  in 
basic  skills  (proficiency  in  language,  mathematics,  use  of  information 
technology, etc.) will also be on offer for young people who need it. 

Support  towards  business  creation.  This  measure  addressed  to  workers  will 
include  a  phase  of  diagnosis  and  orientation,  awareness-raising  actions  on 
entrepreneurship,  information  sessions  on  the  potential  of  starting  a  business 

27 
28 
29 

Province Hainaut (27,6%), Province Liège (21,1%). 
Source: Eurostat, dataset: [lfst_r_lfu3rt]. 
For workers over 45 years, 6 months (60 hours). For workers up to 44 years, 3 months (30 hours). 

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– 

– 

through 
entrepreneurs and with certified start- up coaches.  

territorial  economic  diagnoses,  and  networking  with  relevant 

Contribution  to  business  start-up.  The  workers  who  start  a  business  or  an 
activity  as  self-employed  persons  will  receive  a  contribution  up 
to 
EUR 15 000.  The  contribution  will  be  paid  in  two  instalments,  after 
demonstrating  the  effective  development  of  the  activity  with  supporting 
documents. 

Allowances.  (1) Job-search  and  training  allowances.  The  workers  and 
NEETs will receive EUR 1 per hour of effective participation in training or in 
Forem's  Redeployment  Units  job-search  activities30.  (2) Contribution  to 
commuting  expenses.  To  encourage  regional  and  interregional  mobility, 
workers  and  NEETs  who  take  a  job  located  either  at  more  than  60  km  from 
home,  or  at  a  distance  implying  more  than  four  hours  of  commuting  time 
(return),  will  receive  a  lump  sum  of  EUR 500  or  EUR 75031.  (3) Allowance 
towards  business  creation.  To  support  the  workers  while  setting  up  their 
business32, a monthly allowance of EUR 350 for a maximum of 12 months will 
be granted. (4) Return to school allowance. A monthly allowance of EUR 350 
will be granted to workers and NEETs who undertake full-time studies (études 
de plein exercice) of at least one year. 

31. 

32. 

The  proposed  actions,  described  above,  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. 

Belgium  provided  the  required  information  on  actions  that  are  mandatory  for  the 
enterprise concerned by virtue of national law or pursuant to collective agreements. 
They  confirmed  that  a  financial  contribution  from  the  EGF  will  not  replace  such 
actions. 

Estimated budget 

33. 

The  estimated 
personalised  services  of  EUR 2 665 047  and  expenditure 
management, 
EUR 55 000. 

total  costs  are  EUR 2 720 047,  comprising  expenditure  for 
for  preparatory, 
information  and  publicity,  control  and  reporting  activities  of 

34. 

The total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 1 632 028 (60 % of 
total costs). 

Actions 

Estimated 
number of 
participants 

Estimated cost 
per participant 
(EUR)33 

Estimated total 
costs 
(EUR)34  

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

30 

31 
32 
33 

34 

In accordance with the Walloon decree of 29 January 2004 (Décret relatif au plan d’accompagnement 
des reconversions) 
EUR500 if they commute by car or EUR750 if they commute by public transport. 
The allowance ends the moment the business starts. 
To avoid decimals, the estimated costs per worker have been rounded. However, the rounding has no 
impact on the total cost of each measure that remains as in the application submitted by Belgium. 
Totals do not tally due to rounding. 

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Actions 

Support/Guidance/Integration 
(Accompagnement, orientation, mobilisation 
et insertion) 

Training, retraining and vocational training  
(Formation et modules specifiques) 

Support towards business creation 
(Dispositif d'accompagnement à 
l'entreprenariat)  

Contribution to business start-up 
(Bourse de lancement) 

Estimated 
number of 
participants 

Estimated cost 
per participant 
(EUR)33 

Estimated total 
costs 
(EUR)34  

730 

2 241 

1 636 130 

460 

941 

432 710 

250 

463 

115 743 

10 

10 000 

100 000 

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

– 

2 284 583 

(85,72%) 

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

Allowances 
(Allocations et primes)  

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) 

730 

521 

380 464 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

380 464 

(14,28%) 

0 

10 000 

15 000 

30 000 

55 000 

(2,02%) 

2 720 047 

1 632 028 

35. 

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.  Belgium  confirmed  that  these  actions  are 
conditional  on  the  active  participation  of  the  targeted  beneficiaries  in  job-search  or 
training activities. 

36. 

Belgium confirmed that the costs of investments for self-employment, business start-
ups and employee take-overs will not exceed EUR 15 000 per beneficiary. 

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Period of eligibility of expenditure 

37. 

38. 

Belgium started providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 1 
December  2018.  The  expenditure  on  the  actions  will  therefore  be  eligible  for  a 
financial contribution from the EGF from 1 December 2018 to 20 June 2021. 

Belgium  started  incurring  the  administrative  expenditure  to  implement  the  EGF  on 
25  January  2018.  The  expenditure  for  preparatory,  management,  information  and 
publicity,  control  and  reporting  activities  shall  therefore  be  eligible  for  a  financial 
contribution from the EGF from 25 January 2018 to 20 December 2021.  

Complementarity with actions funded by national or Union funds 

39. 

40. 

The  source  of  national  pre-financing  or  co-funding  are  funds  of  the  Région 
Wallonne. 

Belgium  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 

41. 

42. 

Belgium indicated that the co-ordinated package of personalised services was drawn 
up in consultation with the social partners. 

Along with the mandatory information and consultation of workers' representatives, a 
crisis unit was set up to define the social plan and coordinate the interventions of the 
public  services  concerned.  The  Walloon  public  employment  service  consulted  the 
trade  unions  on  various  redeployment  solutions35,  and  trade  unions,  vocational 
counsellors  and  social  workers  in  direct  contact  with  the  dismissed  workers,  were 
consulted on the reskilling/upskilling needs of the workers36. 

Management and control systems 

43. 

Belgium notified the Commission that the financial contribution will be managed and 
controlled by the same bodies that manage and control the ESF. 

Commitments provided by the Member State concerned 

44. 

Belgium 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, 

Carrefour,  which  has  continued  its  activities  after  the  lay-offs,  has  complied 
with  its  legal  obligations  governing  the  redundancies  and  provided  for  its 
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 to actions funded by the Structural 
Funds, 

35 
36 

On 15 and 27 March 2019 
On 15 March 2019 

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– 

the  financial  contribution  from  the  EGF  will  comply  with  the  procedural  and 
material Union rules on State aid. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION 

Budgetary proposal 

45. 

46. 

47. 

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 2014-202037. 

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 1 632 028, 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 management38. 

Related acts 

48. 

49. 

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 1 632 028. 

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. 

37 
38 

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

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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 following an 
application from Belgium – EGF/2019/001 BE/Carrefour 

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 1927/200639, 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 management40, and in particular point 13 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

39 
40 
41 

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 1311/201341. 

laid  down 

On 20 June 2019, Belgium submitted an application to mobilise the EGF, in respect of 
redundancies in Carrefour Belgique SA in Belgium. It was supplemented by additional 
(EU) 
information  provided 
No 1309/2013.  That  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. 

in  accordance  with  Article 8(3)  of  Regulation 

In  accordance  with  Article 6(2)  of  Regulation  (EU)  No 1309/2013,  Belgium  has 
decided  to  provide  personalised  services  co-financed  by  the  EGF  also  to  330  young 
persons not in employment, education or training (NEETs). 

The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of 
EUR 1 632 028 in respect of the application submitted by Belgium. 

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  of  2  December  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 Union for the financial year 2019, the European Globalisation 
Adjustment Fund shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 1 632 028 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. 

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