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/2020/005 BE/Swissport
Date: 2021-04-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, airport, coronavirus disease, dismissal, employment aid, epidemic, financial aid, general budget (EU), globalisation

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 27.4.2021 COM(2021) 212 final 2021/0109 (BUD)  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/2020/005 BE/Swissport  
 
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’)2. 

22 

December 

On 
application 
EGF/2020/005 BE/Swissport  for  a  financial  contribution  from  the  EGF,  following 
redundancies3 in Swissport Belgium4 in Belgium. 

submitted 

Belgium 

2020, 

an 

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 

EGF/2020/005 BE/Swissport 

Belgium 

Date of submission of the application 

22 December 2020 

Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the 
application 

22 December 2020 

Date of request for additional information 

5 January 2021 

Deadline for provision of the additional 
information 

16 February 2021 

Deadline for the completion of the assessment 

11 May 2021 

Intervention criterion 

Primary enterprise 

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

Swissport Belgium 

Number of enterprises concerned 

1 

Sector(s) of economic activity 
(NACE Revision 2 Division)5 

Division 52 (Warehousing and 
support activities for transportation) 
Division 81 (Services to buildings and 
landscape activities)6 

Reference period (four months): 

9 June 2020 – 9 October 2020 

Number of redundancies during the reference 
period (a) 

1 468 

1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855. 
Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 is applicable to all applications received by 31 December 2020. 
Within the meaning of Article 3 of the EGF Regulation. 
Swissport Belgium comprises Swissport Belgium NV and Swissport Belgium Cleaning NV. 
OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1. 
Cleaning activities fall under NACE Revision 2 group 81.2 

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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 
Budget for personalised services (EUR) 
Budget for implementing EGF7 (EUR) 
Total budget (EUR) 
EGF contribution (60%) (EUR) 

0 

1 468 

1 468 

1 468 
5 977 108 
221 600 
6 198 708 
3 719 224 

ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION 

Procedure 

4. 

Belgium submitted application EGF/2020/005 BE/Swissport within 12 weeks of the 
date  on  which  the  intervention  criteria  set  out  in  Article 4  of  the  EGF  Regulation 
were  met,  on  22  December  2020.  The  Commission  acknowledged  receipt  of  the 
application on the same date, and requested additional information from Belgium on 
5  January  2021.  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 11 May 2021. 

Eligibility of the application 

Enterprises and beneficiaries concerned 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

The application relates to 1 468 workers made redundant in Swissport Belgium. The 
redundancies affect the whole of Belgium. 

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 9 June 2020 to 9 
October 2020. 

There  were  1 468  workers  made  redundant  in  Swissport  Belgium  during  the 
reference period. 

Calculation of redundancies and of cessation of activity 

9. 

All the redundancies during the reference period have been calculated 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 1 468. 

7 

In accordance with Article 7(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013. 

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Link between the redundancies and a global financial and economic crisis. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

8 
9 

10 

11 
12 

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of COVID-
19 a pandemic. On 27 May 2020, in its communication 'The EU budget powering the 
recovery plan for Europe'8, the Commission declared that the pandemic had led to an 
economic crisis and set out a recovery plan for the economy. This enables the EGF to 
assist  people  who  lost  their  jobs  due  to  a  global  financial  and  economic  crisis  as  a 
reactive emergency tool. 

The  pandemic  has  caused  the  deepest  recession  in  EU  history  in  the  first  half  of 
2020.  According  to  the  Commission’s  Winter  2021  (Interim)  European  Economic 
Forecast9,  EU GDP  was  set  to  contract  by  about  6,3%  in  2020,  and  to  rebound  by 
3,7% in 2021 and by 3,9% in 2022.  

To  contain  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  Belgium  went  into  lockdown  on  18  March 
2020.  The  impact  was  immediate  for  the  air  carriers  and  enterprises  operating  at 
Brussels Airport. In the first week of lockdown (16-22 March), the number of flights 
at  this  airport  dropped  to  just  578,  a  58%  decrease  from  January  2020.  Over  the 
following  weeks,  the  movements  of  passenger  planes  at  the  airport  stopped  almost 
completely,  except  for  a  limited  number  of  repatriation,  medical  emergency  or 
diplomatic flights. 

In  2020  overall,  international  passenger  traffic  dropped  by  60%  compared  to  2019 
(from 4,5 billion passengers to  1,8 billion) and  50% of  global  aircraft was put  into 
storage10. 

In  its  report  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  common  rules  for  the 
operation  of  air  services  in  view  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic11,  the  Commission 
acknowledged  that  the  ground  handling  services  have  been  severely  impacted  and 
that  there  is  a  real  risk  that  further  bankruptcies  among  ground  handling  service 
providers may take place throughout 2021. 

Swissport  Belgium,  one  of  the  airport’s  two  ground  handlers,  was  responsible  for 
60%  of  the  handling  and  cleaning  services  at  the  airport.  When  the  pandemic  hit, 
Swissport  Belgium  was  successfully  implementing  a  recovery  plan:  in  the  fourth 
quarter of 2019 total turnover had increased by 5,8% compared to the fourth quarter 
of 2018. At its board meeting on 20 February 2020, Swissport presented a turnover 
forecast of EUR 4,5 million of losses for 2020, which represents a 37% reduction in 
losses compared to 2019 .  

However, by May 2020, it was clear that it would take a long time for air transport 
and  airport  activities  to  return  to  normal.  Swissport  Belgium,  according  to  its 
customers’ own restart forecasts, estimated that by the end of 2020 its activity would 
be around 40% of its pre-pandemic activity, and probably no more than 70-80%, in 
202112.  Lacking  liquidity  after  three  months  of  inactivity,  Swissport  filed  for 
bankrupcy. The Brussels Court declared the enterprise bankrupt on 9 June 2020, one 

The EU budget powering the recovery plan for Europe, COM(2020) 442 final. 
Winter 2021 (Interim)  European Economic Forecast: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/economy-
finance/ecfin_forecast_winter_2021_overview_en.pdf  
ICAO. 
assault-on-international-mobility-continues.aspx 
COM(2020) 714 
https://plus.lesoir.be/301092/article/2020-05-15/update-swissport-nannonce-pas-encore-de-
licenciements-un-plan-attendu-pour-fin 

https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/2020-passenger-totals-drop-60-percent-as-COVID19-

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18. 

week before the scheduled relaunch of European flights at Brussels Airport, with 60 
destinations served by 20 airlines13. 

Aviapartner Belgium, the airport’s other ground handler, was also in great difficulty 
and  lacking  liquidity  due  to  inactivity  caused  by  the  pandemic,  with  its  revenues 
down  by  95%  from  its  pre-pandemic  revenues.  To  prevent  Aviapartner  from  going 
bankrupt,  leaving  the  airport  without  any  ground  handler,  the  Belgian  Council  of 
Ministers granted it a convertible loan of up to EUR 25 million through the Federal 
Participation  and  Investment  Society  (SFPI-FPIM)14,  eight  days  after  Swissport 
Belgium went bankrupt. Without ground handlers, passenger and cargo flights would 
not be able to take off from or land at the airport. The loan ensured the viability of 
Aviapartner, so that operations at the airport could resume after lockdown.  

19. 

To date, the warehousing and support activities for transportation sector has been the 
subject,  along  with  other  sectors,  of  one  multisectoral  EGF  application15  with  the 
economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic put forward as the basis for 
the application. 

Events giving rise to the redundancies and cessation of activity 

20. 

On  9  June  2020,  after  weeks  of  ground  services’  being  almost  non-existant  at  the 
airport,  Swissport  Belgium  was  declared  bankrupt.  Moreover,  due  to  the  great 
uncertainty  about  the  short-term  recovery  of  the  passenger  air  transport  sector,  no 
enterprise  showed  any  interest  in  taking  over  the  handling  activities  of  Swissport 
Belgium16.  These  two  related  events  caused  the  redundancies  for  which  this 
application is being made. 

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

21. 

22. 

23. 

13 

14 

15 
16 

17 

18 

According  to  the  Brussels  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Flemish  employers’ 
organisation  Voka17,  Brussels  Airport  accounts  for  24 000  direct  jobs  and  40 000 
indirect jobs. 

The  Swissport  Belgium  redundancies  affect  workers  residing  in  the  whole  of  the 
country: Brussels (29%), Flanders (52%) and Wallonia (19%). 

By  October  2020,  despite  the  short-time  work  schemes  in  place,  the  national 
unemployment  rate  had  increased  by  1,3  percentage  points  to  6,4%  since  October 
201918. In Flanders, where Brussels Airport is located, unemployment had increased 
by  1  percentage  point  to  4,4%  by  October  2020  compared  to  October  2019.  In 
Wallonia  the  unemployment  rate  among  men  was  8,3%  in  Q3 2020,  almost  2 
percentage  points  higher  than  the  national  average  for  this  group.  The  sudden 
shutdown  of  certain  key  sectors  (catering,  tourism,  culture,  etc.)  has  particularly 

fédérale  de  participations  et  d'investissement  Société 

https://www.rtl.be/info/belgique/economie/swissport-belgique-se-declare-en-faillite-pres-de-1-500-
emplois-menaces-1223551.aspx 
Société 
Investeringsmaatschappij (SFPI-FPIM). 
EGF/2020/002 EE Estonia tourism, COM(2021) 151. 
https://www.lalibre.be/economie/entreprises-startup/swissport-pas-de-reprise-pour-swissport-1-500-
personnes-licenciees-5ee0e3137b50a66a594588f6 
https://www.beci.be/nl/toekomst-van-brussels-airport-verzekeren-als-internationale-motor-van-onze-
economie/ 
https://statbel.fgov.be/fr/themes/emploi-formation/marche-du-travail/emploi-et-chomage#figures 

-  Federale  Participatie  en 

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24. 

shaken the Brussels labour market, increasing unemployment to 15% (+2 pp year-on-
year change) in Q3 202019. 

Due to rising unemployment, the Belgian authorities fear that reemployment will be 
even more difficult for workers from disadvantaged groups. A large proportion of the 
former  workforce  of  Swissport  are  in  this  category,  as  they  are  mostly  low-skilled 
and  semi-skilled  workers  and  about  one  third  (32,5%)  are  over  50  years  old.  This 
group  of  workers  need  additional  job-search  guidance  and  support,  along  with 
upskilling  and  reskilling  tailored  to  their  needs,  to  increase  their  chances  of  re-
employment. 

Targeted beneficiaries and proposed actions 

Targeted beneficiaries 

25. 

All  the  redundant  workers  are  expected  to  participate  in  the  measures.  The 
breakdown of the workers by sex, citizenship and age group is as follows: 

Sex: 

Category 

Men: 

Women: 

Number of  
targeted beneficiaries 

1 086 

(73,98%) 

382 

(26,02%) 

Citizenship:  EU citizens: 

1 400 

(95,37%) 

non-EU citizens: 

Age group: 

15-24 years: 

25-29 years: 

30-54 years: 

55-64 years: 

over 64 years: 

68 

83 

(4,63%) 

(5,65%) 

184 

(12,53%) 

1 001 

(68,19%) 

199 

(13,56%) 

1 

(0,07%) 

Eligibility of the proposed actions 

26. 

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

– 

– 

– 

– 

Information, job-search assistance and vocational guidance. Along with general 
and  individual  information  on  measures,  this  will  include  the  profiling  of 
workers,  outplacement  assistance,  active  job  oriented  guidance  and  job 
mediation. Job-fairs will also be organised. 

Training. Specific training will be offered to cater for the workers’ needs. This 
will  include  horizontal  training  such  as  foreign  language  and  ICT,  vocational 
training in the skills required in airport services or sectors with skills shortages. 

On-the-job  training.  This  will  be  offered  for  vacancies  that  lack  suitable 
candidates. After successfully completing the training, the worker in  question 
will be offered a contract. 

Support  for  business  creation.  With  the  aim  of  developing  viable  business  or 
self-employment  projects,  workers  interested  in  becoming  self-employed  will 

19 

https://statbel.fgov.be/fr/themes/emploi-formation/marche-du-travail/emploi-et-chomage 

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– 

– 

receive  the  support  of  regional  organisations.  This  might  cover  planning, 
carrying out feasibility studies, preparing business plans, help with identifying 
financing possibilities, etc. 

Contribution  to business start-up. Workers who start  a business  or an activity 
as self-employed persons will receive a contribution up to EUR 15 000. 

Incentives and allowances. (1) Job-search and training allowances. Workers 
will receive EUR 1 per hour of effective participation in training or job-search 
activities.  (2) Contribution  to  commuting  expenses.  To  encourage  regional 
and  interregional  mobility,  workers  who  take  a  job  at  more  than  60 km  from 
their  home,  or  at  a  distance  that  involves  more  than  four  hours  of  return 
commuting  time,  will  receive  a  lump  sum  of  EUR 500  if  they  commute  by 
private transport or EUR 750 if they  commute by public  transport. (3) Bonus 
for  breaking  gender  stereotypes.  Workers  of  the  lesser  represented  gender 
who opt for vocational training for significantly gender-unbalanced jobs20 will 
receive a bonus of EUR 700 paid in two instalments, one at the beginning and 
the other the end of the training.(4) Allowance for business creation. Workers 
will  received  a  monthly  contribution  of  EUR 350,  for  a  maximum  of  12 
months, while preparing to start their own business. To support the newly self-
employed  person  in  the  first  few  months  of  activity,  a  contribution  of 
EUR 200,  for  a  maximum  of  five  months,  will  also  be  made  available. 
(5) Return-to-school  allowance.  A  monthly  allowance  of  EUR 350  will  be 
granted  to  workers  who  embark  on  tertiary  studies  full-time  for  at  least  one 
year, or qualifying training of at least 3 months to acquire the necessary skills 
for jobs that are in demand and that it is difficult to find people for, linked to 
critical functions21, etc. 

27. 

28. 

29. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the development of a sanitary hygiene concept in 
order to ensure the implementation of measures. 

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. 

Belgium 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 

30. 

The  estimated 
personalised  services  of  EUR 5 977 108  and  expenditure 
management, 
EUR 221 600. 

total  costs  are  EUR 6 198 708,  comprising  expenditure  for 
for  preparatory, 
information  and  publicity,  control  and  reporting  activities  of 

31. 

The total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 3 719 224 (60% of 
total costs). 

20 
21 

Occupations with at least 75% of workers belonging to the same gender. 
List of jobs in demand and difficult to be covered or linked to critical functions. « Métiers en tension de 
recrutement en Wallonie. Liste des métiers/fonctions critiques et en pénurie ». Le Forem 2020. 

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Actions 

Estimated 
number of 
participants 

Estimated cost 
per participant 
(EUR)22

Estimated total 
costs 
(EUR)23

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

Information, job-search assistance and 
vocational guidance 

1 468 

2 230 

3 273 787 

Training, retraining and vocational training 

610 

3 534 

2 155 437 

On-the-job training  

Support for business creation 

Contribution to business start-up  

10 

70 

12 

1 440 

14 396 

2 000 

139 988 

10 000 

120 000 

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

– 

5 703 608 

(95,42%) 

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

Incentives and allowances  

367 

745 

273 500 

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) 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

273 500 

(4,58%) 

6 000 

52 420 

55 000 

108 180 

221 600 

(3,57%) 

6 198 708 

3 719 224 

32. 

22 

23 

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 

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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conditional  on  the  active  participation  of  the  targeted  beneficiaries  in  job-search  or 
training activities. 

33. 

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. 

Period of eligibility of expenditure 

34. 

35. 

Belgium started providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 9 
June  2020.  The  expenditure  on  the  actions  will  therefore  be  eligible  for  a  financial 
contribution from the EGF from 9 June 2020 to 22 December 2022. 

Belgium  started  incurring  the  administrative  expenditure  to  implement  the  EGF  on 
10  June  2020.  The  expenditure  for  preparatory,  management,  information  and 
publicity,  control  and  reporting  activities  shall  therefore  be  eligible  for  a  financial 
contribution from the EGF from 10 June 2020 to 22 June 2023.  

Complementarity with actions funded by national or Union funds 

36. 

37. 

The  sources  of  national  pre-financing  or  co-funding  are  funds  of  the  Région  de 
Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels  Hoofdstedelijk  Gewest,  Vlaams  Gewest  and  Région 
Wallonne. 

Belgium  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 

38. 

Belgium  has  indicated  that  the  co-ordinated  package  of  personalised  services  has 
been  put  together  in  consultation  with  workers’  representatives  and  the  social 
partners in meetings held on 3 and 19 November 2020. The Belgian authorities  also 
held a meeting with Aviato vzw, an employment centre at Brussels Airport for job-
seekers and  employers.  Aviato,  as  a specialist in  the aviation  sector, was consulted 
on the most suitable upskilling and reskilling training to be offered to the redundant 
workers. 

39. 

The regional authorities of Flanders, Walonia and Brussels are the promoters of this 
application. Synerjob, the inter-regional collaboration structure for the three Belgian 
employment services24 brings greater coherence to the actions proposed. 

Management and control systems 

40. 

The application contains a description of the management and control system, which 
specifies  the  responsibilities  of  the  bodies  involved.  Belgium  has  notified  the 
Commission  that  the  financial  contribution  will  be  managed  and  controlled  by  the 
same  bodies  that  manage  and  control  the  European  Social  Fund  in  Région  de 
Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels  Hoofdstedelijk  Gewest,  Vlaams  Gewest  and  Région 
Wallonne. 

Commitments provided by the Member State concerned 

41. 

Belgium has provided all necessary assurances regarding the following:  

24 

VDAB (Flemish employment service), Le Forem (Walloon employment service) and Actiris (Brussels 
employment service). 

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– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

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 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 

42. 

43. 

44. 

The  EGF  shall  not  exceed  a  maximum  annual  amount  of  EUR 186 million  (2018 
prices), as laid down in Article 8(1) of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 
of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 
2021-202725. 

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 3 719 224, 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  9  of  the  Interinstitutional 
Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of 
the  European  Union  and  the  European  Commission  on  budgetary  discipline,  on 
cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on 
new  own  resources,  including  a  roadmap  towards  the  introduction  of  new  own 
resources26. 

Related acts 

45. 

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 3 719 224. 

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. 

25 
26 

OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 11. 
OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 28. 

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2021/0109 (BUD) 

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/2020/005 BE/Swissport 

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 1927/200627, and in particular Article 15(4) thereof, 

Having  regard  to  the  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  16  December  2020  between  the 
European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on 
budgetary  discipline,  on  cooperation  in  budgetary  matters  and  on  sound  financial 
management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction 
of new own resources28, and in particular point 9 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

27 
28 
29 

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 186  million  (2018 
prices), 
(EU, 
as 
Euratom) 2020/209329. 

in  Article  8(1)  of  Council  Regulation 

laid  down 

On  22  December  2020,  Belgium  submitted  an  application  to  mobilise  the  EGF,  in 
respect  of  redundancies  in  Swissport  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 

The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of 
EUR 3 719 224 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 L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 28. 
Council  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom)  2020/2093  of  17  December  2020  laying  down  the  multiannual 
financial framework for the years 2021-2027 (OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 11). 

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HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

Article 1 

For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2021, the European Globalisation 
Adjustment Fund shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 3 719 224 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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