European Parliament resolution of 9 May 2023 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (application from Spain — EGF/2022/003 ES/Alu Ibérica) (COM(2023)0129 — C9-0053/2023 — 2023/0068(BUD))
Date: 2023-05-09
Institutions: Committee on Budgets, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Committee on Regional Development, European Parliament
Subjects: European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Galicia, Spain, commitment of expenditure, dismissal, employment aid, general budget (EU), globalisation, metallurgical industry, reintegration into working life








C_202301083EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/1083


15.12.2023






P9_TA(2023)0129
Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: application EGF/2022/003 ES/Alu Ibérica — Spain
European Parliament resolution of 9 May 2023 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (application from Spain — EGF/2022/003 ES/Alu Ibérica) (COM(2023)0129 — C9-0053/2023 — 2023/0068(BUD))
(C/2023/1083)



The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0129 — C9-0053/2023),










—


having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 (1) (‘EGF Regulation’),










—


having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027 (2), and in particular Article 8 thereof,










—


having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council and the 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 resources (3), (‘IIA of 16 December 2020
                  ’), and in particular point 9 thereof,










—


having regard to the trilogue procedure provided for in point 9 of the IIA of 16 December 2020,










—


having regard to the letters from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and from the Committee on Regional Development,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0154/2023),










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; whereas this assistance is made through a financial support given to workers and the companies for which they worked;










B.


whereas Spain submitted application EGF/2022/003 ES/Alu Ibérica for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following 303 redundancies (4) in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 24 (Manufacture of basic metals), within a reference period for the application from 10 May 2022 to 10 September 2022;










C.


whereas the application relates to 303 workers made redundant in the company Alu Ibérica LC S.L. (Alu Ibérica) in the Spanish region of Galicia following the company’s bancruptcy;










D.


whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of criteria of Article 4(2)(a) of the EGF Regulation, which requires at least 200 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;










E.


whereas the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine have reduced economic competitiveness across the Union, including in Spain; whereas the margins of the enterprises in Spain and their competitiveness have furthermore been reduced by the current rise in inflation, in particular the higher prices of raw materials and energy;










F.


whereas the redundancies stem from the dissolution of Alu Ibérica and the opening of the liquidation procedure declared by the Commercial Court number 2 of A Coruña on 22 February 2022, following the company’s voluntary bankruptcy since December 2021; whereas higher energy and raw material prices and downward pressure on world prices of aluminium resulting from production overcapacity in China contributed to the bankruptcy of Alu Ibérica;










G.


whereas the Regional Government of Galicia, in compliance with Article 7(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, involved social partners in the preparation of the EGF application and drew up the co-ordinated package of personalised services in cooperation with them; whereas social partners will also be involved in the implementation of the services;










H.


whereas financial contributions from the EGF should be primarily directed at active labour market policy measures and personalised services that aim to reintegrate beneficiaries rapidly into decent and sustainable employment within or outside their initial sector of activity, while preparing them for a greener and more digital European economy;










I.


whereas the EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 186 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093;













1.


Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 4(2)(a) of the EGF Regulation are met and that Spain is entitled to a financial contribution of EUR 1 275 000 under that Regulation, which represents 85 % of the total cost of EUR 1 500 000, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 1 429 400 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 70 600;












2.


Notes that the Spanish authorities submitted the application on 30 November 2022, and that, following the provision of additional information by Spain, the Commission finalised its assessment on 16 March 2023 and notified it to Parliament on the same day;












3.


Notes that the application relates to 303 workers made redundant in the company Alu Ibérica;












4.


Highlights that Alu Ibérica was among the 0,1 % of businesses in Galicia with more than 250 employees; underlines the significant impact of the displacement on the local labour market and economy of A Coruña, a city which has been marked by a high unemployment rate well exceeding the Union average (9,5 % in Q3/2022); takes note of the estimation of Spanish authorities that the liquidation of Alu Ibéria will trigger the loss of 312 jobs in ancillary enterprises, which would bring the total number of job losses to 615, equalling 8,2 % of the manufacturing jobs in A Coruña; points out the large mobilisations that the decision caused in the city of A Coruña; stresses the loss of jobs and livelihood in Galicia;












5.


Considers that the displaced workers will need additional support to find new employment in the labour market, taking into account that 35 % of them belong to the age group 45+ and may experience additional reemployment challenges;, notes that this age group makes up 60 % of the registered job seekers in A Coruña, and that Alu Ibérica is exempted from the legal obligation to provide redeployment support given its bankruptcy;












6.


Notes that Spain started providing personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 2 March 2023 and that the period of eligibility for a financial contribution from the EGF will therefore be from 2 March 2023 until 24 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision;












7.


Recalls that personalised services to be provided to the workers and self-employed persons consist of the following actions: information services, intensive job-search assistance, including identifying job perspectives in other regions or Member States, occupational guidance and outplacement assistance, trainings (inter alia: horizontal competencies, re-skilling, up-skilling and internships), retraining, vocational training, and support towards and contribution to business creation, as well as incentives and allowances; including payments for the participation in agreed reintegration measures, contributions to expenses for commuting and caring of dependents;












8.


Recalls that the implementation of the services will be coordinated by the Regional Government of Galicia and calls for due transparency in the final execution of the actions in collaboration with the social partners that participate in the Social Dialogue in Galicia; notes that the digital and green transformation will also have an effect on the labour market; welcomes that priority was given to skills needed in digitalisation, robotisation and for the transition to a green economy when designing the training offer;












9.


Reiterates in this context the important role the Union should play in providing the necessary qualifications for the just transformation in line with the European Green Deal; strongly supports the fact that, during the 2021-2027 MFF period, the EGF will continue to show solidarity with all persons affected, without discrimination, and maintain the focus on the impact of restructuring on workers; and calls for future applications to maximise policy coherence;












10.


Notes that the digital and green transformation will also have an effect on the labour market; welcomes that priority was given to skills needed in digitalisation, robotisation and for the transition to a green economy when designing the training offer;












11.


Notes that Spain started incurring administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 1 March 2023 and that expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities shall therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 1 March 2023 until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the Financing Decision;












12.


Welcomes that the co-ordinated package of personalised services was drawn up by Spain in consultation with social partners;












13.


Stresses that the Spanish authorities have confirmed that the eligible actions do not receive assistance from other Union funds or financial instruments, and that the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination will be respected in the access to the proposed actions and their implementation;












14.


Reiterates that assistance from the EGF must not replace actions which are the responsibility of companies, by virtue of national law or collective agreements, or any allowances or rights of the displaced workers, to ensure full additionality of the allocation;












15.


Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;












16.


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;












17.


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






(1)  
            OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 48.

(2)  
            OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11.

(3)  
            OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28.

(4)  Within the meaning of Article 3 of the EGF Regulation.





ANNEX


DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL


on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Spain — EGF/2022/003 ES/Alu Ibérica


(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2023/1022.)




ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1083/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)