Proposal for a 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 Belgium – EGF/2023/002 BE/Makro
Date: 2023-10-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Flanders (Belgium), Walloon region (Belgium), commitment of expenditure, dismissal, employment aid, general budget (EU), globalisation, reintegration into working life, retail trade

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 12.10.2023  COM(2023) 470 final 2023/0352 (BUD)  Proposal for a 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 Belgium – EGF/2023/002 BE/Makro  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

1. 

2. 

3. 

The  rules  applicable  to  financial  contributions  from  the  European  Globalisation 
Adjustment  Fund  for  Displaced  Workers  (EGF)  are  laid  down  in  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 1309/20131. 

On  3  July  2023,  Belgium  submitted  an  application  EGF/2023/002 BE/Makro  for  a 
financial  contribution  from  the  EGF,  following  displacements  in  Makro  Cash  & 
Carry Belgium NV (Makro) in Belgium. 

Following  its  assessment  of  this  application,  the  Commission  has  concluded,  in 
accordance  with  all  applicable  provisions  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/691,  that  the 
conditions for awarding a financial contribution from the EGF are met.  

SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION 

EGF application 

Member State 

Region(s) concerned (NUTS2 level 2) 

Date of submission of the application 

EGF/2023/002 BE/Makro 

Belgium 
Provincie Antwerpen (BE21),  
Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen (BE23), 
Provincie Vlaams-Brabant (BE25), 
Province Hainaut (BE32), and  
Province Liège (BE33) 
3 July 2023 

Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the 
application 

3 July 2023 

Date of request for additional information 

17 July 2023 

Deadline for provision of the additional 
information 

8 August 2023 

Deadline for the completion of the assessment 

17 October 2023 

Intervention criterion 

Primary enterprise 

Article 4(2), point (a), of Regulation 
(EU) 2021/691 

Makro Cash & Carry Belgium 

Number of enterprises concerned 

1 

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

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

Reference period (four months): 

10 January 2023 – 10 May 2023 

1 
2 

3 

OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 48. 
Commission Delegated Regulation 2019/1755 of 8 August 2019 amending the Annexes to 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). OJ L 270, 24.10.2019, p. 1–56. 
OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1. 

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Number of displacements during the reference 
period 

Total number of eligible beneficiaries 

Total number of targeted beneficiaries 
Budget for personalised services (EUR) 
Budget for implementing EGF4 (EUR) 
Total budget (EUR) 
EGF contribution (85 %) (EUR) 

1 431 

1 431 

421 
3 233 822 
0 093 500 
3 327 322 
2 828 223 

ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION 

Procedure 

4. 

Belgium  submitted  application  EGF/2023/002 BE/Makro  within  12  weeks  of  the 
date on which the intervention criteria set out in Article 4(2), point (a), of Regulation 
(EU) 2021/691 were met, on 3 July 2023. The Commission acknowledged receipt of 
the application and requested additional information from Belgium on 17 July 2023. 
Such  additional  information  was  provided  within  15  working  days  of  the  request. 
The  deadline  of  50  working  days  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  17  October 
2023.  

Eligibility of the application 

Enterprises and beneficiaries concerned 

5. 

The  application  relates  to  1 431  displaced  workers  whose  activity  has  ceased  in 
Makro.  The  enterprise  operated  in  the  economic  sector  classified  under  the  NACE 
Revision 2 division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles). The 
redundancies  are  located  in  the  NUTS  2  regions  of  Provincie  Antwerpen  (BE21), 
Provincie  Oost-Vlaanderen  (BE23),  Provincie  Vlaams-Brabant  (BE25),  Province 
Hainaut (BE32), and Province Liège (BE33). 

Intervention criteria 

6. 

7. 

8. 

Belgium  submitted  the  application  under  the  intervention  criteria  of  Article 4(2), 
point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, which requires the cessation of activity of at 
least 200 displaced workers over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in 
a Member State, including workers displaced in suppliers and downstream producers 
and / or self-employed persons whose activity has ceased. 

The reference period of four months for the application runs from 10 January 2023 to 
10 May 2023. 

There were 1 431 displaced workers in Makro during the reference period.  

Calculation of displacements and of cessation of activity 

9. 

Pursuant  to  Article 6,  first  paragraph,  point (a),  in  conjunction  with  Article 5,  first 
paragraph, point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, the cessation of activities of the 
displaced workers  during the reference period  has been  calculated from  the date of 
the de facto termination of the contract of employment or its expiry. 

4 

In accordance with Article 7(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691. 

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Eligible beneficiaries 

10. 

The total number of eligible beneficiaries is 1 431. 

Description of the events that led to the displacements and cessation of activity 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

The event giving rise to these displacements is the bankrupcy of the enterprise. 

In 1970, Makro Cash &Carry Belgium NV opened stores for self-employed, liberal 
profession  practitioners,  and  hospitality  professionals  selling  food  and  non-food 
products.  In  2017,  after  about  ten  years  of  financial  difficulties,  the  enterprise 
decided to open access of its Makro shops also to general customers, whilst its Metro 
shops  remained  limited  to  food  and  beverage  services  professionals  (hotels, 
restaurants, and caterers). 

Despite  the  decision,  the  losses  amounted  to  EUR 67  million  in  the  financial  year 
2018/2019 and EUR 44 million in 2019/20205. 

Makro's sales continued to decline: EUR 738 million in 2018/2019, EUR 714 million 
in  2019/2020,  and    EUR 646  million  in  2020/2021 6 .  During  the  pandemic,  the 
hospitality sector stopped activity for several months, affecting Makro's sales line for 
food  and  beverage  services  professionals.  Makro's  sales  line  for  general  customers 
was affected as well, because of mandatory closures of non-food stores and non-food 
aisles  in  supermarkets,  which  led  to  a  drop  in  sales  and  an  increased  use  of  e-
commerce, that has continued after the restrictive measures were lifted. 

On  1  September  2022,  Makro  applied  for  judicial  reorganisation  by  transfer  of 
undertakings  under  judicial  authority  to  the  Antwerp  Business  Court.  A  tender 
process for the enterprise started. 

Makro  sales  line  for  food  and  beverage  services  professionals  (branded  as  Metro) 
consisted of 11 stores, nine of which were sold to Sligro Food Group and one to food 
wholesaler  Van  Zon,  at  the  end  of  2022.  All  400  jobs  in  Metro  stores  were  saved, 
along  with  100  jobs  at  headquarters.  The  employees  of  the  one  store  that  was  not 
bought, were offered a job in the nearby Sligro-ISPC facility in Antwerp7. 

Makro’s  sale  line  for  general  customers  (branded  as  Makro)  consisted  in  6  stores. 
The receivers rejected the only offer for the Makro stores because it did not meet the 
bidding  requirements  and  was  not  sound 8.  Makro  was  declared  bankrupt  on  10 
January 20239 and 1 431 workers were made redundant. 

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

18. 

Makro  stores  for  general  customers  were  in  Flanders  (four  stores)  and  in  Wallonia 
(two stores). The territories affected by the redundancies are the Flemish provinces 
of Antwerpen, Oost-Vlaanderen and Vlaams-Brabant and the Walloon provinces of 
Hainaut and Liège. 

19. 

Due  to  the  differences  between  the  Flemish  and  the  Walloon  labour  markets,  the 
territorial impact of the redundancies varies. 

5 
6 
7 
8 
9 

RTBF.be 
MetroAG.de 
Sligro-ISPC 
Retaildetail.be 
Moniteur Belge Nº15, 16.1.2023, p. 6674 

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20. 

21. 

22. 

23. 

Unemployment rate rose from 8,5% to 8,8% in Wallonia and declined from 3,3% to 
3,1%  in  Flanders,  in  Q1 2023,  compared  with  Q4 2022,  whilst  year  over  year 
variation  shows  an  increase  in  both  regions  (by  0,4  percentage  points  in  Wallonia 
and by 0,3 pp in Flanders)10. 

At  national  level,  half  (50,5%)  of  the  people  who  were  unemployed  in  the  first 
quarter of 2022 are still unemployed one year later; 26% are out of the labour market 
(inactive)  and  only  24%  are  back  into  employment.  However,  there  are  regional 
differences: the percentage of those still unemployed one year later is slightly higher 
in Wallonia (55,1%) than the national average but falls to 36,4% in Flanders1112. 

In the first quarter of 2023, the employment rate in Flanders was 77,3% with a year-
on-year change of 0,7 pp. The employment rate in Wallonia was 65% (12,3 pp lower 
than in Flanders) with a year-on-year decrease of 0,9 pp13. 

Older workers are facing more obstacles to employment. In the first quarter of 2023, 
there is a difference of 18,7 pp between the employment rate for the age group 20-54 
(76,4%)  and  the  employment  rate  for  the  age  group  55+  (56,8%).  In  the  Walloon 
labour market, the registered job seekers aged fifty or more represent about 25% of 
the  total  job  seekers  in  March  202314.  Two  out  of  three  Makro  redundant  workers 
(65%) are over 50 years old. 

While the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the search for more qualified workers in 
the Belgian labour market15, Makro workforce is essentially made up of cashiers and 
warehouse  workers.  For  these  workers,  it  is  more  difficult  to  re-integrate  into 
employment. 

24. 

Belgium applied for EGF co-financing only in support of former Makro workers in 
Wallonia. The Flemish regional authorities  consider that there is no need to  top-up 
the  support  available  to  former  Makro  workers  in  Flanders  with  co-financing  from 
the EGF, given the situation on its regional labour market. 

Application of the EU Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring 

(QFR) 

25. 

26. 

10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 

16 
17 

Belgium  has  described  how  the  recommendations  set  out  in  the  EU  Quality 
Framework  for  anticipation  of  change  and  restructuring  have  been  taken  into 
account. 
Belgium  has  reported  that  national  labour  law 16  on  the  active  management  of 
restructuring requires  enterprises undergoing restructuring to  set  up an employment 
unit  (cellule  pour  l’emploi)17,  whose  purpose  is  to  provide  workers  laid  off  in  the 
context of collective redundancies with 30 hours of outplacement services in a period 
of  three  months  (60  hours  in  six  months  for  workers  aged  45+).  However,  this 
requirement does not apply in the event of bankruptcy. 

Statbel. Emploi et chômage (14.6.2023). 
In Brussels-Capital Region 61%. 
Statbel.  Transitions sur le marché du travail (14.6.2023). 
Statbel. Emploi et chômage (14.6.2023).  
Le Forem, « Emploi du temps. Photo locale de la demande d’emploi ». Mars 2023. 
Bodart,  V.  &  B.  Van  der  Linden  (2022),  Crise  du  COVID-19.  Rebond  économique  et  difficultés  de 
recrutement en Belgique. Regards économiques 168, UCLouvain. 
The Royal Decree (Arrêté Royal) of 10 November 2006 amending the Royal Decree of 9 March 2006. 
Forem. Restructuring event: employment units. 

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27. 

28. 

Wallonia's regional legislation18 provides for specific support for redundant workers, 
in the form of a redeployment unit (cellule de reconversion)19 by the Regional Public 
Employment  and  Vocational  Training  Service  (Forem),  at  the  request  of  workers’ 
representative organisations. The redeployment unit does not constitute an obligation 
for  the  employer,  nor  for  Forem.  The  implementation  of  the  EGF  co-financed 
measures will be managed through such a redeployment unit. 

Regarding  the  activities  undertaken  to  assist  the  displaced  workers,  Belgium  has 
reported that the redeployment unit was set up on 1 February 2023, shortly after the 
redundancies.  

Complementarity with actions funded by national or Union funds 

29. 

30. 

Belgium  has  confirmed  that  the  measures  described  below  receiving  a  financial 
contribution from the EGF will not receive financial contributions from other Union 
financial instruments. 

The  coordinated  package  of  personalised  services  complements  actions  funded  by 
other national or EU funds. 

Procedures  for  consulting  the  targeted  beneficiaries  or  their  representatives  or  the  social 
partners as well as local and regional authorities 

31. 

32. 

Belgium  has  indicated  that  the  co-ordinated  package  of  personalised  services  has 
been drawn up in consultation with targeted beneficiaries, their representatives, and 
the social partners, in compliance with Article 7(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691. 

Aiming to prepare a sound package of tailored measures to support Makro workers’ 
efforts  to  return  to  work,  Forem,  trade  unions  (FGTB 20  and  CSC 21 ),  and  other 
partners  met  on  27  January,  2  March,  20  March  and  5  May  2023,  to  better 
understand  workers'  retraining  needs.  The  social  counsellors  who  accompanied  the 
workers  after  their  dismissal  were  also  consulted.  These  meetings  resulted  in  a 
coordinated package of EGF measures that complies with Article 7(4) of Regulation 
(EU) 2021/691. 

Targeted beneficiaries and proposed measures 

Targeted beneficiaries 

33. 

The estimated number of displaced workers expected to participate in the measures is 
421. Pursuant  to  Article  8(7), point (f), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691,  the provided 
breakdown  of  these  workers  by  gender,  age  group  and  educational  level  is  as 
follows: 

Category 

Gender: 

Men: 

Women: 

Non-binary 

Number of  
expected 
beneficiaries 

189 

232 

(44,9 %) 

(55,1 %) 

0 

(0,0 %) 

18 
19 
20 
21 

Wallonia Government Decree of 29 January 2004, as amended by the Decree of 30 April 2009. 
Forem. Restructuring event: redeployment units. 
Fédération générale du travail de Belgique. 
Conféderation des syndicats chrétiens. 

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Age group: 

Below 30 years: 

Educational 
level 

30-54 years: 

Over 54 years: 

Lower  secondary 
education or less22  
Upper  secondary23 
or  post-secondary 
education24 

Tertiary 
education25 

2 

(0,5 %) 

229 

190 

(54,4 %) 

(45,1 %) 

87 

(20,7 %) 

297 

(70,5 %) 

37 

(8,8 %) 

Proposed measures 

34. 

Pursuant  to  Article  8(7),  point  (h)  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/691,  the  personalised 
coordinated  package  to  be  provided  to  displaced  workers  consists  of  the  following 
measures:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Information  services,  occupational  guidance  and  outplacement  assistance: 
Workers will be offered individual guidance and job-search services along with 
support  by  social  workers,  throughout  the  implementation  period.  Particular 
attention  will  be  paid  to  vulnerable  people  in  a  situation  of  psychological 
distress, 
through  professionals 
specialised in assisting these groups. 

recognised  disability 

indebtedness,  or 

Training,  retraining  and  vocational  training:  Workers  will  have  access  to  the 
standard training offer of Forem and its partners. In addition, after the profiling 
and  agreement  of  individual  projects  with  the  vocational  counsellor,  specific 
training will be offered to cater for the identified needs. 

Support towards business creation. The measure aims at workers who wish to 
become  self-employed.  It  will  include  a  diagnosis  and  guidance  phase, 
awareness-raising  actions  on  entrepreneurship,  information  sessions  on  the 
potential  for  business  creation  through  territorial  economic  diagnoses  and 
networking with relevant entrepreneurs and with certified coaches in business 
creation. 

Contribution  to  business  creation.  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  installments,  based  on 
supporting  documents  proving  the  start  and  development  of  the  business 
activity. 

Incentives  and  allowances:  (1) Job-search  and  training  allowances.  Workers 
will receive EUR 2 per hour of effective participation in training or job-search 
activities. (2) Bonus for improving IT skills. Workers, who follow the module 
for access to digital autonomy will receive a lump sum of EUR 400 conditional 
on their active participation and completion of the training. The bonus aims to 

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ISCED 3 
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ISCED 5-8 

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reduce digital illiteracy by encouraging former Makro workers to improve their 
IT  skills.  (3) Bonus  for  improving  languages  skills.  Workers  who  follow  an 
intensive  language  training  module  organized  by  Forem  or  a  language 
immersion course in an enterprise to improve their Dutch, English or German 
language  skills  as  part  of  a  specific  job  search  will  receive  a  lump  sum  of 
EUR 500. The objective of the bonus is to encourage the development of cross-
disciplinary  language  skills  to  facilitate  workers’  reintegration  into  jobs. 
(4) Return-to-school  allowance.  A  monthly  allowance  of  EUR 350  will  be 
granted to workers who embark on secondary and 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 for which recruiting is difficult, 
linked to critical functions26, or significantly gender-unbalanced. (5) Allowance 
towards  business  creation.  To  support  the  workers  while  setting  up  their 
business, a monthly allowance of EUR 350 for a maximum of 12 months will 
be granted. 

35. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

Training  to  gain  digital  autonomy  along  with  the  bonus  for  improving  IT  skills 
mentioned above, together with  a module on circular  economy  and efficient use of 
resources are in line with the requirements set out in Article 7(2) of Regulation (EU) 
2021/691.  The  module  on  circular  economy  and  efficient  use  of  resources 
developped  for  former  Swissport  workers  (EGF/2020/005  BE) 27  is  now  part  of 
Forem's standard training offer co-financed by ESF+. Therefore, it is not budgeted in 
this proposal. Besides, resource efficient economy is at the core of the training offer 
of Forem 'environment' training center28.  

The  proposed  actions,  here  described,  constitute  active  labour  market  policy 
measures  within  the  eligible  actions  set  out  in  Article  7  of  Regulation  (EU) 
2021/691. These actions do not substitute passive social protection measures.  

Regarding  the  activities  already  undertaken  for  the  assistance  of  the  displaced 
workers,  Belgium  informed  that  the  employer's  legal  obligation  to  provide 
outplacement  services  to  the  redundant  workers  does  not  apply  due  to  the 
enterprise’s bankruptcy. However, support to the workers through the redeployment 
unit started three weeks after the redundancies.  

Belgium has provided the required information on  measures that are mandatory for 
the  enterprise  concerned  by  virtue  of  national  law  or  pursuant  to  collective 
agreements. In accordance with Article 9(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, Belgium 
has  confirmed  that  a  financial  contribution  from  the  EGF  will  not  replace  such 
measures. 

Estimated budget 

39. 

The  estimated 
personalised  services  of  EUR 3 233 822  and  expenditure 
management, 
EUR 93 500. 

total  costs  are  EUR 3 327 322,  comprising  expenditure  for 
for  preparatory, 
information  and  publicity,  control  and  reporting  activities  of 

40. 

The total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 2 828 223 (85 % of 
total costs). 

26 

27 
28 

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. 
COM(2021) 212 
www.formation-environnement.be 

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41. 

Pursuant  to  Article  8(7),  point  (m),  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/691,  Belgium  has 
specified that the national pre-financing and co-funding is provided by Wallonia. 

Measures 

Estimated 
number of 
participants 

Estimated cost 
per participant 
(EUR)29 

Estimated total 
costs 
(EUR)30  

Personalised services (measures under Article 7(2), second subparagraph, point (a), of Regulation 
(EU) 2021/691) 

Information services, occupational guidance 
and outplacement assistance 
(reconversion: 
accompagnement/orientation/mobilisation) 

Training, retraining and vocational training 
(formations et modules spécifiques) 

Support towards business creation 
(dispositif d'accompagnement à 
l'entrepreneuriat)  

Contribution to business creation 
(bourse de lancement) 

421 

5 350 

2 252 335 

421 

944 

397 367 

50 

12 

2 660 

132 982 

10 000 

120 000 

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

– 

2 902 684 

(89,76 
 %) 

Allowances and incentives (measures under Article 7(2), second subparagraph, point (b), of 
Regulation (EU) 2021/691) 

Incentives and allowances 
(allocation de recherche d'emploi et de 
formation, prime numérique, prime langue, 
allocation de reprise d'études, allocation 
d'entrepreneuriat)  

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

Activities under Article 7(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691 

1. Preparatory activities 

2. Management 

3. Information and publicity 

4. Control and reporting 

421 

787 

331 138 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

331 138 

(10,24 %) 

031 

43 400 

15 000 

35 100 

29 

30 
31 

To avoid decimals, the estimated costs per worker have been rounded.  However, the rounding has no 
impact on the total cost of each measure, which remains as in the application submitted by Belgium. 
Totals do not tally due to rounding. 
Preparatory  activities  are  financed  by  Forem’s  operating  budget  for  collective  reconversions.  No  co-
financing is requested. 

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

Total costs (a + b + c): 

EGF contribution (85 % of total costs) 

– 

– 

– 

93 500 

(2,81 %) 

3 327 322 

2 828 223 

42. 

43. 

The  costs  of  the  measures  identified  in  the  table  above  as  measures  under 
Article 7(2),  second  subparagraph,  point  (b),  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/691  do  not 
exceed 35 % of the total costs for the coordinated package of personalised services. 
Belgium confirmed that these measures are conditional on the active participation of 
the targeted beneficiaries in job-search or training activities. 

In accordance with Article 7(2), fourth subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, 
Belgium confirmed that the costs of investments for self-employment, business start-
ups and employee take-overs will not exceed EUR 22 000 per beneficiary. 

Period of eligibility of expenditure 

44. 

45. 

Belgium  started  providing the personalised services to  the targeted beneficiaries on 
1 February  2023.  The  expenditure  on  the  measures  will  therefore  be  eligible  for  a 
financial contribution from the EGF from 1 February 2023 until 24 months after the 
date of the entry into force of the Financing Decision. 

Belgium started incurring the administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 1 
January  2023.  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 January 2023 until  31 months  after the date of 
the entry into force of the Financing Decision.  

Management and control systems 

46. 

The  application  contains  a  description  of  the  management  and  control  system 
required  under  Article  23  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/691,  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 ESF+. 

Commitments provided by the Member State concerned 

47. 

Belgium has provided all necessary assurances regarding the following:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination will be respected 
in access to the proposed measures and their implementation, 

the  requirements  laid  down  in  national  and  EU  legislation  concerning 
collective redundancies have been complied with, 

any double financing will be prevented, 

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

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION 

Budgetary proposal 

48. 

The EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 186 million (in 2018 
in  Article 8  of  Council  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom) 
prices),  as 

laid  down 

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49. 

50. 

No 2020/2093  of  17  December  2020  laying  down  the  multiannual  financial 
framework for the years 2021 to 202732. 

Having examined the application in respect of the conditions set out in Article 13(1) 
and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, and having taken into account the number of 
targeted  beneficiaries,  the  proposed  measures  and  the  estimated  costs,  the 
Commission  proposes  to  mobilise  the  EGF  for  the  amount  of  EUR 2 828 223, 
representing 85 % of the total costs of the proposed measures, 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  pursuant  to  Article  15(1),  first  subparagraph,  second 
sentence,  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/691  and,  as  laid  down  in  point  9  of  the 
the  European 
Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  16  December  2020  between 
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 resources33. 

Related acts 

51. 

52. 

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 to 
transfer to the relevant budgetary line the amount of EUR 2 828 223. 

At the same time as it adopted this proposal for a decision to mobilise the EGF, the 
Commission  adopted  a  decision  on  a  financial  contribution  that  constitutes  a 
financing  decision  within  the  meaning  of  Article  110  of  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom) 
2018/104634. That financing decision will enter into force on the date on which the 
Commission  is  notified  of  the  approval  of  the  budgetary  transfer  by  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  Council  pursuant  to  Article  15(2),  first  subparagraph,  of 
Regulation (EU) 2021/691. 

32 
33 
34 

OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11. 
OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 29. 
Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on 
the  financial  rules  applicable  to  the  general  budget  of  the  Union,  amending  Regulations  (EU)  No 
1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) 
No  1316/2013,  (EU)  No  223/2014,  (EU)  No  283/2014,  and  Decision  No  541/2014/EU  and  repealing 
Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1 

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2023/0352 (BUD) 

Proposal for a 

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 Belgium – EGF/2023/002 BE/Makro 

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) 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 35 ,  and  in  particular  Article 15(1),  first 
subparagraph, 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 resources36, and in particular point 9 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund  for  Displaced  Workers (EGF)  aims to 
demonstrate solidarity and promote decent and sustainable employment in the Union 
by  providing  support  for  workers  made  redundant  and  self-employed  persons  whose 
activity  has  ceased  in  the  case  of  major  restructuring  events  and  assisting  them  in 
returning to decent and sustainable employment as soon as possible.  

The  EGF  is  not  to  exceed  a  maximum  annual  amount  of  EUR 186  million  (in  2018 
prices),  as laid down in  Article 8 of Council Regulation  (EU, Euratom)  2020/209337 
and Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691. 

On 3 July 2023, Belgium submitted an application to mobilise the EGF in accordance 
with Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, in respect of worker’s displacements 
in Makro Cash & Carry Belgium NV in Belgium. It was supplemented by additional 
information  provided  in  accordance  with  Article 8(5)  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/691. 
That application is considered to comply with the conditions for providing a financial 
contribution from the EGF as laid down in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, on 
the basis of the assessment made by the Commission in the Proposal for a mobilisation 
decision of the European Parliament and of the Council38  

35 
36 
37 

38 

OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 48. 
OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 29 
Council Regulation (EU, Euratom)  No 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual 
financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11). 
COM(2023) 470  

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(4) 

(5) 

The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of 
EUR 2 828 223 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, 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2023, the European Globalisation 
Adjustment  Fund  for  Displaced  Workers  shall  be  mobilised  to  provide  the  amount  of 
EUR 2 828 223 in commitment and payment appropriations. 

Article 1 

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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