CELEX: 52014PC0734
Language: en
Date: 2014-12-09
Title: Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with 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 management (application EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal)

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		52014PC0734
		
			Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with 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 management (application EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal) /* COM/2014/0734 final - 2014/ () */
			
				
		
		
			
			   	EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
1.           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 1927/2006[1] (the 'EGF Regulation').

2.           The Belgian authorities
submitted application EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal for a financial
contribution from the EGF, following redundancies in ArcelorMittal Liège S.A.
in Belgium.
3.           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: || EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal 
 Member State: || Belgium 
 Region(s) concerned (NUTS level 2): || Prov. Liège (BE 33). 
 Date of submission of the application: || 22.7.2014 
 Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the application: || 4.8.2014 
 Date of request for additional information: || 24.7.2014 
 Deadline of provision of the additional information: || 16.9.2014 
 Deadline for the completion of the assessment: || 9.12.2014 
 Intervention criterion: || Article 4(1)(a) of the EGF Regulation 
 Primary enterprise: || ArcelorMittal Liège S.A. 
 Sector(s) of economic activity (NACE Rev. 2 division)[2]: || Division 24 (‘Manufacture of basic metals’) 
 Number of subsidiaries, suppliers and downstream producers: || None 
 Reference period (four months): || 1 January 2014 – 1 May 2014 
 Number of redundancies or cessations of activity during the reference period (a): || 752 
 Number of redundancies or cessations of activity before or after the reference period (b): || 533 
 Total number of redundancies (a + b): || 1 285 
 Total estimated number of targeted beneficiaries: || 910 
 Budget for personalised services (EUR) || 2 575 900 
 Budget for implementing EGF[3] (EUR) || 76 578 
 Total budget (EUR) || 2 652 478   
 EGF contribution (60 %) (EUR) ||  1 591 486   
ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION
Procedure
4.           The Belgian authorities
submitted application EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal on 22 July 2014, within 12
weeks of the date on which the intervention criteria set out below were met.
The Commission sent an initial set of questions to the Belgian Authorities on
24 July 2014 and acknowledged receipt of the application within two weeks of
the date of submission of the application, on 4 August 2014. Additional
information was provided by the Member State within six weeks of the date of
the acknowledgement. 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 9 December 2014. 
Eligibility of the application
Enterprise and beneficiaries concerned
5.           The application relates to
1 285 workers made redundant in ArcelorMittal Liège S.A. This enterprise operated in the economic
sector classified under NACE Division 24 (‘Manufacture of basic metals’). The redundancies made by the enterprise concerned are located in
the NUTS[4]
level 2 region of Liège (BE33).
Intervention criteria
6.           The Belgian authorities submitted
the application under the intervention criterion of Article 4(1)(a) of the
EGF Regulation, which requires at least 500 workers being made redundant or self-employed persons' activity ceasing,
over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State,
including workers made redundant in its suppliers and downstream producers.
7.           The reference period of
four months runs from 1 January 2014 to 1 May 2014.
8.           The
application relates to 752 workers made redundant[5]
in the enterprise during the reference period of four months.
Calculation of redundancies and of
cessation of activity
9.           The redundancies 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.         In addition to the workers
already referred to, the eligible beneficiaries include 533 workers made
redundant before or after the reference period of four months. These workers
were all made redundant after the general announcement of the projected
redundancies on 14 October 2011. A clear causal link can be established with
the event which triggered the redundancies during the reference period, as all
the redundancies relate to the same downsizing process initiated in October
2011.
11.         The total number of
eligible beneficiaries is therefore 1 285. 
Link between the redundancies and major
structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation.
12.         In order to establish the
link between the redundancies and major structural changes in world trade
patterns due to globalisation, Belgium argues that the sector of the production
of steel, in which ArcelorMittal Liège S.A operated, has undergone serious
economic disruption, in particular a rapid decline of the EU’s market share. 
13.         Between 2007 and 2013, the
production of crude steel in the EU-27 decreased from 210.1 million tonnes to 166.2
million tonnes[6]
(− 20.9 %; − 3.8 % annual growth rate[7]), whereas, at worldwide
level, production increased from 1 348.1 million tonnes to 1 649.3 million
tonnes (+ 22.3 %; + 3.4 %
annual growth rate). As a consequence and according to data referred to by the
Belgian authorities, in the period 2007-2013, the EU’s share of steel production
continuously decreased (from 16 % of global steel production in 2007 to
10 % in 2013). The decline in production has been more significant in
Europe than in the United States and Russia. On the contrary, there is a very sharp
increase in the share for Asia, going from 56 % to 67 % during the
same period. 
14.         The effects of these changes
in trade patterns have been worsened by other factors, such as a decrease in
demand for steel in the automotive and construction sectors in the EU as a
consequence of the economic crisis and a relative increase of production costs
(raw materials, energy, environmental constraints, etc.). These factors have harmed
the competitiveness of the EU’s steel industry and have led to a high number of
job losses in the steel sector in recent years due to plant closures and
restructuring by several steel manufacturers in Europe[8]. For instance, between
2008 and 2013, the number of persons employed in the metallurgic industry (NACE
Rev. 2 division 24 ‘Manufacture of basic metals’) in the EU-27 decreased by around
280 000 from 1.44 million to 1.16 million (− 19.4 %). 
15.         Since the start of the EGF
in 2007, there have been four EGF applications in the steel sector[9]. Three of these
applications were linked to major structural changes in world trade patterns
due to globalisation[10]
and one to the global financial and economic crisis[11].
Events giving rise to the
redundancies and cessation of activity 
16.         The events giving rise to
the redundancies and cessations of activity are related to the announcement of substantial
restructuring by ArcelorMittal Group within the European Union in 2008. This
decision was taken in light of the overcapacity which the enterprise possessed
in Europe in comparison with market development trends. The Group decided on
the permanent closure of 10 blast furnaces of the 25 that it had in Europe and the closure of several production units. Over 5 years almost 33 000 jobs have
been lost, some 25 % of the total labour force. 
17.         According to the Belgian Authorities,
the decrease in demand for steel, a relative increase of production costs (raw
materials, energy, environmental constraints, etc.) and the drop in steel
prices (almost 17 % for steel coil) led the producer to reduce output in
2011 and to decide on the closure of the Liège blast furnace leading eventually
to the redundancy of all 1 285 workers.
Expected impact of the redundancies
as regards the local, regional or national economy and employment
18.         The metalworking sector in Liege decreased in recent years, from 6 193 jobs in 40 enterprises in 2007 to 4 187 jobs in
35 enterprises in 2012, a reduction by 32 % of employment in the sector.
The impact of the downsizing of ArcelorMittal is all the more important as the
share of ArcelorMittal in local employment within the metal sector is
78.9 % and 14.3 % of employment in the manufacturing sector.
19.         The financial crises of
2008-2009 and 2011 are still apparent in the Walloon economy and the downsizing
of ArcelorMittal will lead to further job losses in the region. In Liege, 54 440 jobseekers were registered in May 2014, i.e. a rate of unemployment of
19.48 %. These persons often lack qualifications (49.9 % do not have
upper secondary education) and 40.4 % have had a period of inactivity of
more than two years. The activity rate in Liège is among the lowest in the
Walloon region with 53.4 % (56.7 % in the Walloon Region)[12].
Targeted beneficiaries and proposed
actions
Targeted beneficiaries
20.         The estimated number of
targeted workers expected to participate in the measures is 910. The breakdown
of these workers by sex, citizenship and age group is as follows:
 Category || Number of targeted beneficiaries 
 Sex: || Men: || 871 || (96 %) 
   || Women: || 39 || (4 %) 
 Citizenship: || EU citizens: || 910 || (100 %) 
   || non-EU citizens: || 0 || (0 %) 
 Age group: || 15-24 years: || 25 || (3 %) 
   || 25-29 years: || 37 || (4 %) 
   || 30-54 years: || 803 || (88 %) 
   || 55-64 years: || 45 || (5 %) 
   || over 64 years: || 0 || (0 %) 
Eligibility of the proposed actions
21.         Only
some of the measures which form part of the actions implemented by the Belgian
authorities to support the workers made redundant by ArcelorMittal
will be co-financed by the EGF. Measures that are mandatory under collective
redundancy procedures in Belgium and which are carried out as part of the
standard activities of the Redeployment Unit (e.g. outplacement support, basic training,
job-search assistance and careers advice, etc.) are therefore not included in this
EGF application. 
22.         The personalised services to
be provided to redundant workers consist of the following actions:
–              
Redeployment: 
         Support / guidance / integration. This set of services builds upon the standard activities carried
out by the Redeployment Unit[13].
The services will be provided by a team of FOREM staff (project manager,
specialised advisers) in partnership with former workers’ representatives who
act as ‘social attendants’ (accompagnateurs sociaux) to encourage workers to
take part in the measures and to help them with administrative procedures. To
facilitate contacts between the workers, the services are provided jointly to
all the redundant workers at dedicated premises. The services cover three types
of activities: (i) collective information on job-search techniques (writing a
CV and application letter, using web resources, etc.), explanations on labour
regulations (outplacement, unemployment, employment contract, pension),
awareness-raising on discrimination, presentation of occupations and sectors
with potential, etc.; (ii) individual interviews with a FOREM adviser (skills
audit, career pathway, guidance on training, etc.); (iii) free and open access
to job-search tools (IT equipment with an internet connection, telephone,
specialised documentation, etc.). This measure will concern all 910 targeted
workers, for a maximum duration of 24 months. 
         Facilitating job-search. FOREM
will also carry out specific activities to facilitate job-search and to
overcome difficulties in the redeployment process. This includes meetings
between the redundant workers and potential employers (job matching), company
visits, meetings with recruiters to prepare for job interviews, and exchanges
of experience with other workers who have already retrained or have found a job
after a collective redundancy. 
–              
Training and retraining:
         Integrated training: Various
types of vocational training courses could be provided (depending on the type
of course) either by FOREM or by the centres de competences or IFAPME[14]. As an initial step,
FOREM staff will help each participant to define their work-related goals and
guide them towards one of three types of training module. Workers who could
retrain for an occupation similar to the one they held in ArcelorMittal could either follow a specific or
specialisation module (40 hours) to adapt their competences and bring them up
to date, or a supplementary course leading to new qualifications (320 hours),
which would enable the workers to apply for jobs in a new occupation in the industrial
sector. For retraining into an entirely different sector of activity, workers
could follow an occupational training course (on average 960 hours) to acquire
the competences required for this occupation. At the end of each training
module, the new skills can be assessed and documented. Depending on the type of
training and the field of competences, participants will be awarded either a
formal certification of skills (i.e. a certificate of competence), a
certificate of attendance (for competences or occupations for which no formal
certification exists) or a validation of skills (for skills and competences
acquired outside formal training courses). The formal certification of skills
is verified through assessment tests which lead to the award of a ‘Certificate
of Skills Acquired through Training’ (Certificat des Compétences Acquises en
Formation – CECAF). The validation of skills is verified through assessment
tests which lead to the award of skills credentials (titres de compétences).
         Transfer of experience:
Experienced workers can enhance their skills and know-how by becoming teachers
or trainers in technical education. A specific awareness-raising and
pre-training module will be developed by FOREM and the federations of the
various branches of technical education to encourage certain workers to train
to become vocational teachers. The module will include the provision of
specific information, technical support, meetings with practitioners and site
visits. The module will last for eight weeks and will target around 10 workers.
–              
Promotion of entrepreneurship:
         Support for enterprise creation:
Workers who are considering setting up their own business will receive guidance
and support from a Business Creation Adviser from FOREM. This support includes
two main activities: (i) collective information sessions to raise awareness on
business creation opportunities, provide information on legal aspects and
measures to support business creation; (ii) individual interviews with
interested workers to review their project and put them in contact with
business support organisations and service providers. The Adviser will work
closely with the Redeployment Units to assist workers with their business
projects. Around 50 workers are expected to attend the information sessions and
around 20 would take part in the interviews and follow-up activities. 
         Support for collective projects:
Workers who might be considering setting up a ‘social’ enterprise together as a
group will receive guidance and support from a specialised consultancy
(selected through a call for tenders) and from the Redeployment Unit. This
support includes information and awareness-raising sessions on business
creation and basic management skills, as well as advice on setting up the
company (e.g. drawing up a business plan, drafting legal statutes, marketing,
etc.). Grants may be awarded to help cover the start-up costs of such business
projects. The workers must submit an application which describes the project
(e.g. workers’ skills and experience, feasibility study, financial analysis,
market potential, growth prospects, socioeconomic benefits, etc.). The
Redeployment Unit’s Support Committee, which brings together representatives
from the employer, trade unions and FOREM, assesses the application and decides
to award a grant or not. Each worker involved in the project may receive a
grant of EUR 5 000 (with funds being pooled together among all
workers taking part). The grants can be used to cover the purchase of
equipment, merchandises, publicity, consultancy, training, etc. The consultancy
will administer the grants and report to FOREM on the use of expenditure
(invoices and supporting documentation). It is expected that around 100 workers
will take part in this measure, with five support grants being awarded to the
workers.
23.         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. 
24.         The Belgian authorities
have provided the required information on actions that are mandatory for the
enterprises concerned by virtue of national law or pursuant to collective
agreements. They have confirmed that a financial contribution from the EGF will
not replace any such actions.
Estimated budget
25.         The estimated total costs are
EUR 2 652 478 comprising expenditure for personalised services
of EUR 2 575 900 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and
publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 76 578.
26.         The
total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 1 591 486
(60 % of total costs).
 Actions || Estimated number of participants || Estimated cost per participant (EUR) (*) || Estimated total costs (EUR) (*) 
 Personalised services (Actions under Article 7(1)(a) and (c) of the EGF Regulation) 
 Redeployment: (Orientation professionnelle) - support / guidance / integration (Reconversion/Insertion) - Facilitating job-search (Dynamisation de la recherche d’emploi) ||     910   150 ||     2 054   300 ||     1 869 000   45 000 
 Training and retraining: (Formations) - Integrated training (Formations intégrées) - Transfer of experience (Transmission d'expérience) ||     300   10 ||     1 713   300 ||     513 900   3 000 
 Promotion of entrepreneurship: (Aide à la creation d'emploi) -Support for enterprise creation (Autocreation d'emploi individuelle) -Support for collective projects: (Soutien à l'emergence de projets colletifs) ||     50   100 ||     900   1 000 ||     45 000   100 000 
 Sub-total (a): || – || 2 575 900 
 (100.0 %) 
 Allowances and incentives (Actions under Article 7(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation) 
 || Sub-total(b): || – || 0 
 || (0.00 %) 
 Actions under Article 7(4) of the EGF Regulation 
 1. Preparatory activities, management, control and reporting || – || 32 778 
 2. Information and publicity || – || 43 800 
 Sub-total (c): || – || 76 578 
 (2.9 %) 
 Total costs (a + b + c): || – || 2 652 478 
 EGF contribution (60 % of total costs) || – || 1 591 486 
(*) Totals do not tally due to
roundings.
Period of eligibility of expenditure
27.         The Belgian authorities
started providing personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 1 January
2014. The expenditure on the actions referred to in point 22 will therefore be
eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 1 January 2014 to 22
July 2016.
28.         The Belgian authorities started
incurring administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 1 January 2014. The
expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and
reporting activities will therefore be eligible for a financial contribution
from the EGF from 1 January 2014 to 22 January 2017. 
Complementarity with actions funded
by national or Union funds
29.         The sources of national
pre-financing or co-funding are as follows: The actions implemented will be
pre-financed by the FOREM. The Redeployment Units, the training by FOREM and
its partners are co-financed by the Walloon Region.
30.         The Belgian authorities
have confirmed that the measures described above receiving a financial
contribution from the EGF will not also receive financial contribution from other
Union financial instruments.
31.         Financial support from the ESF
was in the past awarded to a project (EnTrain – En
Transition-Reconversion-Accompagnement) which aimed to develop pedagogical
methods for Redeployment Units in general. The findings of this project are
likely to prove useful in the implementation of the planned measures.
Procedures for consulting the targeted
beneficiaries or their representatives or the social partners as well as local
and regional authorities
32.         The Belgian authorities report
that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up in
consultation with the targeted beneficiaries and the social partners. The
measures are the result of many discussions and preparatory meetings held
between February 2014 and June 2014 among the various social partners involved.

33.         The Redeployment Unit (cellule
de reconversion) was specifically set up as part of the legal obligations
linked to the collective redundancies procedure. The Redeployment Unit is
managed by a committee which brings together representatives from the Walloon
public services in charge of employment and training, FOREM, trade unions, and
sector-based vocational training organisations.
Management and control systems
34.         The application contains a
description of the management and control system which specifies the
responsibilities of the bodies involved. A steering committee composed of all
the organisations involved in the implementation of the EGF measures ensures
overall follow-up and coordination. The financial contribution from the EGF
will be managed and controlled by the same bodies as for the ESF. One entity
within the ESF Agency of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (formerly the French
Community of Belgium) will act as managing authority and another separate
entity within the ESF Agency will act as paying authority. The
Secretariat-General of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation will act as certifying
authority and FOREM will act as intermediary body. 
Commitments provided by the Member State concerned
35.         The Belgian authorities
have 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[15];
–              
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
36.         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 2014-2020[16].
37.         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 1 591 486 representing 60 % of the
total costs of the proposed actions, in order to provide a financial
contribution for the application.
38.         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 management[17].
Related acts
39.         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 1 591 486.
40.         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.
Proposal for a
DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND OF THE COUNCIL
on the mobilisation of the European
Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with 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 management
(application EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal)
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 1927/2006[18],
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 management[19],
and in particular point 13 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the
European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)       The European Globalisation
Adjustment Fund (EGF) was established 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 addressed
in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009[20],
or as a result of a new global financial and economic crisis and to assist them
with their reintegration into the labour market.
(2)       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.
(3)       Belgium submitted an
application to mobilise the EGF, in respect of redundancies[21] in ArcelorMittal Liège
S.A. in Belgium on 22 July 2014 and supplemented it by additional information as
provided by Article 8.3 of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013. This 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.
(4)       The EGF should, therefore,
be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of an amount of EUR 1 591 486 for the application submitted by Belgium,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1
For the general budget of the European
Union for the financial year 2015, the EGF shall be mobilised to provide the
sum of EUR 1 591 486 in commitment and payment appropriations.
Article 2
This decision
shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels,
For the European Parliament                        For
the Council
The President                                                 The
President
[1]               OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855.
[2]               Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical
classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and amending Council
Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 as well as certain EC regulations on specific
statistical domains (OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1).
[3]               In accordance with the fourth paragraph of Article 7
of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013.
[4]               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).
[5]               Within the meaning of Article 3(a) of the EGF
Regulation.
[6]               Source: World Steel Association, Steel Statistical
Yearbook 2014.
[7]               Compound annual growth rate.
[8]               cf. Communication from the Commission to the
Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of Regions – Action Plan for a competitive and sustainable steel
industry in Europe (COM(2013) 407.
[9]               See EGF database, available at http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=582.

[10]             Cases EGF/2009/022 BG/Kremikovtsi (application
rejected by the Commission), EGF/2012/010 RO/Mechel (COM(2014) 255 final of
7.5.2014), EGF/2013/007 BE/Hainaut steel (Duferco-NLMK) (COM(2014)..), EGF/2013/002 BE/Carsid
(COM(2014)...).
[11]             Case EGF/2010/007 AT/Steiermark-Niederösterreich. Decision 2011/652/EU of 27 September 2011 (OJ L 263,
7.10.2011, p. 9).
[12]             Source: FOREM
[13]             The Redeployment Unit (cellule de reconversion)
specifically set up as part of the legal obligations for the collective
redundancies procedure
[14]             IFAPME (Institut wallon de Formation en Alternance et
des indépendants et Petites et Moyennes Entreprises) is a public training
institute that provides work-linked dual training in the form of
apprenticeships and specific courses for SME managers.
[15]             The financial contribution from the EGF will enable the
Belgian authorities to extend the provision of outplacement services beyond the
mandatory periods and to carry out additional measures. For calculating the
costs allocated to the EGF, the Belgian authorities will take into account the
measures carried out during the legal obligation period (this only relates to
the measure ‘Redeployment (support / guidance / integration)’. The number of
hours of outplacement services carried out during the mandatory period will be
deducted from the total number of hours of outplacement services that each
targeted beneficiary will have befitted from.
[16]             OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884.
[17]             OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.
[18]             OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855.
[19]             OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.
[20]             OJ L 167,  29.6.2009, p.26.
[21]             Within the meaning of Article 3(a) of the EGF
Regulation.