Begrotingscommissie EP steunt EU-hulp aan ontslagen arbeiders in België (en)

A proposal to provide EU funding to help find new jobs for 2,834 workers made redundant in Belgium by General Motors Belgium and four of its suppliers was backed by the European Parliament Budgets Committee on Tuesday.

Belgium applied for €9,593,931 in European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aid to help find jobs for 2,834 workers made redundant by General Motors Belgium and four of its suppliers in the Antwerp area.

Rapporteur Barbara Matera (EPP, IT) also highlighted the need for the forthcoming review of the EGF Regulation to tackle the issue of how to treat multinational companies whose restructuring or relocation causes redundancies and, subsequently, the intervention of the EGF.

Next steps

Following the committee's green light (27 votes in favour, 4 against, 1 abstention), the aid will need to be approved by  Parliament as a whole and the Council of Ministers. Parliament's plenary vote is scheduled for the 6-9 June session.

The EGF was established to provide additional support for workers made redundant as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation or the financial crisis and to assist them with their reintegration into the labour market. The annual ceiling of the fund is €500 million.   

In the chair : Alain LAMASSOURE (EPP, FR)