2014/814/EU: Decision 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/2014/002 NL/Gelderland-Overijssel construction from the Netherlands)

What it is

to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to assist the Netherlands following redundancies in the building construction industry. PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council. CONTENT: Article 12 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 allows for the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) within the annual ceiling of EUR 150 million (2011 prices) over and above the relevant headings of the financial framework. 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 . The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Paul TANG (S&D, NL) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, providing a total amount of EUR 1 625 781 in commitment and payment appropriations in order to assist the Netherlands which is facing redundancies in its construction sector. Members recalled that 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 are made redundant as a result of the global financial and economic crisis and to assist their reintegration into the labour market. They noted that the Netherlands submitted the application for a financial contribution from the EGF, following redundancies in 89 enterprises operating in the NACE Rev.2 division 41 ('Construction of buildings') in the regions of Gelderland and Overijssel (with 475 workers targeted for EGF co-funded measures), during the reference period from 1 March 2013 to 1 December 2013. The committee asked the institutions to speed up mobilisation of the Fund for the amount requested, agreeing with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 4(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation are met and that, therefore, the Netherlands is entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation. Redundancies: Members considered that the redundancies were linked to global financial and economic crisis, referring to the observation that the policy of banks to implement more stringent rules for the provision of mortgages and credits reduced the provision of mortgages and credits considerably, while the sharp decline of prices and values on the housing market makes it difficult to sell and buy houses. They also noted that 562 redundancies would further aggravate the unemployment situation in the regions concerned, bearing in mind the substantial rise of redundancies in the construction sector. They welcomed the fact that, in order to provide workers with speedy assistance, the Dutch authorities decided to initiate the implementation of the personalised services to the affected workers on 1 February 2014. Package of personalised services : Members noted that the coordinated…

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