Decision (EU) 2015/472 on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (application EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal, from Belgium)

What it is

to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to assist Belgium following redundancies in its steel sector. 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 provides that the EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount 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 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 (the 'EGF Regulation'). The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Victor NEGRESCU (S&D, RO) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for an amount of EUR 1 591 486 in commitment and payment appropriations to assist Belgium affected by redundancies in its steel sector. Members recalled that the Union 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 and to assist their reintegration into the labour market. Belgian application : Belgium submitted application EGF/2014/012 BE/ArcelorMittal for a financial contribution from the EGF, following 1 285 redundancies in ArcelorMittal Liège S.A., a company operating in the NACE 2 Division 24 'Manufacture of basic metals', with 910 persons expected to participate in the measures, during and after the reference period from 1 January 2014 to 1 May 2014, linked to a serious economic disruption, in particular a rapid decline in the Union’s market share. Members noted that the conditions set out in Article 4(1)(a) of the EGF Regulation are met. Therefore, Belgium is entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation. They welcomed the fact that, in order to provide workers with speedy assistance, the Belgian authorities decided to initiate the implementation of the personalised services to the affected workers on 1 January 2014, well ahead of the decision and even the application on granting the EGF support for the proposed coordinated package. Nature of the redundancies : Members noted that the redundancies at ArcelorMittal Liège S.A. are expected to have huge negative impacts on the Liège region, a region highly dependent on the metalworking sector, where the impact of the downsizing of ArcelorMittal is all the more important as the share of ArcelorMittal in local employment is 78.9% within the metal sector and 14.3% within the manufacturing sector. They stressed the need for an efficient and coordinated approach at Union level in order to reverse the decrease in competitiveness of the Union’s steel sector. They also emphasised the need for proper and targeted investments with the aim of ensuring innovation as the main driver for global competitiveness of the Union’s steel sector and a…

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