Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: redundancies in construction of buildings in Spain

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report drafted by Barbara MATERA (EPP, IT) on the proposal for a decision on mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for an amount of EUR 1 642 030 in commitment and payment appropriations to assist Spain with regard to redundancies in the construction industry.

The report recalls that the European 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 and to assist their reintegration into the labour market. Given that Spain has requested assistance for 1138 redundancies, all targeted for assistance, in 513 enterprises operating in the NACE Revision 2 Division 41 ('Construction of buildings') in the NUTS II region of Comunidad Valenciana (ES52) in Spain, Members call on the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to improve procedural and budgetary arrangements in order to accelerate the mobilisation of the EGF for the requested amount. In this respect, they appreciate the improved procedure put in place by the Commission, following Parliament's request for accelerating the release of grants and hope that further improvements in the procedure will be integrated in the new Regulation on EGF and that greater efficiency, transparency and visibility of the Fund will be achieved.

Members recall the institutions’ commitment to ensuring a smooth and rapid procedure for the adoption of the decisions on the mobilisation of the EGF.

They:

• recall that assistance from the EGF must not replace actions which are the responsibility of companies by virtue of national law or collective agreements, nor measures restructuring companies or sectors;
• note that the information provided on the coordinated package of personalised services to be funded from the EGF includes information on the complementarity with actions funded by the Structural Funds and reiterate their call to the Commission to present a comparative evaluation of those data in its annual reports as well.

Members welcome the fact that following repeated requests from Parliament, the 2012 budget shows payment appropriations of EUR 50 million on the EGF budget line 04 05 01. They recall that the EGF was created as a separate specific instrument with its own objectives and deadlines and, therefore, it deserves a dedicated allocation, which will avoid there being transfers from other budget lines. Members regret the decision of the Council to block the extension of the "crisis derogation", allowing the increase in the rate of Union co-financing to 65 % of the programme costs, for  applications submitted after the 31 December 2011 deadline, and call on the Council to reintroduce this measure without delay.