Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: redundancies in the paper manufacture and machinery sector in Belgium

PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to support Belgium in the face of redundancies in the paper manufacture and machinery sector.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2025/47 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium – EGF/2024/002 BE/Limburg machinery and paper.

CONTENT: the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) aims to demonstrate solidarity and promote decent and sustainable employment in the Union by providing support for workers made redundant and self-employed persons whose activity has ceased in the case of major restructuring events and assisting them in returning to decent and sustainable employment as soon as possible.

The European Parliament and the Council have decided that for the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers will be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 704 135 in commitment and payment appropriations in response to the application submitted by Belgium following the displacement of 632 workers in the economic sectors classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 17 (Manufacture of paper and paper products) and division 28 (Manufacture of machinery and equipment) in the NUTS 2 region of Provincie Limburg (BE22) in Belgium.

The annual allocation to the EGF will not exceed EUR 30 million (at 2018 prices).

The application is deemed admissible under the intervention criteria of Article 4(2)(a) of the EGF Regulation, which requires at least 200 workers being made redundant over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State, including workers made redundant by suppliers and downstream producers and/or self-employed persons whose activity has ceased.

The agreed amount is intended to cover the following activities:

- social Intervention Advisor (SIA);

- guidance, counselling, and vocational orientation;

- active job-search support;

- training, retraining and vocational training;

- training at the workplace.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 10.1.2025.