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having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0470 – C9-0369/2023),

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having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/691 (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 (“EGF Regulation”),

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having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027 (2), and in particular Article 8 thereof,

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having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources (3), and in particular point 9 thereof,

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having regard to the letter of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0351/2023),

A.

whereas 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 of the global financial and economic crisis, and to assist their reintegration into the labour market; whereas this assistance is made through a financial support given to workers and the companies for which they worked;

B.

whereas Belgium submitted application EGF/2023/002 BE/Makro for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following 1 431 redundancies (4) in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) in the provinces Antwerp, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut and Liège within a reference period for the application from 10 January 2023 to 10 May 2023;

C.

whereas the application relates to 1 431 workers made redundant in the company Makro Cash & Carry Belgium NV (Makro NV);

D.

whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (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;

E.

whereas the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine have reduced economic competitiveness and have a negative impact on economic growth in Belgium;

F.

whereas Makro NV used to run eleven stores for food and non-food products open to food and beverage services professionals (”Metro” brand) and six such stores open to general customers (“Makro” brand); whereas following years of financial difficulties and declining sales Makro NV applied for judicial reorganisation in 2022; whereas the redundancies resulted from the absence of any sound offer for taking over the Makro brand and its subsequent bankruptcy;

G.

whereas the requirements of the Belgian law on the active management of restructuring that foresee outplacement services to redundant workers do not apply in the event of bankruptcy;

H.

whereas financial contributions from the EGF should be primarily directed at active labour market policy measures and personalised services that aim to reintegrate beneficiaries rapidly into decent and sustainable employment within or outside their initial sector of activity, while preparing them for a greener and more digital European economy;

I.

whereas the EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 186 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093;