9.11.2017   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 378/299

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having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2014)0045 — C7-0019/2014),

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having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (1) (EGF Regulation),

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having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 (2), and in particular Article 12 thereof,

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having regard to 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 (3) (IIA of 2 December 2013), and in particular point 13 thereof,

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having regard to trilogue procedure provided for in point 13 of the IIA of 2 December 2013,

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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 (A7-0158/2014),

A.

whereas 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,

B.

whereas the Union’s financial assistance to workers made redundant should be dynamic and made available as quickly and efficiently as possible, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission adopted during the conciliation meeting on 17 July 2008, and having due regard for the IIA of 2 December 2013 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the EGF,

C.

whereas Spain submitted application EGF/2013/008 ES/Comunidad Valenciana textiles for a financial contribution from the EGF, following 560 redundancies in 198 enterprises operating in the NACE Revision 2 Division 13 (Manufacture of textiles) (4) in the NUTS II region of Comunidad Valenciana (ES52) with 300 workers targeted for EFG co-funded measures, during the reference period from 1 November 2012 to 1 August 2013,

D.

whereas the application fulfils the eligibility criteria set up by the EGF Regulation,

1.

Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 2(b) of the EGF Regulation are met and that, therefore, Spain is entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation;

2.

Notes that the Spanish authorities submitted the application for EGF financial contribution on 8 October 2013, and that its assessment was made available by the Commission on 28 January 2014; welcomes the speedy evaluation of four months;

3.

Considers that the redundancies in Comunidad Valenciana textile enterprises are linked to major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation, referring to the closure of the WTO’s Transitional Agreement on Textiles and Clothing at the end of 2004 and a greater exposure to the global competition particularly from China and other Far Eastern countries leading to a substantial increase of textiles imports into the Union and a loss of Union's market share in world textiles markets;

4.

Notes that Comunidad Valenciana has been severely affected by globalisation with unemployment reaching 29,19 % in the first quarter of 2013; welcomes the fact that the region avails itself yet again of EGF aid to alleviate high unemployment by addressing for the second time lay-offs in textile sector;

5.

Congratulates Comunidad Valenciana on the capacity to apply for and use EGF to address problems of its labour market characterised by a high percentage of SMEs; in this context recalls that Comunidad Valenciana region has already applied for the EGF support for textile, ceramic and natural stone as well as construction sector;

6.

Underlines the capacity of EGF to help address fragile employment situation in the regions dependant on traditional sectors such as textiles or construction sectors; stresses that this capacity depends on the readiness and effectiveness of national and local authorities to apply for EGF support;

7.

Notes that to date, the manufacture of textiles sector has been the subject of 11 EGF applications (5), all of them based on trade related globalisation while Comunidad Valenciana region submitted already six EGF applications: in September 2009 (6) (ceramics), March 2010 (7) (natural stone), March 2010 (8) (textiles), July (9) and December 2011 (10) (construction and footwear, respectively) and 2013 (11) (building materials);

8.

Welcomes the fact that, in order to provide workers with speedy assistance, the Spanish authorities decided to initiate the implementation of the personalised services to the affected workers on 1 January 2014, well ahead of the final decision on granting the EGF support for the proposed coordinated package;

9.

Notes that the coordinated package of personalised services to be co-funded includes measures for the reintegration of 300 redundant workers into employment such as profiling, occupational guidance, counselling, trainings (training in transversal skills, vocational training, on-the-job training, training towards entrepreneurship), support towards entrepreneurship, intensive job-search assistance, incentives (job-search incentive, support for setting up a business, outplacement incentives, contribution to commuting expenses and contribution for carers of dependent persons);

10.

Welcomes the fact that the social partners, including trade unions (UGT-PV, CCOO-PV), were consulted during the preparation of EGF application and agreed on contributing 10 % of the total national co-funding of total costs of the applied measures, and that a policy of equality of women and men as well as the principle non-discrimination will be applied during the various stages of the implementation of and in access to the EGF;

11.

Recalls the importance of improving the employability of all workers by means of adapted training and the recognition of skills and competences gained throughout a worker's professional career; expects the training on offer in the coordinated package to be adapted not only to the needs of the dismissed workers but also to the actual business environment;

12.

Welcomes the fact that the coordinated package includes vocational training focusing on sectors where opportunities exist or are likely to arise as well as contains on-the-job training which will match the identified needs of local enterprises;

13.

Regrets that the Commission proposal does not outline the educational structure of the dismissed labour force;

14.

Notes that the coordinated package foresees financial incentives for job-search (lump sum of EUR 300), mobility allowance, outplacement incentive (up to EUR 350) as well as contribution for carers of dependent persons; welcomes the fact that the overall amount of financial incentives is relatively limited leaving the majority of the contribution to be spent on training, counselling, job search assistance and support of entrepreneurship;

15.

Notes that the case at hand typically reflects the social and economic landscape of a region with local economy characterised by a high percentage of SMEs;

16.

Notes that the information provided on the coordinated package of personalised services to be funded from the EGF includes information on complementarity with actions funded by the Structural Funds; stresses that the Spanish authorities confirm that the eligible actions do not receive assistance from other Union financial instruments; reiterates its call to the Commission to present a comparative evaluation of those data in its annual reports in order to ensure full respect of the existing regulations and that no duplication of Union-funded services can occur;

17.

Requests the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to improve procedural arrangements in order to accelerate the mobilisation of the EGF; appreciates the improved procedure put in place by the Commission, following Parliament's request for the accelerated release of grants, aimed at presenting to the budgetary authority the Commission's assessment on the eligibility of an EGF application together with the proposal to mobilise the EGF; underlines that further improvements in the procedure have been integrated in the new Regulation on European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) (12) and that greater efficiency, transparency and visibility of the EGF will be achieved;

18.

Stresses that, in accordance with Article 6 of the EGF Regulation, it shall be ensured that the EGF supports the reintegration of individual redundant workers into stable employment; stresses, furthermore, that EGF assistance can co-finance only active labour market measures which lead to durable, long-term employment; reiterates 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;

19.

Welcomes the agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council regarding the new EGF Regulation, for the period 2014-2020, to reintroduce the crisis mobilisation criterion, to increase Union financial contribution to 60 % of the total estimated cost of proposed measures, to increase efficiency for the treatment of EGF applications in the Commission and by the European Parliament and the Council by shortening time for assessment and approval, to widen eligible actions and beneficiaries by introducing self-employed persons and young people and to finance incentives for setting up own businesses;

20.

Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

21.

Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

22.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission.