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having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0210 – C9-0194/2023),

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having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/691 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 (1)(“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) (‘IIA of 16 December 2020 ’), and in particular point 8 thereof,

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having regard to the trilogue procedure provided for in point 9 of the IIA of 16 December 2020,

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

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having regard to the letter of the Committee on Regional Development,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0228/2023),

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/2023/001 BE/ LNSA for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following 603 redundancies (4) in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 52 (Warehousing and support activities for transportation) in the province Brabant Wallon, within a reference period for the application from 23 August 2022 to 23 December 2022;

C.

whereas the application relates to 603 workers made redundant in the companies Logistics Nivelles SA (‘LNSA’) and SuperTransport SA/NV, a supplier of Logistics Nivelles;

D.

whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of 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 LNSA used to provide logistics services regarding fresh and dry food products, wines and spirits to Carrefour; whereas the redundancies resulted from the decision of LNSA’s parent company Kuehne + Nagel to close down its Belgian subsidiary, following financial difficulties of LNSA and significant losses of the company in 2020, which exceeded the total budget for 2020, and in 2021 losses again higher than expected;;

G.

whereas Kuehne + Nagel decided to turn its regional distribution into a national distribution and to rely on its subsidiary Kontich NV to supply Carrefour stores across Belgium; whereas Kuehne + Nagel also has facilities in Kampenhout (road logistics); whereas no worker was relocated between logistic centres of Kuehne + Nagel;

H.

whereas LNSA, in compliance with the Belgian law on collective redundancies, informed and consulted workers’ representatives: whereas this mandatory procedure has secured EUR 1 500 per worker to cover retraining costs;

I.

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;

J.

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