3.4.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 99/131

—

having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2010)0531 – C7-0310/2010),

—

having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management (1) (IIA of 17 May 2006), and in particular Point 28 thereof,

—

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 (2) (EGF Regulation),

—

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

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0321/2010),

A.

whereas the European Union has set up the appropriate 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 scope of the EGF was broadened for applications submitted from 1 May 2009 to include support for workers made redundant as a direct result of the global financial and economic crisis,

C.

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 17 May 2006 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the EGF,

D.

whereas the Netherlands has requested assistance in respect of cases concerning 140 redundancies in two enterprises operating in the NACE Revision 2 Division 18 (printing and reproduction of recorded media) in the NUTS II region Drenthe,

E.

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

1.

Requests the institutions involved to make the necessary efforts to accelerate the mobilisation of the EGF;

2.

Recalls the institutions’ commitment to ensuring a smooth and rapid procedure for the adoption of the decisions on the mobilisation of the EGF, providing one-off, time-limited individual support geared to helping workers who have suffered redundancies as a result of globalisation and the financial and economic crisis; emphasises the role that the EGF can play in the reintegration of workers made redundant into the labour market;

3.

Stresses that, in accordance with Article 6 of the EGF Regulation, it should be ensured that the EGF supports the reintegration of individual redundant workers into 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;

4.

Notes that the information provided on the coordinated package of personalised services to be funded from the EGF includes detailed information on the complementarity with actions funded by the Structural Funds; reiterates its call to present a comparative evaluation of these data in its annual reports as well, including an evaluation of the effects these temporary and personalised services have on the long-term reintegration into the labour market of the workers who have been made redundant;

5.

Welcomes the fact that, in the context of mobilising the EGF, an alternative source of payment appropriations to unused European Social Fund has been proposed by the Commission, following the frequent reminders by the European Parliament that the EGF was created as a separate specific instrument with its own objectives and deadlines and that appropriate budget lines for transfers must therefore be identified;

6.

Notes however that, in order to mobilise the EGF for this case, payment appropriations will be transferred from a budget line dedicated to the support of SMEs and innovation; regrets the severe shortcomings of the Commission when implementing the programmes on competitiveness and innovation, particularly during an economic crisis which should significantly increase the need for such support;

7.

Recalls that the functioning and the added value of the EGF should be evaluated in the context of the general assessment of the programmes and various other instruments created by the IIA of 17 May 2006 within the process of the 2007-2013 Multiannual Financial Framework mid-term review;

8.

Welcomes the new format of the Commission’s proposal, which presents in its explanatory memorandum clear and detailed information on the application, analyses the eligibility criteria and explains the reasons which led to its approval, which is in line with Parliament’s requests;

9.

Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

10.

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

11.

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