30.8.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 316/198

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having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2015)0013 — C8-0010/2015),

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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 the 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 letter of the Committee on Regional Development,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0036/2015),

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 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 to the IIA of 2 December 2013 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF);

C.

whereas this application is among the last two to be treated under the 2006 EGF Regulation and the adoption of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 (4) reflects the agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council to reintroduce the crisis mobilisation criterion, to increase the 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 Parliament and the Council by shortening the 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;

D.

whereas Poland submitted application EGF/2013/009 PL/Zachem for a financial contribution from the EGF following 615 redundancies in Zaklady Chemiczne Zachem and 2 suppliers, linked to the discontinuation of production and corporate reorganisation of Zachem, operating in the NACE 2 Division 20 ‘Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products’, located in the NUTS 2 Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province; whereas 404 persons out of the 615 redundant workers have registered as unemployed in the district employment office in Bydgoszcz; whereas the redundancies took place during the reference period from 31 March 2013 to 31 July 2013 and are linked to a decline in the Union's market share of the chemical industry;

E.

whereas the financial contribution requested from the EGF amounts to EUR 115 205 (50 % of the total budget);

F.

whereas the application fulfils the eligibility criteria laid down in the EGF Regulation;

1.

Notes that the conditions set out in Article 2(a) of the EGF Regulation are met, therefore agrees with the Commission that Poland is entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation;

2.

Notes that the Polish authorities submitted the application for EGF financial contribution on 9 October 2013 under the EGF Regulation, which does not cap the time for instruction, and that its assessment was made available by the Commission on 21 January 2015;

3.

Expresses concerns about the length of the procedure from the date of the first redundancies until the assessment of the application; recalls that the goal of the EGF is to offer help to redundant workers as quickly as possible;

4.

Welcomes the fact that, in order to provide workers with speedy assistance, the Polish authorities decided to initiate the implementation of the personalised services to the affected workers on 4 March 2013, well ahead of the decision and even the application on granting the EGF support for the proposed coordinated package;

5.

Notes that the Union’s share in the world market of chemicals drastically declined from 1992 to 2012, starting from 35,2 % in 1992 and reducing to 17,8 % in 2012 (5); observes that the trend in recent years has evidenced the migration of chemical manufacturing towards Asia, and China in particular, where the manufacture of chemicals increased from an 8,7 % share in 2002 to a 30,5 % share in 2012, due to rising sales in the emerging markets and lower labour costs, access to markets, subsidies, taxes and regulation; consequently considers that the redundancies in Zachem and its 2 suppliers are linked to major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation;

6.

Underlines that Zachem was the biggest employer in the region and that in the given reference period, the workers dismissed directly or indirectly from Zachem amounted to 60 % of all newly registered unemployed persons in the district employment office in Bydgoszcz;

7.

Notes that the redundancies at Zachem and its suppliers are expected to have a negative impact on the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province, which had the highest unemployment rate in the country, amounting to 17,4 % in July 2013, despite the economic expansion the region has benefited from;

8.

Notes that the measures supported by the EGF are targeted at the 50 workers in the most disadvantaged situation and includes the following 2 measures: hiring incentives and intervention works;

9.

Notes that the largest proportion of the costs for personalised services will be spent on hiring incentives targeted at 45 workers, which aim to provide an incentive to employers who decided to hire these workers for at least 24 months;

10.

Notes that a smaller-scale support is provided to 5 redundant workers over 50 years of age to cover their social security contributions; notes that this age group is at a higher risk of prolonged unemployment and exclusion from the labour market;

11.

Welcomes the complementarity of the EGF measures with the actions funded by Structural Funds; notes in particular that the coordinated package of personalised services is aimed at complementing the numerous ongoing measures available for the redundant workers in the framework of the Human Capital Operational Programme co-financed by the European Social Fund and the other measures undertaken by the employment offices in the region; points out the importance of ensuring that double financing in cases of such complementary actions is prevented;

12.

Notes that the personalised services are scheduled to be implemented until 30 September 2015 and that, according to the provisional data, 36 persons have found new employment due to participation in the services provided in the package so far; notes that the implementation of the planned budget amounted to 59 % at the end of the year 2014;

13.

Welcomes the fact that the Social Dialogue committee in the province discussed the possibilities of assistance to workers made redundant by Zachem and its suppliers and that the proposed package of personalised measures was discussed at a meeting of the Employment Council in Bydgoszcz, including trade unions, business and local and regional government representatives;

14.

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;

15.

Welcomes the fact that the principle of equality between women and men as well as of non-discrimination has been, and will continue to be, applied during the various stages of implementation of and access to the EGF measures;

16.

Stresses 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;

17.

Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

18.

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;

19.

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