What changed
The report adds duties for Belgian authorities on gender equality and funding visibility, and stresses the challenge of reskilling older workers. #4#6 It reframes the coordinated package's goal to sustainability and resilience, and adds a social responsibility for the Union in providing qualifications. #5#7 It updates the description of Match-Smatch's economic situation and the Colruyt acquisition, and adds a monitoring role for the Commission. #1#3 The other changes are formal: recital renumbering, removal of a redundant recital, and addition of a committee letter. #2#8
6 changes of substance, plus 2 formal. Each change below carries a one-line ✦ note from the same model. Written from the two texts only — read the highlighted passages before relying on it.
The changes to the text itself, in document order. Cover page, citations (“having regard to …”), standard resolution paragraphs and punctuation-only edits are left out — they are in “Show every difference”.
Change #1 Substance
Rewrites recital G to describe Match-Smatch's economic difficulties, the Colruyt acquisition of 57 of 84 stores in September 2023, and the transfer of eight stores to other retailers.
G. whereas the Match-Smatch faced a difficult economic situation for several years,years withand theeventually closurereported a gross operating loss of 15EUR stores36,5 andmillion 140in redundancies2022,2a and in 2019,order reportedto lossesprevent a further accumulation of EURlosses, 11,9the millionMatch-Smatch 2021,accepted andthe inColruyt spiteGroup’s offer to acquire 57 of anthe action84 planstores in 2022 itSeptember reported2023, aalso grosstaking operatingover lossthe ofstores' EURstaff 36,5(1 million069 inpeople); 2022whereas andeight 9additional shopsstores hadwent to close;Carrefour, Delhaize, Intermarche and Delfood;
Change #3 Substance
Renumbers recital M to L and adds that the Commission should closely monitor EGF implementation and all institutions should take necessary measures to ensure EU solidarity despite budget cuts.
M.L. whereas the multiannual financial framework (MFF) revision reduces the maximum annual amount of the EGF from EUR 186 million to EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765; whereas the Commission should closely monitor the implementation of the EGF and all institutions needshould take any and all necessary measures to ensure that, despite these cuts, workers made redundant can count on EU solidarity via support of the EGF;
Change #4 Substance
Adds a sentence stressing that reskilling and upskilling workers will be challenging given the large number of dismissals and labour-market demand for qualified jobs.
5. Notes that half of the Match-Smatch redundant workers (46 %) are aged fifty or older, an age group that faces more barriers to employment and that in the last quarter of 2023, there was a difference of 18,3 percentage points between the employment rate for the 20-54 age group (76,8 %) and the employment rate for the 55+ age group (58,5 %) at national level; stresses that reskilling and upskilling the workers in line with labour-market demand for qualified jobs will thus pose a challenge, all the more considering the large number of people dismissed at the same time;
Change #5 Substance
Replaces the end of paragraph 6 to state that the coordinated package aims to make affected areas and the labour market more sustainable and resilient.
6. Welcomes the fact that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up by Belgium in consultation with targeted beneficiaries, their representatives and the social partners;partners to make the affected areas, and the overall labour market, more sustainable and resilient in the future;
Change #6 Substance
Adds paragraphs 8, 9, and 10 recalling Belgian authorities' duties on gender equality, visibility of Union funding, and welcoming the consultation process for the coordinated package.
8. Recalls that the Belgian authorities shall ensure that equality between men and women and the integration of the gender perspective are an integral part of and are promoted throughout the implementation period;
9. Recalls that the Belgian authorities shall acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of the Union funding and highlight the Union added value of the intervention, by providing coherent, effective and targeted information to multiple audiences, including targeted information to beneficiaries, local and regional authorities, the social partners, the media and the public;
10. Welcomes the fact that aiming to prepare a sound package of tailored measures to support the Match-Smatch workers’ efforts to return to work, the Regional Public Employment and Vocational Training Service of Wallonia (Le Forem), trade unions (FGTB and CSC), and other partners met on on several occasion in 2024, to better understand workers' retraining needs, that the social counsellors who accompanied the workers after their dismissal were also consulted, and that these meetings resulted in a coordinated package of EGF measures that complies with Article 7(4) of the EGF Regulation;
Change #7 Substance
Renumbers paragraph 9 to 12 and rephrases it to consider it a social responsibility of the Union to provide redundant workers with necessary qualifications for digital and green transformation.
9.12. NotesConsiders thatit a social responsibility of the Union to provide these workers made redundant with the necessary qualifications for the digital and green transformation of the Union industry and economy, which will also have an effect on the labour market; calls, therefore, for special attention to be paid to qualified and relevant education, including vocational training;