On the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium– EGF/2025/008/BE/Liberty

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium– EGF/2025/008/BE/Liberty

(COM(2026)0004 – C100062/2026 – 2026/0066(BUD))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2026)0004 – C100062/2026),

– 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 (‘EGF Regulation’),

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027 (‘MFF Regulation’) as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765, and in particular Article 8 thereof,

– 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, and in particular point 9 thereof,

– having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights,

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

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A100000/2026),

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 events and changes in world trade patterns, and to assist their reintegration into the labour market; whereas this assistance is made through a financial support given to workers;

B. whereas Belgium submitted application EGF/2025/008 BE/Liberty for a financial contribution from the EGF following 507 displacements in Liberty Galaţi Belgian Branch (Liberty), in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 24 (Manufacture of basic metals) in the region of Province Liège (BE33), Wallonia, within a reference period from 24 April 2025 to 24 August 2025;

C. whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation, which requires the cessation of activity of at least 200 displaced workers or self-employed persons over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State;

D. whereas Liberty filed for bankruptcy on 22 April 2025; whereas in Belgium bankruptcies are on the rise since 2022;

E. whereas Région Wallone and Le Forem are providing the national pre-financing and co-funding of the measures;

F. whereas the requirements laid down in Union and national legislation concerning collective redundancies have been met;

G. 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 offering them skills training to facilitate their access to the labour market, while preparing them for a greener and more digital European economy;

H. whereas the EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices);

1. Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in the EGF Regulation and in particular in Article 4(2), point (a), thereof are met and that Belgium is entitled to a financial contribution of EUR 2 033 869 under that Regulation, which represents 85% of the total cost of EUR 2 392 788, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 2 358 922 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 33 866;

2. Notes that the Belgian authorities submitted the application on 13 November 2025, and that, following the receipt of additional information from Belgium, the Commission finalised its assessment and notified it to Parliament on 2 March 2026; stresses the need to shorten the time between an EGF application and the financing decision, while safeguarding Parliament’s budgetary rights;

3. Notes that the application relates to 507 targeted beneficiaries, who were made redundant by the company Liberty;

4. Notes that Liberty has faced years of financial difficulties prior to the bankruptcy declaration due to adverse steel market conditions, COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions, and high energy prices following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; notes that Liberty Steel Liège’s galvanizing lines have been idle since December 2021, mainly because of a lack of raw materials, triggering a restructuring operation that led to its legal transfer to Liberty Galaţi in 2023; regrets that production activity did not resume despite the takeover and culminated in bankruptcy;

5 Notes that the difficulties faced by Liberty Steel are also linked to company-specific factors following its acqisition from ArcelorMittal by the GFG Alliance; stresses serious concerns about the financial sustainability of the business model and the failure to fulfill investment commitments, which contributed to the deterioriation fo the plant’s economic situation and resulting redundancies;

6. Notes that the region of Wallonia endured a process of deindustrialisation and economic transformation; notes that Liberty’s bankruptcy represents a major social shock for Wallonia;

7. Recalls that 1 in 4 registered job seekers in Wallonia are over the age of 50 and face greater barriers to re-entering the labour market; notes that despite their high specialisation, the job transitions of Liberty's workers are challenged by their advanced age (52 % of the workers are aged 55 or more); notes that 69 % of the workers made redundant have a low level of education;

8. Recalls that, in agreement with trade unions and regional authorities, personalised services to be provided to the workers consist of the following measures: outplacement and vocational guidance; training, retraining and vocational training, including IT skills; support towards business creations; contribution to business start-up; incentives and other allowances;

9. Emphasises the importance of fostering high-quality, future-oriented jobs to ensure long-term economic and social resilience;

10. Stresses that the Belgian authorities shall ensure the visibility of the Union funding and highlight its added value by providing effective and targeted information to beneficiaries, regional and local authorities, social partners, and the wider public;

11. Calls for thorough final evaluations of the measures implemented, including how funds were used, the reintegration of workers into the labour market, and whether the EGF objectives were achieved;

12. Notes that Belgium started providing personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 1 June 2025 and that the period of eligibility for a financial contribution from the EGF will be from that date until 24 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision;

13. Notes that Belgium started incurring administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 22 April 2025 and that such expenditure shall therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from that date until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision;

14. Notes that the Belgian authorities provided assurance that the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination will be respected in the access to the proposed actions and their implementation, and that any double financing will be prevented;

15. Reiterates that assistance from the EGF must not replace actions that are the responsibility of public authorities or companies under national law or collective agreements; recalls that the EGF is a limited, targeted and complementary mechanism;

16. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

17. 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;

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

ANNEX: DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium – EGF/2025/008 BE/Liberty

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

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, and in particular Article 15(1), first subparagraph, thereof,

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, and in particular point 9 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) aims to demonstrate solidarity and promote decent and sustainable employment in the Union by providing support for workers made redundant and self-employed persons whose activity has ceased in the case of major restructuring events and assisting them in returning to decent and sustainable employment as soon as possible.

(2) The EGF is not to exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 amended by Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765, and Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691.

(3) On 13 November 2025, Belgium submitted an application to mobilise the EGF in accordance with Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, in respect of worker’s displacements in Liberty Galaţi Belgian Branch in Belgium. It was supplemented by additional information provided in accordance with Article 8(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691. That application is considered to comply with the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the EGF as laid down in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, on the basis of the assessment made by the Commission in the Proposal for a mobilisation decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

(4) The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of EUR 2 033 869 in respect of the application submitted by Belgium.

(5) In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the EGF, this decision should apply from the date of its adoption,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2026, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 2 033 869 in commitment and payment appropriations.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from [the date of its adoption]* .

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament For the Council

The President The President