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/2025/009 BE/Soliver

PR_BUD_Funds

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/2025/009 BE/Soliver

(COM(2026)0050 – C100111/2026 – 2026/0097(BUD))

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2026)0050 – C100111/2026),

– 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 (A10-0000/2026),

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/2025/009 BE/Soliver for a financial contribution from the EGF following 803 displacements in Soliver NV (Soliver) in Belgium, in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 46 (Wholesale trade) in the regions of Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen (BE23) and Provincie West-Vlaanderen (BE25), Flanders, within a reference period from 1 July 2025 to 1 November 2025;

C. whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation;

D. whereas Soliver filed for bankruptcy in December 2024; whereas in Belgium bankruptcies are on the rise since 2022 and unemployment is severely affecting several regions in Flanders;

E. whereas VDAB is 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 the labour market while offering them skills training to facilitate their reintegration into the labour market;

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 2 132 535 under that Regulation, which represents 85 % of the total cost of EUR 2 508 865, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 2 412 465 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 96 400;

2. Notes that the Belgian authorities submitted the application on 22 December 2025, and that, following the receipt of additional information from Belgium, the Commission finalised its assessment, almost one month ahead of the deadline, on 30 April 2026 and notified it to Parliament on the same day;

3. Notes that the application relates to 803 targeted beneficiaries, made redundant in the company Soliver;

4. Takes note that Soliver, a manufacturer of glass products for construction and the automotive sector, shifted its focus to exclusively high-tech automotive glass after its acquisition by American Glass Products Holding (AGP) in 2018; notes that the company began experiencing difficulties mainly linked to a downturn in the automotive sector, stemming from delayed production of car models its products were intended for, and which ultimately resulted in severe reduction of profitability and cumulated in bankruptcy;

5. Notes that, while technically skilled workers, or those willing to reskill, have most favourable employment prospects, this is due to a shortage of technical professionals, stemmed by low youth engagement in vocational training and an aging workforce; emphasizes that reintegrating the laid-off workers and providing jobseeker with the skills the labour market demands is key to a future proof European economy with a strong industrial base;

6. Regrets that the rise in bankruptcies over the past few years had a negative impact on the employment rate in some regions in Belgium, particularly in the region of Flanders;

7. Recalls that, in agreement with experts and social partners, personalised services to be provided to the workers consist of the following measures: task force of experienced consultants and account managers, providing personalised advisory services; outplacement services providing individual guidance; assistance in finding a job; reinforced job-search assistance; training and re-training, including training at the workplace; participation at job fairs; emphasises the importance of fostering high-quality, future-oriented jobs that strengthen competitiveness and support digital transformation;

8. Recalls that the EGF is an instrument of solidarity and just transition and while it provides support following job losses, it cannot replace a proactive industrial policy; considers that the mobilisation of the EGF needs to be embedded in a larger policy response on all political levels to ensure that the workers affected find adequate opportunities in line with their qualifications and skills; stresses that the Union’s primary task must be to prevent such closures in the first place, by creating the conditions to keep industrial production competitive, while at the same time investing in skills for both highly qualified and industrial workers;

9. 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;

10. Calls for thorough final evaluations of the measures implemented, including clear information on how the funds have been used, on the success of the reintegrating of workers into the labour market, and whether the measures have achieved the objectives for which the EGF was created;

11. Notes that Belgium started providing both personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries and incurring administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 11 June 2025 and that the period of eligibility for a financial contribution from the EGF will therefore be from that date until 24 months and until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision, respectively;

12. 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;

13. 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;

14. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

15. 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;

16. 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/2025/009 BE/Soliver

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 22 December 2025, Belgium submitted an application to mobilise the EGF in accordance with Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, in respect of workers’ displacements in Soliver NV 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 2 132 535 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 2 132 535 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

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

I. Background

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) was created to provide additional assistance to workers suffering from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns.

In accordance with point 9 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020, the Commission is required, following the positive assessment of an application, to submit a proposal to mobilise the Fund to the budgetary authority and to complement it with a corresponding request for transfer to the relevant budget lines.

II. Belgium’s application and the Commission's proposal

On 22 December 2025 Belgium submitted an application EGF/2025/009 BE/Soliver for a financial contribution from the EGF, following 803 redundancies at Soliver NV. This is the ninth such application of 2025, and the sixth to be examined under the 2026 budget.

Following the assessment of this application, the Commission has concluded, in accordance with all applicable provisions of the EGF Regulation, that the conditions for awarding a financial contribution from the EGF are met.

On 30 April 2026, the Commission adopted a proposal for a decision on the mobilisation of the EGF in favour of Belgium for tailored measures to support the reintegration in the labour market of 803 targeted beneficiaries, i.e. workers from Soliver (manufacturer of high-tech automotive glass) made redundant. In total, EUR 2 132 535 will be mobilised from the EGF for Soliver, representing 85% of the total costs of the proposed actions.

The Commission deemed the Belgian application admissible under the intervention criteria of Article 4(2) (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, including workers displaced in suppliers and downstream.

EGF co-funding has been requested for the following eight types of actions, to be provided to redundant workers:

a) Task force: Account managers with in-depth knowledge of the local labour market, along with consultants experienced in providing guidance during collective redundancy processes, organise and run the information sessions. Working closely with the workers, they define personalised paths for reintegration into employment and readjust them where necessary. The task force is supported by a team of experts in European projects.

b) Outplacement: Outplacement services provided in group or individual sessions include, among other things, an initial interview and individual guidance, certification of acquired skills, guidance on using "My Career" (Mijn Loopbaan) a digital platform for job searching provided by the Flemish public employment services (VDAB17), as well as guidance before, during, and after the job fair described below. Within this measure a 'job vacancy action' was organised on 3 December 2025. During a job vacancy action job offers are presented/made available to small groups of workers to apply for. Workers are helped by experts during the application process and VDAB monitors the progress of such applications and their outcome.

c) Assistance in finding a job: The assistance begins by evaluating jobseekers’ suitability for current labour market demands and the realism of their job search. It then provides tailored assistance, including CV and cover letter refinement, confidence-building, and interview preparation. Digital skills are evaluated, with basic ICT training offered to digitally illiterate workers who also gain access to ‘digibanks’, where they can borrow laptops, receive training, and get digital support. Meanwhile, webinars and online tools such as 123digit.be help those with existing skills to further develop their digital competencies.

d) Reinforced job-search assistance: The support includes individual coaching and job-scouting, group coaching with a vocational mediator, assistance with job applications and interview preparation, and visits to hiring companies and to training centres, to encourage upskilling. Additionally, information sessions on cross-border work opportunities in the Netherlands will be organised with EURES experts from the Dutch employment services.

e) Guidance: The guidance services offer career advice, job-openings search, and job placement (matching candidates' skills and goals with employers' needs), individual job search assistance, and mental support. Topics covered during the outplacement sessions are reviewed, as needed. Delivered via a voucher system to give workers flexibility, VDAB counsellors tailor support intensity (ranging from standard to highly intensive) based on individual assessments.

f) Training and retraining: Workers receive tailored coaching through specialised learning paths to enhance technical, digital, and in-demand skills (including those linked to labour shortages and the green transition). After agreeing on individual plans with a vocational counsellor, they access targeted training—either through VDAB or external providers—to address identified needs. Dutch language courses are also available, as many former Soliver employees have limited proficiency in Dutch, potentially limiting their employment options.

g) Training at the workplace: Workers receive on-the-job training with their future employer, securing a permanent or fixed-term contract lasting at least as long as the training.

h) Job fair: This recruitment event helps put together jobseekers and hiring employers. Before attending the event, counselling sessions help to prepare the meeting with potential employers. Two job fairs were organised in June and September 2025.

III. Procedure

In order to mobilise the Fund, the Commission has submitted to the Budgetary Authority a request to transfer a global amount of EUR 2 132 535 from the EGF reserve (budget line 30 04 02; commitment appropriations) to the EGF (budget line 16 02 02; commitment appropriations).

According to an internal agreement within the Parliament, the Employment and Social Affairs Committee and the Committee on Regional Development should be associated to the process, in order to provide constructive support and contribute to the assessment of the applications from the Fund.