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 at the initiative of the Commission (EGF/2026/000 TA 2026 - Technical assistance)

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 at the initiative of the Commission (EGF/2026/000 TA 2026 - Technical assistance)

(COM(2026)0360 – C100124/2026 – 2026/0126(BUD))

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2026)0360 – C100124/2026),

– 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) 1309/2013 (“EGF Regulation”) as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1139,

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027, 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 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 or who are affected by imminent redundancy in a company undergoing restructuring, and to assist their reintegration into the labour market or their career transitions; whereas this assistance is made through a financial support given to workers;

B. 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 or support their career transitions;

C. whereas Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation provides that up to 1,5 % of the annual ceiling of the EGF may be made available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission;

D. whereas technical assistance may consist of technical and administrative expenditure for the implementation of the EGF, such as preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, as well as data gathering, communication activities and activities enhancing the EGF’s visibility as a fund or with regard to specific projects and other technical assistance measures; whereas technical assistance shall include the provision of information and guidance to the Member States and social partners on the EGF as well as dedicated outreach to Member States that have had no or have had only low uptake of EGF support;

E. whereas the proposed amount of EUR 210 000 corresponds to approximately 0,60 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2026;

1. Agrees with the mobilisation of EUR 210 000 and the measures proposed by the Commission to be financed as technical assistance in accordance with Article 11(1) and (4) as well as with Article 12(2), (3) and (4) of the EGF Regulation;

2. Takes note that the Commission will use the available budget under the administrative support for holding meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF (two members from each Member State) and one seminar with the participation of the implementing bodies of the EGF and social partners in order to promote networking among Member States; calls on the Commission to continue to invite Parliament systematically to these meetings and seminars, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Framework Agreement on relations between Parliament and the Commission;

3. Underlines the need to further strengthen the general awareness and the visibility of the EGF; points to the fact that such goal can be pursued by featuring the EGF in various Commission publications and audio-visual activities as provided for in Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation and by disseminating targeted information to national, regional and local authorities, social partners, and the wider public; welcomes in this context the maintenance of the dedicated website for the EGF and calls on the Commission to regularly update and expand it;

4. Underlines the need to further simplify the EGF application procedure; welcomes, in this regard, the maintenance of an electronic data exchange system and the work on standardised procedures for EGF applications undertaken by the Commission;

5. Welcomes activities that raise awareness vis-à-vis Member States, social partners and entreprises on the changes to the EGF Regulation that include the possibility to also provide support to workers affected by imminent redundancy in a company undergoing restructuring;

6. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

7. 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;

8. 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 at the initiative of the Commission (EGF/2026/000 TA 2026 - Technical assistance)

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) Regulation (EU) 2021/691 provides that a maximum of 1,5 % of the annual maximum amount of the EGF may be used each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

(4) That assistance is necessary to fulfill obligations related to the implementation of the EGF as provided for by Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, in particular concerning monitoring and data gathering as well as communication activities and those enhancing the EGF’s visibility.

(5) The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of EUR 210 000 for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission,

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 210 000 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.

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.

According to the provisions of Article 8 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027, as amended by Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 of 29 February 2024, the Fund may not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 30 million (2018 prices).

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. The Commission's proposal

On 26 May 2026, the Commission adopted a new proposal for a decision on the mobilisation of the EGF.

It concerns the mobilisation of EUR 210 000 from the Fund, covering technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission. The objective of the technical assistance is to finance technical and administrative expenditure for the implementation of the EGF. According to Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation, a maximum of 1.5% of the annual maximum amount of the EGF can be made available each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

The requested amount of EUR 210 000 represents approximately 0.60% of the annual maximum amount of the EGF and is intended to cover the following activities:

a) Administrative expenditure:

The Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF, made up of up to two members from each Member State, will hold regular meetings. Based on experiences with virtual meetings, and in line with the Commission's ambitions to lower the environmental footprint of its activities, one virtual meeting and one in-person meeting will be organised in 2026.

In order to promote networking among the Member States, the Commission will organise one seminar with the participation of EGF implementing bodies and social partners.

Information activities: the EGF’s online presence, which the Commission has set up within its Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion area, and which it is maintaining as required under Article 12(2) of the EGF Regulation, will be regularly updated and expanded, with each new element being translated into all EU languages. General awareness of the EGF will be increased and its visibility promoted. The EGF will be covered in various Commission publications and audio-visual activities as provided for in Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation.

All the activities above will include raising awareness vis-à-vis Member States, social partners and enterprises on the recent changes to the EGF Regulation. The amendment to the EGF Regulation was approved by the European Parliament and the Council on 20 May 2026 and it includes in particular the possibility to also provide support to workers affected by imminent redundancy in a company undergoing restructuring. This will better prepare them to complete a career transition in a shorter timeframe, and facilitate their change of role or career.

b) Technical expenditure:

Maintenance and update of an electronic data exchange system. The Commission is continuing its work on standardised procedures for EGF applications and management, using the functionalities of the Shared Fund Management Common System (SFC). This allows applications under the EGF Regulation to be simplified, their processing sped up and various reports more easily extracted. The SFC interface is also facilitating the EGF financial operations. This includes in particular:

– Maintenance of the SFC2014 system for the closure of cases for the EGF 2014-2020.

– Further development and maintenance of the SFC2021 system for the EGF 2021-2027 and its synchronisation with SUMMA, the new corporate accounting, finance, and budgeting system of the European Union.

c) Monitoring and data gathering:

The Commission will collect data on applications received, paid and wound up, and measures proposed and implemented. This data will be made available on the website and compiled in appropriate form for future biennial reports.

III. Procedure

In order to mobilise the Fund, the Commission has submitted to the Budget Authority a transfer request for a global amount of EUR 210 000 in commitment appropriations from the EGF reserve (budget line 30 04 02), and EUR 210 000 in payment appropriations from the EGF operational line (16 02 02), to the EGF support expenditure budget line (16 01 01).

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.