PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to finance technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2018/845 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF/2018/000 TA 2018 — Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

CONTENT: the EGF was created to provide support for workers made redundant and self-employed persons whose activities have ceased as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation, as a result of a continuation of the global financial and economic crisis, or as a result of a new global financial and economic crisis, and to assist them with their reintegration into the labour market.

The EGF is not to exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 150 million (2011 prices).

Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 provides that a maximum of 0.5 % of the annual maximum amount of the EGF may be used each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

Consequently, the EGF is mobilised to the amount of EUR 345 000 in commitment appropriations to finance technical assistance on the Commission's initiative, under the Fund within the 2018 budget.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 11.6.2018.

The European Parliament adopted by 575 votes to 107, with 4 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to provide the sum of EUR 345 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission (EGF/2018/000 TA 2018 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

Parliament recalled that the Union 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 or of the global financial and economic crisis and to assist their reintegration into the labour market.

The maximum annual budget available for the EGF is EUR 150 million (2011 prices) and 0.5 % of this amount (i.e. EUR 861 515 in 2018) can be made available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission in order to finance preparation, monitoring, data gathering and creation of a knowledge base, administrative and technical support, information and communication activities as well as audit, control and evaluation activities necessary to implement the EGF Regulation.

Parliament has repeatedly underlined the necessity of improved value added, efficiency and employability of beneficiaries of the EGF as a Union instrument of support to workers made redundant.

The amount proposed EUR 345 000 corresponds to approximately 0.2 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2018.

Members welcomed the planned future release of the 2019 biennial reports and asked for a public and wide diffusion of those reports throughout the Union and recalled the importance of a dedicated website on the EGF to be accessible to all Union citizens as well as multilingualism when communicating broadly to the public.

Parliament took note that the Commission intends to invest EUR 105 000 of the available budget under the technical assistance in holding three meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF . It also noted the Commission’s intention to invest EUR 120 000 in order to promote networking through seminars among Member States, EGF implementing bodies and social partners.

It stressed the need to further enhance the liaising between all those involved in EGF applications, including, in particular, the social partners and stakeholders at regional and local level and to create as many synergies as possible.

Lastly, the European Parliament accepted the measures proposed by the Commission to be financed from the Fund and decided to approve the proposal for a decision annexed to the resolution and to mobilise EUR 345 000 in commitment and payment appropriations under the EGF, within the framework of the EU budget for 2018.

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL (S&D, ES) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to provide the sum of EUR 345 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission (EGF/2018/000 TA 2018 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

Members recalled that 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 or of the global financial and economic crisis and to assist their reintegration into the labour market.

They recalled that following the agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council on the EGF Regulation, 0.5 % of the total amount of the Funds (i.e. EUR 861 515 in 2018) can be made available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission in order to finance preparation, monitoring, data gathering and creation of a knowledge base, administrative and technical support, information and communication activities as well as audit, control and evaluation activities necessary to implement the EGF Regulation.

Therefore, the amount proposed EUR 345 000 corresponds to approximately 0.2 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2018.

Members recalled the importance of a dedicated website on the EGF to be accessible to all Union citizens as well as multilingualism when communicating broadly to the public.

They took note that the Commission intends to invest EUR 105 000 of the available budget under the technical assistance in holding three meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF . They also noted the Commission’s intention to invest EUR 120 000 in order to promote networking through seminars among Member States, EGF implementing bodies and social partners.

Members welcomed the Commission’s readiness to invite members of its EGF Working Group to participate in EGF Networking Seminar when possible and called on the Commission to continue to invite the Parliament to these meetings and seminars.

Members stressed the need to further enhance the liaising between all those involved in EGF applications, including, in particular, the social partners and stakeholders at regional and local level and to create as many synergies as possible.

Lastly, they called on the European Parliament to approve the decision annexed to this resolution and provide for the mobilisation of EUR 345 000 in commitment and payment appropriations under the EGF in the framework of the EU budget for the financial year 2018.

PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF/2018/000 TA 2018 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

CONTENT: the rules applicable to financial contributions from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) are laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) and repealing Regulation (EC) 1927/2006 (the ‘EGF Regulation’).

In accordance with Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation, a maximum of 0.5 % of the annual maximum amount of the EGF may be made available each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

In this context, technical assistance to be funded and a break-down of its estimated costs are as follows ( total estimated costs EUR 345 000 ):

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 web site and compiled in appropriate form for the Biennial Reports of 2019 and 2021. Building on the work of recent years, costs for this activity will be EUR 20 000 . Information : the web site on the EGF, which the Commission has set up within its Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion area, and which it is maintaining, will be regularly updated and expanded, with each new element also being translated into all EU languages. General awareness of the EGF will be increased and its visibility promoted including a small print run of the EGF mid-term evaluation and an online publication. Costs of all these items are estimated at EUR 20 000 in 2018. Creation of a knowledge base : the Commission is continuing its work on standardised procedures for EGF applications and management. This allows applications under the EGF Regulation to be simplified, their processing to be speeded up and reports to be more easily extracted for varying needs. As most of the programming has been done in the past years, only further fine-tuning and adjustments to possible changes are needed. Due to the lower programming costs and equal maintenance costs, the funds needed are lower than in the past years. The cost of these items is estimated at EUR 80 000 . Administrative and technical support : the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF, with one member from each Member State, will be holding three meetings (second half of 2018 / first half of 2019). The total costs of these three meetings are estimated at EUR 105 000 . In addition, in order to promote networking among the Member States, the Commission will organise two seminars with the participation of EGF implementing bodies and social partners. The cost of these items is estimated at EUR 120 000 .

Financing : the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2018 is EUR 150 million in 2011 prices (EUR 172 303 000 in 2018 prices). Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation states that 0.5 % of this amount (i.e. EUR 861 515 in 2018) can be made available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission. Currently, the entire amount for 2018 remains available; nothing has yet been allocated to technical assistance. The proposed amount corresponds to about 0.2 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2018.

The proposed decision to mobilise the EGF will be taken jointly by the European Parliament and the Council, as laid down in point 13 of 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.

At the same time as it presents this proposal for a decision to mobilise the EGF, the Commission will present to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a transfer to the relevant budgetary line for the amount of EUR 345 000. Appropriations from the EGF budget line will be used to cover the amount of EUR 345 000 needed for technical assistance.