PURPOSE: mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2019 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2019/1938 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).

CONTENT: the EGF was created to support employees and self-employed persons who have become inactive as a result of major structural changes in international trade patterns due to globalisation, the continuation of the global financial and economic crisis or the emergence of a new global financial and economic crisis, as well as to facilitate their professional reintegration.

The annual allocation to the EGF shall not exceed EUR 150 million (at 2011 prices).

Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 provides that, at the initiative of the Commission, not more than 0.5% of the annual amount of the EGF may be allocated each year for technical assistance.

Consequently, the EGF is mobilised for an amount of EUR 610 000 in commitment appropriations to finance technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission, under the Fund in the 2019 budget.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 29.11.2018.

The European Parliament adopted by 580 votes to 61, with 67 abstentions, a resolution approving the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to provide EUR 610 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for technical assistance under the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019.

As a reminder, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aims 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 proposed amount of EUR 610 000 corresponds to approximately 0.35% of the maximum amount of the annual budget available for the EGF in 2019.

In its resolution, Parliament reiterated the importance of monitoring and data gathering and of a website dedicated to the EGF and accessible to all citizens of the Union. It welcomed the continued work on the establishment standardised procedures for EGF applications and management with a view to simplifying the processing of applications for assistance and improving reporting.

Members noted the Commission's intention to invest EUR 190 000 of the available budget under the administrative and technical support in holding two meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF (one member from each Member State) and two seminars with the participation of the implementing bodies of the EGF and social partners.

The Commission was called on to continue to systematically invite Parliament to those meetings and seminars in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Framework Agreement on relations between Parliament and the Commission.

Parliament underlined 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, to create as many synergies as possible.

It welcomed a timely start of the ex-post evaluation for which the Commission intends to invest EUR 300 000 of the available budget.

Lastly, it reminded applicant Member States of their key role in widely publicising the actions funded by EGF to the targeted beneficiaries.

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Bogdan RZOŃCA (ECR, PL) 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 610 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission (EGF/2019/000 TA 2019 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

Members 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 necessary and prompt reintegration into the labour market.

The proposed amount of EUR 610 000 corresponds to approximately 0.35 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2019.

Once again, Members recalled the importance of a dedicated website on the EGF to be accessible to all Union citizens. They took note that the Commission intends to invest EUR 190 000 of the available budget under the administrative and technical support in holding two meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF (one member from each Member State) and two seminars with the participation of the implementing bodies of the EGF and social partners.

The Commission is called on to continue to systematically invite Parliament to these meetings and seminars in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Framework Agreement on relations between Parliament and the Commission.

Members underlined 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, to create as many synergies as possible.

They welcomed a timely start of the ex-post evaluation for which the Commission intends to invest EUR 300 000 of the available budget.

Lastly, Members called on the European Parliament to approve the decision annexed to this resolution and provide for the mobilisation of EUR 610 000 in commitment and payment appropriations under the EGF in the framework of the EU budget for the financial year 2019.

PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF/2019/000 TA 2019 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission).

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: t he European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aims 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), as laid down in Article 12 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 . 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.

The EGF shall be mobilised in order to provide the sum of EUR 610 000 for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

Technical assistance to be funded and breakdown of estimated costs

Monitoring and data gathering : the Commission will collect data on applications received, funded and wound up, and measures proposed and implemented. This data will be made available on the website of the European Commission and compiled in appropriate form for the Biennial Report of 2021. Costs for this activity are estimated at EUR 20 000.

Information : the Commission has set up and maintains a webpage on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. The webpage will be regularly updated and expanded, and the new elements will be translated into all EU official languages. General awareness of the EGF will be increased and its visibility promoted. Costs of all these items are estimated to be EUR 20 000.

Electronic data exchange system : the Commission is continuing its work on developing standardised procedures for EGF applications and case management. This allows the simplification of applications under the EGF Regulation, a faster processing, and easier reporting. An interface between SFC and the Commission’s accounting and financial information system ABAC facilitates the financial operations of the EGF. The contribution of EUR 80 000 is for the regular maintenance and further development of the SFC applications and the integration of new reporting tools.

Administrative and technical support : the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF, with one member from each Member State, will be holding two meetings (second half of 2019 / first half of 2020). The total costs of these two meetings are estimated at EUR 70 000. In addition, in order to promote networking among the Member States, the Commission will organise two seminars with the participation of the implementing bodies of the EGF and social partners. The cost of these items is estimated at EUR 120 000.

Evaluation : a public procurement for the ex-post evaluation will be launched in 2019, with a view to concluding the evaluation by 31 December 2021. EUR 300 000 will be needed for this purpose.