Brussels, 10/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission, on Friday 10 June, approved two applications from Austria for assistance, amounting to €9,506,036 in total, from the EU Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). This money will help 356 former workers in basic metal enterprises and 74 redundant workers from a leading Printed Circuit Board manufacturer (PCB) to find new jobs. The territories concerned by the redundancies are the federal provinces of Styria and Lower Austria, both of which suffer from structural weaknesses with gross regional product below the national average and long-term unemployment above the national average. The application will now go to the European Parliament and EU Ministers for agreement.
The first application relates to 167 redundancies at AT&S, a company operating in the PCB manufacturing sector. The EGF assistance package will help 74 of the most disadvantaged former workers, offering them measures, such as active job search assistance, various options for training and the necessary allowances. The total estimated cost of the package is almost €1.9 million, of which the European Union has been asked to provide EGF assistance amounting to €1.2 million.
The second Austrian application relates to 1,180 redundancies in 54 companies operating in the manufacture of basic metals. Here too, the package of EGF assistance will help the most disadvantaged - 356 in all - back into employment by offering them occupational orientation, active job search, various options of training, and the necessary allowances. The total estimated cost of the package is almost €12.8 million, with the European Union being asked to provide EGF assistance of €8.2 million.
The Commission points out that there have been 77 applications to the EGF since the start of its operations in January 2007, amounting to a total of about €358 million, helping almost 77,000 workers. (G.B./transl.rt)