Brussels, 11/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 11 September, the European Parliament gave its go-ahead for aid from the Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for Danish and Spanish workers. Following the opinion of the European Commission (June 2012) and that of the Parliament's budgets committee (July 2012), MEPs approved by a very large majority aid amounting to more than €7.7 million.
Almost €6.4 million will go to assistance and training programmes for the 550 Danish workers made redundant in the shipbuilding company Odense Steel Shipyard and in four of its downstream suppliers and producers. The sector has been hit hard by competition from Asia. Co-funding from local authorities, allowed under the EGF, is to the tune of €3.4 million. With regard to EGF action in Denmark, 578 MEPs voted in favour, 65 against, with 21 abstentions.
At the end of 2011, Spain requested EGF support for the 320 people made redundant from small construction companies in the Aragon region due to the sector suffering from the financial crisis and ensuing recession. EGF support for this was allowed under an operational derogation which has not, however, been renewed for 2012. The Aragon region will provide €700,000 through support programmes for new jobs. 583 MEPs supported this plan, 68 opposed it and 22 abstained. (JK/trans/fl)