On Friday 20 July, the European Commission proposed allocating €1.2 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to former Dutch financial sector workers. This will be the first time that EGF resources have been directed to workers from this sector.
The aid will be allocated to 450 financial sector workers from the Friesland, Drenthe and Overijssel regions in the Netherlands, who lost their jobs due to the economic and financial crisis that has shaken up the Dutch banking sector.
The envelope, which is of a total of €2 million, will help towards the workers' professional reintegration: searching for jobs, reclassification, training and entrepreneurial assistance.
The Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Marianne Thyssen, stated that “I am glad that the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund can step in to help them adapt their skills, to find new opportunities and facilitate their transition to new jobs and a better future.”.
The proposal is now in the hands of the European Parliament and Council of the EU, which will now need to give their approval. (Original version in French by Carmen García, trainee)