The European Parliament and the Council of the EU will meet on Wednesday 16 December to discuss the regulation establishing the Globalisation Adjustment Fund and try to reach an agreement.
However, there are still a few political points separating them from the final agreement, starting with the threshold of the number of jobs destroyed at which the Fund can be applied for. Parliament would like this threshold to be at least 200 workers or self-employed, the Council would be more in favour of keeping the threshold at 250. Parliament would like a six-month reference period, while the Council would prefer a four-month reference period.
Another point: Parliament would like to see the introduction of childcare allowances. The Council had not initially foreseen anything in this regard. An agreement would be relatively easy to reach, however. The Council would be prepared to agree to introduce these allowances, but in return would wait until the Parliament’s proposal to fund employers’ recruitment incentives has been dropped.
Discussions would also be expected on the level of investment for the self-employed. Parliament wanted €25,000 per beneficiary. The Council would prefer €20,000. The compromise should be €22,000, we are told.
The duration of the Fund should also be negotiated. The Council would like to limit it in time, directly linked to the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), whereas Parliament prefers to disconnect it from the MFF. Another point: Parliament would like to include young people under the age of 25 who are not in education, employment or training (better known by the English acronym NEET). The Council would have made no provision for this.
The co-legislators should also address how the Fund is to be financed when it does not have sufficient resources to respond to a new crisis situation. On the other hand, the eternal question of recourse to a delegated act or an implementing act should be addressed. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)