The European Parliament gave the final green light on Tuesday 8 June to the activation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Finland, notably to support workers made redundant in the airline sector.
Thus, the MEPs approved (670 votes to 22, with 4 abstentions) Germany’s application to activate the Fund on 15 December 2020 for €1 million of the €1.8 million cost of financial support to help the 585 workers made redundant in the metal sector in the industrial regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Ruhr.
They supported (660 votes to 29, with 7 abstentions) the request from Belgium, which had asked for the activation of the Fund on 22 December to help 1,468 workers made redundant at Swissport Belgium (see EUROPE 12707/18). The financial contribution requested from the Fund amounts to €3.7 million out of a total of €5.9 million to support the redundant workers.
The Dutch request was also supported by parliamentarians (657 votes to 32, with 7 abstentions). The Netherlands applied to the Fund on 22 December last year to assist 1,851 workers made redundant at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Here, the total financial contribution amounts to €5 million, out of an estimated total cost of €8.3 million.
Finally, they agreed to the Finnish request (658 votes to 31, with 7 abstentions). On 30 December 2020, Finland submitted an application to support 508 workers made redundant at Finnair Oy and at a subcontractor. The financial contribution requested is €1.75 million out of €2.9 million.
Thus, the European Commission can now implement the Fund for all four Member States. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)