Brussels, 23/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting on Wednesday evening with the Belgian authorities on the subject of job losses at the Volkswagen plant in Brussels/Forest, the European Commissioner responsible for regional and cohesion policy, Danuta Hübner, spoke of the possibility of helping the families of dismissed workers by making more flexible use of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). According to a press release, Ms Hübner expressed her “consternation” and that of the College of Commissioners to a delegation headed by the Belgian government's Minister for Employment Peter Vanvelthoven, accompanied by his counterparts from the Flemish and Brussels Capital governments as well as the deputy head of cabinet for the minister of Wallonia and the economy minister of the Flemish government. Ms Hübner told her discussion partners that the Commission is willing to re-programme and re-allocate resources if the Belgian authorities so wish. Use of the ERDF and ESF may be made more flexible in order to assist the creation of new companies, training and vocational guidance, she said. Ms Hübner went on to say it would be possible to not only redirect the funds still available in certain ERDF programmes for the period 2000-2006 but also review the programmes for 2007-2013. Mr Vanvelthoven, for his part, invited Commissioners Hübner and Spidla (employment) to be part of the crisis unit that is soon to be created by the Belgian authorities. Vladimir Spidla received the Belgian authorities on 23 November and a technical meeting is scheduled for 30 November between the Belgian authorities and representatives of two directorates-general concerned at the Commission.
At the European Parliament, the social affairs committee adopted a declaration stressing the need for all companies to comply with European directives on worker information and consultation, and on the fact that it is urgent for the Council and Parliament to reach an agreement in order to make the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund rapidly operational. British Labour member Stephen Hughes states in a press release that it is high time for the EU to have the necessary tools available for coming to grips with major restructuring of this kind that affects an increasing number of citizens. French Socialist Jean-Louis Cottigny regrets that, in the current state of Council/EP negotiations, VW workers cannot benefit from support from the Fund which is only supposed to intervene in favour of workers if the company leaves EU territory or in the event of complete closure (we recall that the EP rapporteur into this affair is Evelyne Bachelot (EPP-ED, France). Mr Cottigny concludes saying: “I am in favour of the compromise being modified (…) with an amendment that we can call the VW amendment, but this change must not delay establishment of the Fund (…). The agreement at first reading must remain our priority objective”. (mg)