The European Parliament's Budgets Committee on Monday backed EU funding for 3,731 workers in Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark who were made redundant due to the closure of their companies.
The European Parliament's Budgets Committee on Monday backed EU funding for 3,731 workers in Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark who were made redundant due to the closure of their companies.
The total financial assistance approved by MEPs is €14,489,399. Funding for Portugal concerns 839 people who used to work for Qimonda AG, a multinational electronics firm in the Norte region. In the Netherlands, the assistance goes to 512 ex-employees of NXL Semiconductors, in the Gelderland and Eindhoven regions. In Spain, support goes to the Cataluña region, where 1,429 people working in 23 different car manufacturing companies were made redundant. Lastly, in Denmark; the support goes to 851 people made redundant by 45 companies manufacturing machinery equipment in the Nordjylland region.
Following the green light by the committee, the full Parliament and the Council of Ministers still have to give their approval.
The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) was established to provide additional support for workers made redundant as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation or the financial crisis and to assist them with their reintegration into the labour market. The annual ceiling of the fund is €500 million.