Budgets Committee backs unemployment aid to Germany, Denmark and Portugal

European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aid totalling €9,741,974 to help find new jobs for 1,783 redundant workers in Germany, Denmark and Portugal was approved by the Budgets Committee on Thursday.

Germany applied for €4,347,868 in EGF aid for 778 workers made redundant by five automotive industry firms in Arnsberg and Düsseldorf.

Denmark applied for €3,944,606 for 325 workers made redundant by six wind turbine manufacturers in Midtjylland.

Portugal applied for €1,449,500 for 680 workers made redundant by footwear firm Rohde in the municipality of Santa Maria Da Feira.

EGF aid helps redundant workers to find new jobs by covering some training and job-search assistance costs.

The fund's annual ceiling is €500 million. After Parliament's repeated requests that the EGF be given its own budget, the EU's 2011 budget is the first to show payment appropriations of €47,608,950 on the EGF budget line. This was achieved by means of an amending budget.

Next steps

Following the committee's green light, the aid will need to be approved by Parliament as a whole and the Council of Ministers. Parliament's plenary vote is scheduled for 28 September. The Council of Ministers is to vote on the Danish application on 26 September and the German and Portuguese applications on 4 October.

In the chair : Alain Lamassource (EPP, FR)