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Parliamentary question - E-005954/2017Parliamentary question
E-005954/2017

Relocation of Whirlpool to Poland

Question for written answer E-005954-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Steeve Briois (ENF)

In January 2017, the electronic goods company Whirlpool, which has been based in Amiens (France) since 1990, announced the closure and relocation to Poland of its industrial operation on the grounds of reduced profitability. This decision will lead to the dismissal of 290 full-time and 250 part-time staff, as well as indirectly threatening around 100 jobs with sub-contractors, particularly Prima.

While the site will probably be restored to industrial use by the firm of WN, leading to the recruitment of a promised 277 staff, it would be intolerable for the Commission to acquiesce in a foreign company benefiting from European funding to relocate its production site to another EU Member State.

1. How much EU funding has Whirlpool received since the company was first established in Amiens?

2. Does the Commission propose to recover the European funds paid to Whirlpool, given that European law bans any use of European money to fund business relocation?

3. Will the Commission mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to pay for the retraining of staff dismissed by Whirlpool?