The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)0001 – C10‑0056/2025),

–  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013(1) (“EGF Regulation”),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027(2) as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765(3), and in particular Article 8 thereof,

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources(4), and in particular point 9 thereof,

–  having regard to the letter from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0080/2025),

A.  whereas the Union has set up legislative and budgetary instruments to provide additional support to workers who are suffering from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns or of the global financial and economic crisis, and to assist their reintegration into the labour market; whereas this assistance is made through a financial support given to workers and the companies for which they worked;

B.  whereas Belgium submitted application EGF/2024/003 BE/Van Hool for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following 2 411 redundancies(5) in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 29 (Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers) in the NUTS 2 region of Provincie Antwerpen (BE21) within a reference period of four months for the application from 8 April 2024 to 8 August 2024;

C.  whereas the application relates to 2 411 workers made redundant in the company Van Hool;

D.  whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation, which requires the cessation of activity of at least 200 displaced workers or self-employed persons over a reference period of four months, in an enterprise in a Member State, including workers displaced in suppliers and downstream producers;

E.  whereas the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on coach demand, and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has had an impact on cost structure;

F.  whereas the European automotive and supplier industry is facing unprecedented pressure from both external and internal challenges, such as distortion of competition, notably in the electric vehicle sector due to unfair subsidization by China, and high-energy costs caused by major restructuring events;

G.  whereas Van Hool was specialised in the manufacture of buses, coaches, trolleybuses, and trailers; whereas the declining demand for coaches resulting from the impact of the pandemic has led to declining average sales for Van Hool in Europe and a sharp fall in profitability; whereas rising inflation and disrupted supply chains further increased pressure on the enterprise’s margins;

H.  whereas the company, in compliance with Belgian law, followed the mandatory procedure for informing and consulting workers' representatives; whereas the requirement for setting up an employment unit, whose purpose is to provide workers laid off in the context of collective redundancies with outplacement services, does not apply in the event of bankruptcy;

I.  whereas financial contributions from the EGF should be primarily directed at active labour market policy measures and personalised services that aim to reintegrate beneficiaries rapidly into decent and sustainable employment within or outside their initial sector of activity, while preparing them for a greener and more digital European economy;

J.  whereas the Flemish employment services (VDAB) are providing the national pre-financing and co-funding of the measures;

K.  whereas the EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765; whereas in line with the principle of sound financial management unspent contributions should be paid back to the Commission;

1.  Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation are met and that Belgium is entitled to a financial contribution of EUR 7 999 015 under that Regulation, which represents 85 % of the total cost of EUR 9 410 607, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 9 034 607 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 376 000;

2.  Notes that the Belgian authorities submitted the application on 29 October 2024, and that, following the provision of additional information by Belgium, the Commission finalised its assessment on 26 March 2025 and notified it to Parliament on the same day;

3.  Notes that the application relates to 2411 workers made redundant in the company Van Hool; notes further that 2397 workers will be targeted beneficiaries in total;

4.  Underlines that the industrial sector is currently experiencing a decline in Belgium according to the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (VBO); notes that the industrial sector has traditionally played an important role in Lier which is why the industrial decline is having a significant impact on Lier’s labour market; highlights that the number of industrial jobs available in Lier decreased by 13 % in 2023;

5.  Points out that the profiles of the displaced workers, one third of which are aged 50 years or more and 80 % have secondary education or less and outdated skills; stresses that taking into account the downward trend in vacancies and its geographical distribution, the workers will need targeted assistance focusing on upskilling and retraining to increase their chances of returning to work; considers it as a social responsibility of the Union and Member States to provide the affected workers a possibility to obtain the necessary qualifications for future employment;

6.  Welcomes that personalised services to be provided to the workers consist of the following actions: social intervention advisor and workers’ registration, outplacement , job-search support and job placement, vocational guidance, retraining and vocational training, as well as training at the workplace; highlights especially services related to targeted support and personal assessment, as well as ICT training which contributes to upskilling required in the digital industrial age;

7.  Notes that Belgium started providing personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 22 April 2024 and that the period of eligibility for a financial contribution from the EGF will therefore be from that date until 24 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision;

8.  Notes that Belgium started incurring administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 14 March 2024 and that such expenditure shall therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from that date until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision;

9.  Stresses that the Belgian authorities have confirmed that the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination will be respected in the access to the proposed actions and their implementation, and that any double financing will be prevented;

10.  Recalls that the Belgian authorities shall ensure that equality between men and women and the integration of the gender perspective are an integral part of and are promoted throughout the implementation period;

11.  Reiterates that assistance from the EGF must not replace actions which are the responsibility of companies, by virtue of national law or collective agreements;

12.  Recalls that the Belgian authorities shall acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of the Union funding and highlight the Union added value of the intervention, by providing coherent, effective and targeted information to multiple audiences, including targeted information to beneficiaries, local and regional authorities, the social partners, the media and the public;

13.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

14.  Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

15.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission.

(1) OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 48, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/691/oj. (2) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2093/oj. (3) Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 of 29 February 2024 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (OJ L, 2024/765, 29.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/765/oj). (4) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2020/1222/oj. (5) Within the meaning of Article 3 of the EGF Regulation.

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium – EGF/2024/003 BE/Van Hool

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2025/1018.)