The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)0621 – C10‑0270/2025),

–  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 to 2027(2) as amended by Council 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 opinion of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0239/2025),

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 Sweden submitted application EGF/2025/003 SE/Northvolt for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following 6 486 displacements(5) in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 71 (Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis) in the regions of Övre Norrland (SE33), Stockholm (SE11) and Östra Mellansverige (SE12) with 5 829 displacements within a reference period for the application from 28 November 2024 to 28 March 2025, and 657 displacements before or after the reference period;

C.  whereas, during the reference period covered by the application, a total of 5 829 displacements were identified, comprising 5 561 displaced workers whose activity ceased in Northvolt AB (Northvolt) and its subsidiaries(6), and 268 displaced workers in 8 suppliers and downstream producers of Northvolt;

D.  whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation; whereas for the additional 657 displacements whose activity ceased before or after the four-month reference period, a clear causal link can be established with the event that triggered the cessation of activity for the displaced workers during the reference period as required by Article 6(2) of the EGF Regulation;

E.  whereas Northvolt was specialised in architectural and engineering activities, technical testing and battery manufacturing; whereas the company filed for bankruptcy on 12 March 2025 due to production-related difficulties, in particular as a result of an oversupply caused by intense competition from imports originating mainly from China, which dominates the global market accounting for more than 80 % of global battery production;

F.  whereas Europe needs a strong and competitive battery industry to reduce harmful strategic dependencies and strengthen its industrial autonomy, as well as to achieve its climate and energy transition targets; whereas the battery and supplier industry is facing high energy and capital costs, production delays, global market distortions, as well as increasing competitive pressure from third-country producers, particularly China(7);

G.  whereas the Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service) is providing the national pre-financing and co-funding of the measures;

H.  whereas the requirements laid down in Union and national law concerning collective redundancies have been complied with;

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 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;

1.  Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 4(2), point (a), of the EGF Regulation are met and that Sweden is entitled to a financial contribution of EUR 8 526 322 under that Regulation, which represents 60 % of the total cost of EUR 14 210 537, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 13 663 977 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 546 560;

2.  Notes that the Swedish authorities submitted the application on 16 June 2025, and that, following the provision of additional information by Sweden, the Commission finalised its assessment on 28 October 2025, more than four months later, and notified it to Parliament on the same day; stresses the importance of significantly shortening the time of consideration between the submission of an application for EGF assistance and the financing decision, in order to ensure that the financial support can be mobilised without delay; underlines the need to simplify and accelerate internal procedures, while fully safeguarding the institutional balance, in particular the rights of the Parliament as budgetary authority;

3.  Notes that the application relates to 6 486 displaced workers affected by a major restructuring event concerning Northvolt, which led to the largest bankruptcy in Sweden in modern times; notes further that 5 800 displaced workers in total will be targeted beneficiaries and are expected to participate in the measures;

4.  Takes note that, the significance of job displacements in the city of Skellefteå is severe, with the unemployment rate reaching 8,2 % over the previous year; takes note that most of the displaced workers have high levels of education and are less than 54 years old; with specialised skills in the field of battery production and engineering stresses that swift action is needed to prevent structural regional decline and emphasises the importance of fostering high-quality, future-oriented jobs to ensure long-term economic and social resilience;

5.  Notes that as of August 2025 the American start-up Lyten, global leader in lithium-sulfur batteries, has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Northvolt’s remaining assets in Sweden, Germany and Poland by the end of 2025, and is planning to rehire the laid-off workforce taking into account the ability to offer them equivalent positions in the region; underlines that reemployment should be considered as a primary option and that all unused amounts should be paid back to the Commission in the case of taking over;

6.  Recalls that, in agreement with trade unions and social partners, personalised services to be provided to all workers consist of the following actions: in-depth assessment and individual planning, job-search activities and coaching, support for starting own business and investment support, labour market training, training courses, special support to enter labour market or pursue education, allowances and digital skills trainings; stresses that the Swedish 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;

7.  Stresses that the qualifications and skills of the workers made redundant remain key to a future-proof European economy that accomplishes the green transition; considers therefore that the mobilisation of the EGF needs to be embedded in a larger policy response to ensure that the workers affected find adequate opportunities in line with their qualifications and skills;

8.  Calls for thorough final evaluations of the measures implemented, including clear information on how the funds have been used and whether they were spent in line with the approved plans, in particular in cases of direct financial support such as start-up and investment support; further requests data on the number of workers successfully reintegrated into employment and those who have completed training and upskilling measures;

9.  Notes that Sweden started providing both personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries and incurring administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 25 October 2024 and that the period of eligibility for a financial contribution from the EGF will therefore be from that date until 24 months and until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the financing decision, respectively;

10.  Notes that the Swedish authorities provided assurance 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;

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

12.  Stresses the urgent need for coherent and coordinated Union’s efforts to ensure competitiveness and strategic autonomy, developed in close partnership with the Member States and regions, in order to safeguard Europe’s future-proof industrial employment base that responds to the requirements of European industrial autonomy and strengthens the Union’s position in strategic sectors, such as the batteries and supplier industry, while advancing the Union’s green and digital transition; underlines that only a robust, resilient and sustainable European economy can effectively prevent large-scale redundancies, thereby reducing the need for EGF intervention in the first place; emphasises the need to ensure clear recognition and visibility of Union funding to highlight its added value and the European solidarity embodied by the EGF; calls for consistent and well-targeted communication to beneficiaries, regional and local authorities, social partners, the media, and the wider public; deplores that the Union battery industry suffers from subsidies Chinese government provides to its producers distorting global competition;

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. (6) Including joint-ventures of Northvolt and Volvo Cars for which, at the beginning of 2025, Volvo Cars acquired all shares to be the sole owner of those companies. (7) Commission work programme 2026, Europe's Independence Moment https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/strategy-documents/commission-work-programme/commission-work-programme-2026_en.

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 Sweden – EGF/2025/003 SE/Northvolt

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2025/2661.)