The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2013)0706 – C7‑0358/2013),

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management(1) (IIA of 17 May 2006), and in particular point 28 thereof,

–  having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund(2) (the EGF Regulation),

–  having regard to the trilogue procedure provided for in point 28 of the IIA of 17 May 2006,

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

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0408/2013),

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 and to assist their reintegration into the labour market,

B.  whereas the Union’s financial assistance to workers made redundant should be dynamic and made available as quickly and as efficiently as possible, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission adopted during the conciliation meeting on 17 July 2008, and having due regard to the IIA of 17 May 2006 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF),

C.  whereas Germany submitted application EGF/2013/003 DE/First Solar for a financial contribution from the EGF following 959 redundancies in First Solar Manufacturing GmbH, with 875 workers targeted for EGF co-funded measures during the reference period 15 November 2012 to 15 March 2013,

D.  whereas the application fulfils the eligibility criteria laid down in the EGF Regulation,

1.  Agrees with the Commission that the conditions laid down in point (a) of Article 2 of the EGF Regulation are met and that Germany is therefore entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation;

2.  Notes that the German authorities submitted the application for an EGF financial contribution on 12 April 2013 and that its assessment was made available by the Commission on 16 October 2013; welcomes the speedy evaluation period of six months;

3.  Notes that the redundancies in First Solar Manufacturing GmbH led to an immediate increase of the rate of unemployment by 4 percentage points, while the area concerned (Land of Brandenburg) is already suffering from an above-average rate of unemployment (11,3 % compared with a national average of 7,4 % in February 2013);

4.  Considers that the redundancies in First Solar Manufacturing GmbH involved in solar energy production are linked to major structural changes in world trade patterns, the build up of huge overcapacities in solar modules in China and a worldwide decline in demand, which has led to a collapse in prices by about 40 %, compared with the previous year which also caused the closure of the two plants in 2013;

5.  Notes that the redundancies concerned are part of a broad restructuring plan which cut the global work force of First Solar Manufacturing GmbH by 30 % to sharply reduce its global production capacity and resulted in closing both sites located in Germany; stresses the added value of EGF in reacting to redundancies caused by unexpected market changes linked to globalisation;

6.  Welcomes the fact that in order to provide workers with speedy assistance, the German authorities decided to initiate the implementation of the personalised services to the affected workers on 1 January 2013, well ahead of the final decision on granting the EGF support for the proposed coordinated package; notes that redundant workers have also benefitted from the ESF support before participating in the EGF measures; welcomes the fact that the German authorities confirmed that the necessary precautions have been taken to avoid double financing from Union funds;

7.  Notes that the coordinated package of personalised services to be co-funded includes measures for the reintegration of 875 redundant workers into employment such as training courses leading to qualifications, training management, workshops and peer groups, support services and international job searches, in-depth business creation advice, job searches, activation grants, follow-up and aftercare, and subsistence allowances;

8.  Notes that more than half of the EGF support will be spent on allowances that 875 workers are said to receive during their active participation in the measures as a subsistence allowance (estimated cost EUR 2 714 per worker over nine months); further notes that the application includes a lump sum of EUR 1 869 as an activation premium for 200 workers who quickly find a job without further assistance after the conclusion of those measures;

9.  Recalls that the EGF support should primarily be allocated to job searches and training programmes instead of contributing directly to financial allowances; notes that, if included in the package, such allowances should be of a complementary nature and should never replace allowances under the responsibility of Member States or companies by virtue of national law or collective agreements; stresses, in this context, that the new EGF regulation for 2014-2020 will limit the inclusion of financial allowances in the package to a maximum of 35 % of the cost of the measures and that a disproportionate rate of allowances will not be repeated under the new regulation;

10.  Welcomes the fact that the social partners adopted a social plan for the redundancies in First Solar Manufacturing GmbH and that a transfer company will design and manage the coordinated package of personalised services; notes that its operation during the first six months is paid by First Solar Manufacturing GmbH and the ESF via its federal programme and that the services of the transfer company will be extended to new measures financed by the EGF; notes that a policy of equality between women and men as well as the principle of non-discrimination will be applied during the various stages of the implementation of and in access to the EGF;

11.  Recalls the importance of improving the employability of all workers by means of adapted training and the recognition of skills and competences gained throughout a worker's professional career; expects the training on offer in the coordinated package to be adapted not only to the needs of the dismissed workers but also to the actual business environment;

12.  Notes that the information provided on the coordinated package of personalised services to be funded from the EGF includes information on complementarity with actions funded by the European Structural Funds; stresses that the German authorities confirm that the eligible actions do not receive assistance from other Union financial instruments; reiterates its call to the Commission to present a comparative evaluation of those data in its annual reports in order to ensure full respect of the existing regulations and that no duplication of Union-funded services can occur;

13.  Requests that the institutions involved make the necessary efforts to improve procedural arrangements in order to accelerate the mobilisation of the EGF; appreciates the improved procedure put in place by the Commission, following Parliament's request for the accelerated release of grants, which aims to present to the budgetary authority the Commission's assessment of the eligibility of an EGF application together with the proposal to mobilise the EGF; hopes that further improvements in the procedure will be integrated in the new Regulation on EGF (2014-2020) and that greater efficiency, transparency and visibility of the EGF will be achieved;

14.  Stresses that, in accordance with Article 6 of the EGF Regulation, it shall be ensured that the EGF supports the reintegration of individual redundant workers into stable employment; stresses, furthermore, that EGF assistance can co-finance only active labour market measures which lead to durable, long-term employment; reiterates that assistance from the EGF must replace neither actions which are the responsibility of companies by virtue of national law or collective agreements, nor measures restructuring companies or sectors;

15.  Welcomes the agreement reached in the Council on reintroducing in the EGF Regulation for the period 2014-2020 the crisis mobilisation criterion, which allows for the provision of financial assistance to workers made redundant as a result of the current financial and economic crisis in addition to those losing their job because of changes in global trade patterns.

16.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

17.  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;

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

(1) OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1. (2) OJ L 406, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with point 28 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management (application EGF/2013/003 DE/First Solar from Germany)

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision 2013/789/EU.)