The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2014)0699 – C8‑0243/2014),

–  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(1) (EGF Regulation),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020(2), and in particular Article 12 thereof,

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management(3) (IIA of 2 December 2013), and in particular point 13 thereof,

–  having regard to the trilogue procedure provided for in point 13 of the IIA of 2 December 2013,

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

–  having regard to the letter of the Committee on Regional Development,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0062/2014),

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 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 2 December 2013 in respect of the adoption of decisions to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF),

C.  whereas the adoption of Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013(4) reflects the agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council to reintroduce the crisis mobilisation criterion, to increase the Union financial contribution to 60 % of the total estimated cost of proposed measures, to increase efficiency for the treatment of EGF applications in the Commission and by the Parliament and the Council by shortening the time for assessment and approval, to widen eligible actions and beneficiaries by introducing self-employed persons and young people and to finance incentives for setting up own businesses,

D.  whereas Poland submitted application EGF/2013/006 PL/Fiat for a financial contribution from the EGF, following 1079 redundancies, 829 in Fiat Auto Poland and 250 from 21 suppliers and downstream producers, with 777 persons expected to participate in EGF measures, linked to a decrease in production at the Tychy plant of Fiat Auto Poland S.A. (‘Tychy plant of Fiat’) located in the province of Slaskie, Poland, during the reference period from 21 January 2013 to 21 May 2013,

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

1.  Notes that the conditions set out in Article 2(a) of the EGF Regulation are met, therefore agrees with the Commission that Poland is entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation;

2.  Notes that the Polish authorities submitted the application for EGF financial contribution on 29 July 2013, supplemented it by additional information up to 16 June 2014 and that its assessment was made available by the Commission on 10 November 2014;

3.  Welcomes the fact that, in order to provide workers with speedy assistance, the Polish authorities decided to initiate the implementation of the personalised services to the affected workers on 21 January 2013, well ahead of the decision on the granting of EGF support for the proposed coordinated package;

4.  Notes that the European automotive industry has lost market share since 2007, when European passenger car production accounted for 32,2 % of global production, a percentage which fell to 23,2 % in 2012; highlights, furthermore, the decrease in EU-27 production by 7 % from 2011 to 2012, while world production levels increased by 5,3 %, in the same period; stresses that the situation was even worse at national level where production volume decreased by almost a third in 2012 compared to 2011 levels;

5.  Consequently agrees with the Commission that the redundancies in the Tychy plant of Fiat and its suppliers and downstream producers are linked to major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation; underlines that the impact of globalisation has been worsened by the effect of the financial crisis, which has reduced the sales of new passenger cars in the Union to the lowest level since records began;

6.  Notes that the redundancies at the Tychy plant of Fiat are expected to have a negative impact on the region, as the former workers of Fiat Auto Poland, suppliers and downstream producers represent 10 % of all the unemployed people living in the area;

7.  Points out that the unemployment rate in Slaskie region has risen since 2011; notes, moreover, an increase in collective redundancies in the region that almost doubled between 2011 and 2012;

8.  Notes that, to date, the automotive sector has been the subject of 21 EGF applications, of which 12 are based on trade related globalisation, while the other 9 are based on the crisis criterion;

9.  Notes that the coordinated package of personalised services to be co-funded includes the following measures for the reintegration of 777 redundant workers into employment: training and training related costs, entrepreneurial training, training scholarships, internship scholarships, internship costs, intervention works, grants for self-employment, hiring incentives;

10.  Notes that the provision of grants for self-employment (up to EUR 4 995 per worker) is conditional and is linked to the success of the self-employed activity; points out that this conditionality should not discourage participants from applying for this support measure;

11.  Notes that the implementation of the personalised services was completed at the end of 2013 and that, according to the provisional data, 269 persons participated in 313 different activities in the framework of the package, out of which 219 persons have found employment as a result of the provided support;

12.  Notes that, according to the provisional data, the total cost of the implementation of the personalised services was significantly lower than the estimated one due to the reduced number of workers who participated in the services;

13.  Stresses that despite the lower than initially estimated number of workers participating in the actions, according to the provisional data, the number of unemployed workers covered by the package still registered in the Labour Office amounts to 85, which proves that the vast majority of the workers affected by the redundancies in Fiat Auto Poland have found employment;

14.  Welcomes the fact that the Regional Employment Council was involved in the preparation of the application of the EGF and its role in deciding the package of activities of the project;

15.  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; believes that the design of the coordinated package of personalised services should anticipate future labour market perspectives and required skills and should be compatible with the shift towards a resource-efficient and sustainable economy;

16.  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 not replace actions which are the responsibility of companies by virtue of national law or collective agreements nor measures restructuring companies or sectors;

17.  Welcomes that, among other measures, intervention work specifically targets the group of workers over 50 years of age which constitutes a significant proportion of the beneficiaries; notes that this age group is at a higher risk of prolonged unemployment and exclusion from the labour market;

18.  Underlines the high level of older people and people with lower qualifications affected by the redundancies which represent 18,7 % and 62,6 % respectively of all affected workers; calls for special attention for those two groups and for special EGF measures targeted at them;

19.  Considers that the six workers with longstanding health problems or disabilities may have specific needs when it comes to providing them with a personalised approach;

20.  Welcomes the fact that the principle of equality between women and men as well as of non-discrimination has been, and will continue to be, applied during the various stages of implementation of and access to the EGF measures;

21.  Notes that on 20 December 2012, Fiat Auto Poland reached an agreement with the trade unions by which they set the criteria for the selection of workers to be made redundant and agreed on the incentives that would be granted to workers who agreed to leave the firm voluntarily;

22.  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 Structural Funds; stresses that the Polish 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 for the existing regulations and that no duplication of Union-funded services can occur;

23.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

24.  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;

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

(1) OJ L 406, 30.12.2006, p. 1. (2) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. (3) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. (4) Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855).

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, in accordance with point 13 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management (application EGF/2013/006 PL/Fiat Auto Poland S.A., from Poland)

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2015/41.)