The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2015)0040 – C8‑0031/2015),

–  having regard to 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(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 (A8-0051/2015),

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 the global financial and economic crisis 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 the EGF Regulation 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 Greece submitted application EGF/2014/015 GR/Attica publishing activities for a financial contribution from the EGF, following 705 redundancies in 46 enterprises operating in the NACE Rev. 2 division 58 (publishing activities)(4) in the NUTS 2(5) level region of Attica (EL 30) in Greece;

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

1.  Notes that the conditions set out in Article 4(1)(b) of the EGF Regulation are met; therefore agrees with the Commission that Greece is entitled to a financial contribution under that Regulation;

2.  Notes that the Greek authorities submitted the application for EGF financial contribution on 4 September 2014, supplemented it by additional information up to 13 November 2014 and that its assessment was made available by the Commission on 3 February 2015;

3.  Welcomes the fact that, in order to provide workers with speedy assistance, the Greek authorities decided to initiate the implementation of the personalised services to the affected workers on 28 November 2014, well ahead of the decision on granting the EGF support for the proposed coordinated package;

4.  Considers that the redundancies in the publishing sector of the Attica region are linked to the global financial and economic crisis, that, on the one hand, decreased the available household income, resulting in a huge drop of purchasing power and the need to prioritise spending while dropping what is considered to be non-essentials for everyday life such as magazines and newspaper, and, on the other hand, drastically reduced loans to enterprises and individuals due to the lack of cash in the Greek banks;

5.  Notes that, to date, the publishing activities sector has been the subject of one other EGF application(6);

6.  Notes that these redundancies are expected to have huge negative impacts on the Attica region, which already has the largest number of all the unemployed people in Greece as compared to the other 12 regions;

7.  Notes that the coordinated package of personalised services to be co-funded mostly supports business start-ups in the form of self-employment subsidies (EUR 1 200 000) but also consists of occupational guidance, training measures, including vocational training (EUR 1 104 000) and training allowances (EUR 828 000), as well as job-search, and mobility allowances;

8.  Welcomes the fact that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up in consultation with the representatives of the targeted beneficiaries; points out with satisfaction, that it was the beneficiaries who suggested to the Greek Labour Ministry to apply for the EGF, acknowledging its prompt impact and effectiveness;

9.  Considers that the coordinating role and the involvement of the representatives of the targeted beneficiaries was especially important in drawing up the personalised services, since the dismissals took place in 46 different companies in the publishing sector;

10.  Welcomes the fact that all eligible redundant workers are expected to participate in the measures supported by 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.  Welcomes the fact that all eligible redundant workers have been offered occupational guidance consisting of various stages, which will provide them with individual, personalised advice and plans to reintegrate into employment;

13.  Stresses 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;

14.  Notes that the maximum eligible amount of EUR 15 000 will be granted to up to 80 selected workers as a contribution to setting up their own businesses; underlines that the aim of this measure is to promote entrepreneurship by providing funding to viable business initiatives, which should result in the creation of further workplaces in the medium term;

15.  Notes that an estimated 80 workers will receive a mobility allowance, with the aim of supporting their move after accepting a job offer involving a change of residence;

16.  Notes that the contribution for preparatory activities, management, information and publicity and control and reporting constitutes for 3,36 % of the total budget; notes furthermore that it is planned to use almost half of this budget for information and publicity;

17.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

18.  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;

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

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 855. (2) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. (3) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. (4) Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 as well as certain EC regulations on specific statistical domains (OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1). (5) Commission Regulation (EU) No 1046/2012 of 8 November 2012 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) as regards the transmission of the time series for the new regional breakdown (OJ L 310, 9.11.2012, p. 34). (6) EGF/2009/024 NL Noord Holland and Zuid Holland Division 58 (COM(2010) 0532 of 1.10.2010).

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund(application EGF/2014/015 GR/Attica publishing activities, from Greece)

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2015/642.)