The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2017)0266 – C8‑0174/2017),

–  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 (A8-0248/2017),

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;

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 set 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 Spain submitted application EGF/2017/001 ES/Castilla y León for a financial contribution from the EGF, following redundancies in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 Division 5 (Mining of coal and lignite) in the NUTS level 2 region of Castilla y León (ES41), and whereas 339 redundant workers, as well as up to 125 young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) under the age of 30, are expected to participate in the measures; whereas the redundancies were made by Hullera Vasco Leonesa SA, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo SA, Hijos de Baldomero García SA, Minas del Bierzo Alto SL and Unión Minera del Norte SA;

E.  whereas the application was submitted under the intervention criteria set out in Article 4(2) of the EGF Regulation, derogating from the eligibility criteria set out in Article 4(1)(b), which requires that at least 500 workers are made redundant over a reference period of nine months in enterprises operating in the same economic sector defined at NACE Revision 2 Division level and located in one region or two contiguous regions defined at NUTS 2 level;

1.  Agrees with the Commission that the conditions set out in Article 4(2) of the EGF Regulation are met and that, therefore, Spain is entitled to a financial contribution of EUR 1 002 264 under that Regulation, which represents 60 % of the total cost of EUR 1 670 440;

2.  Notes that the Spanish authorities submitted the application for a financial contribution from the EGF on 20 January 2017, and that its assessment was finalised by the Commission on 2 June 2017 and notified to Parliament the same day;

3.  Recalls that over the last 10 years coal production in the Union and the global price of coal have fallen sharply, resulting in an increasing volume of coal imports from non-EU countries and many Union coal mines becoming unprofitable and being forced to close down; points out that those trends have been even more pronounced in Spain, leading to a reorganisation and reconversion of the coal mining sector; stresses that employment in the region of Castilla y León has been seriously affected by the impact of the crisis in the mining sector and points out that ten coal mining enterprises had to close in Castilla y León alone over the period 2010 to2016;

4.  Notes that Spain requested that a derogation from Article 4(1)(b) be made on the grounds that the territory affected by the redundancies consists of a number of small, isolated towns in the remote, sparsely populated Cantabrian mountain valley, which are, for the most part, highly dependent on coal mining and which suffer from limited connectivity, and can thus be considered a small labour market under Article 4(2);

5.  Highlights, in particular, the very low population density, the problems associated with mountainous terrain and the difficult employment situation in the North of the provinces of León and Palencia; expresses concern about the sharp decline in population, which has been proportionally greatest amongst those under 25;

6.  Points out that the financial contribution will target 339 workers made redundant, 97% of whom are men;

7.  Welcomes Spain’s decision to provide up to 125 NEETs under the age of 30 with personalised services co-financed by the EGF; understands that those services will include support to those interested in creating their own business;

8.  Notes that the measures will be guided by a study to be carried out on job creation and productive activities in the region of Castilla y León, in order to better define the initiatives referred to in the package;

9.  Notes that Spain is planning six types of measures for the redundant workers and NEETs covered by this application: (i) welcome and information sessions, (ii) occupational guidance and counselling, (iii) intensive job-search assistance, (iv) training in cross-sector skills and competences, and vocational training, (v) promotion of entrepreneurship, and (vi) support for business start-ups, as well as a programme of incentives;

10.  Notes that the incentives will correspond to 19,53 % of the overall package of personalised measures, well below the maximum 35 % set out in the EGF Regulation; and that those actions are conditional on the active participation of the targeted beneficiaries in job-search or training activities;

11.  Notes that the training courses provided will include workshops on job-search techniques, training in personal and social skills, in information and communication technologies (ICT), and in foreign languages while vocational training will focus on either enhancing mining-related skills that may be relevant to other economic sectors or developing skills for sectors such as: tourism and hospitality in rural areas; environmental restoration of mining basins; reforestation and landscaping;

12.  Welcomes the fact that consultations with stakeholders, including trade unions, business associations, the regional agency for economic development, innovation, financing and business internationalisation and a public foundation attached to the regional public employment service, took place at the regional level to draw up the co-ordinated package of personalised services, and that the policy of equality between women and men, as well as the principle of non-discrimination will be applied in order to access the measures funded by the EGF and during its implementation;

13.  Recalls that, in line with Article 7 of the EGF Regulation, 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;

14.  Welcomes the inclusion of contributions to the expenses for carers of dependent persons amongst the available incentives in view of the likely positive impact on gender balance; calls on the Commission to present detailed information on the use that is made of this possibility;

15.  Recalls the need for the swift transformation of Union economies and the fostering of relevant jobs in the light of the Paris COP 21 agreement;

16.  Notes the importance of launching an information campaign in order to reach the NEETs who could be eligible under these measures, ensuring gender balance wherever possible;

17.  Calls on the Commission to provide more details, in future proposals, on the sectors which have growth prospects and are therefore likely to hire people, as well as to gather substantiated data on the impact of the EGF funding, including on the quality of jobs and the reintegration rate achieved through the EGF;

18.  Notes that the Spanish authorities have confirmed that the eligible actions do not receive assistance from other Union financial instruments, and that any double financing will be prevented and that eligible actions will be complementary to actions funded by the structural funds;

19.  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 for restructuring companies or sectors;

20.  Welcomes the fact that the intervention plan will include a monitoring initiative in which the social actors should be able to participate, the purpose of which is to guarantee that the proposal is implemented in accordance with the recommendations of a study, to be carried out as part of the actions included in the initiative, concerning vocational training demands and activity opportunities, as well as to guarantee the sound management of the budget provided for;

21.  Recalls its appeal to the Commission to assure public access to all the documents related to EGF cases;

22.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

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

24.  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.

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund following an application from Spain – EGF/2017/001 ES/Castilla y León mining

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2017/1372.)