The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2017)0101 – C8-0097/2017),

–  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 its resolution of 13 April 2016 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF/2016/000 TA 2016 – Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission)(4),

–  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 (A8-0157/2017),

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 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 the maximum annual budget available for the EGF is EUR 150 million (2011 prices) and whereas Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation states that 0,5 % of this amount (i.e. EUR 844 620 in 2017) can be made available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission in order to finance preparation, monitoring, data gathering and creation of a knowledge base, administrative and technical support, information and communication activities as well as audit, control and evaluation activities necessary to implement the EGF Regulation;

E.  whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly underlined the necessity of improved value added, efficiency and employability of beneficiaries of the EGF as a Union instrument of support to workers made redundant;

F.  whereas the proposed amount of EUR 310 000 corresponds to approximately 0,18 % of the maximum annual budget available for the EGF in 2017, which is EUR 70 000 less that in 2016;

1.  Agrees for the measures proposed by the Commission to be financed as technical assistance in accordance with Article 11(1) and (4) as well as with Article 12(2), (3) and (4) of the EGF Regulation;

2.  Welcomes the reduction in the 2017 funding request for EGF technical assistance as compared to 2016; considers that it is important to assess such requests as a percentage of the annual amounts that have been used for the EGF in previous years, and not only against the maximum that could be spent that year;

3.  Acknowledges the importance of monitoring and data gathering; recalls the importance of robust statistical series compiled in appropriate form to be easily accessible and understandable; welcomes the future release of the Biennial Reports of 2017 and asks for a public and wide diffusion of those reports throughout the Union;

4.  Recalls the importance of a dedicated website on the EGF to be accessible to all Union citizens; emphasises the importance of multilingualism when communicating broadly to the public; asks for a more user-friendly web environment and encourages the Commission to improve the content-value of its publications and audio-visual activities as provided for in Article 11(4) of the EGF Regulation;

5.  Welcomes the continued work on the standardised procedures for EGF applications and management using the functionalities of the electronic data exchange system (SFC 2014), which allows for the simplification and faster processing of applications, and better reporting; notes that the Commission has facilitated EGF financial operations by the creation of an interface between SFC and the accounting and financial information system ABAC; takes note that only further fine tuning and adjustments to possible changes are needed, limiting de facto the EGF contribution to that type of expenditure;

6.  Notes that the procedure to integrate the EGF into SFC2014 has been continuing for several years and that the relevant costs for the EGF budget have been relatively high; welcomes the reduction in costs compared to previous years, reflecting the fact that the project has now reached the stage of requiring only further fine tuning and adjustments;

7.  Recalls the importance of networking and exchange of information on the EGF, so as to spread best practice; supports, therefore, the funding of two meetings of the EGF Expert Group of Contact Persons and two networking seminars on EGF implementation; expects that this exchange of information will also contribute to better and more detailed reporting on the success rate of the applications in the Member States, in particular about the re-employment rate of beneficiaries;

8.  Takes note that the Commission intends to invest EUR 70 000 of the available budget under the technical assistance in holding two meetings of the Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF; notes also the intention of the Commission to invest EUR 120 000 to promote networking through seminars among Member States, EGF implementing bodies and social partners; welcomes the Commission’s readiness to invite Members of its EGF Working Group to participate in the recent EGF Networking Seminar that took place in Mons; calls on the Commission to continue to invite Parliament to such meetings and seminars in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission(5);

9.  Underlines the need to further enhance the liaising between all those involved in EGF applications, including, in particular, the social partners and stakeholders at regional and local level, to create as many synergies as possible; stresses that interaction between the National Contact Person and regional or local case delivery partners should be strengthened and communication and support arrangements and information flows (internal divisions, tasks and responsibilities) made explicit and agreed on by all partners concerned;

10.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

11.  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;

12.  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) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0112. (5) OJ L 304, 20.11.2010, p. 47.

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF/2017/000 TA 2017 - Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission)

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2017/742.)