What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

I. Background

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund has been created in order to provide additional assistance to workers suffering from the consequences of major structural changes in world trade patterns.

According to the provisions of Article 8(1) of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027, as amended by Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 of 29 February 2024, the Fund may not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 30 million (2018 prices).

In accordance with point 9 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020, the Commission is required, following the positive assessment of an application, to submit a proposal to mobilise the Fund to the budgetary authority and to complement it with a corresponding request for transfer to the relevant budget lines.

According to Article 11(1) of the EGF Regulation, a maximum of 0,5% of the annual maximum amount of the EGF can be made available each year for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.

II. The Commission's proposal

On 27 May 2025, the Commission adopted a new proposal for a decision on the mobilisation of the EGF for technical assistance. The objective of the technical assistance is to finance technical and administrative expenditure for the implementation of the EGF, such as preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, as well as data gathering, including in relation to corporate information technology systems, communication activities and those enhancing the EGF’s visibility as a fund or with regard to specific projects and other technical assistance measures.

The 2025 proposal concerns the mobilisation of EUR 170 000 from the Fund, covering administrative and technical expenditure for 2025. The requested amount of EUR 170 000 represents approximately 0,49% of the annual maximum amount of the EGF and is intended to cover, in particular, the following activities:

1. Expert Group meetings: The Expert Group of Contact Persons of the EGF, with two members from each Member State, will be holding its regular meetings in 2025 (one virtual meeting and one in presence). The EP should continue to be invited to attend the meetings, in line with the current legislative framework.

2. Networking seminar: in order to promote networking among the Member States, the Commission will organise one seminar with the participation of the EGF implementing bodies and social partners. The EP should continue to be invited to attend the meetings, in line with the current legislative framework.

3. Information activities: communication activities, reportedly through the EGF online presence and website, to enhance the Fund’s visibility;

4. Electronic data exchange system: The Commission is continuing its work on standardised procedures for EGF applications and management, using the functionalities of the Shared Fund Management Common System (SFC). By these means, applications’ process should be simplified, thus gaining in terms of time, and multiple reports extracted with greater ease, also from the financial operations’ point of view. This covers both the completion of cases related to EGF 2014-2020, as well as the development of the SFC 2021 for the EGF 2021-2027, including its synchronization with SUMMA, the new corporate accounting, finance, and budgeting system of the European Union.

5. Monitoring and data gathering: The Commission will collect data on applications received, funded and wound up, and measures proposed and implemented. This data will be made available on the website and compiled in appropriate form for each biennial report, as stipulated in art 21 of the EGF Regulation.

III. Procedure

In order to mobilise the Fund, the Commission has submitted to the Budget Authorities a transfer request for a global amount of EUR 170 000 in commitment appropriations from the EGF reserve (budget line 30 04 02), and EUR 170 000 in payment appropriations from the EGF operational line (16 02 02), to the EGF support expenditure budget line (16 01 01).