Eight countries want to limit EU aid for laid-off workers

With up to € 500 million available each year, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) helps workers find new jobs and develop new skills when they have lost their jobs as a result of changing global trade patterns, e.g. when a large company shuts down or a factory is moved to outside the EU or global financial and economic crisis.

EGF funding has been available for this since 1 May 2009 and is due to end on 30 December 2011. However, the Commission has proposed extending this provision until 31 December 2013 (when the whole EGF Regulation must be reviewed).

However at a Council meeting on the 1 December 2011 Employment Ministers did not reach a political agreement on the prolongation of the crisis derogation concerning the European globalisation adjustment fund (EGF), since qualified majority could not be achieved.

European Commission: DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities: The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=326&langId=en

Council of the European Union: Press Release, PRES/11/471: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, Brussels, 1-2 December 2011 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/126530.pdf

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