Reacting to a European Parliament's overwhelming vote to back her proposed changes to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), Irish GUE/NGL MEP Liadh Ní Riada said she is seeking “a better system for helping those recently laid off to access employment, education, and retraining schemes across Europe.”

 

The EGF was set up in 2006 to support workers made redundant as a result of trade liberalisation. Ní Riada's report, adopted by Parliament today, sets out concrete proposals to improve the fund.

 

“This is a step in the right direction as we've secured support for key provisions – such as better coordination and expertise-sharing and enabling regions to apply directly for funding without having to depend on central Governments. However we generally need to see increased and sustained investment in key areas such as education, training and research.”

 

Ní Riada particularly welcomed MEP backing for broadening the eligibility criteria for EGF assistance to include the self-employed and those under 25, for reducing the eligibility threshold of affected workers from 500 to 200 to allow workers laid off from smaller firms to access supports and for a return to the previous level of financing of €500 million.

 

MEPs will now take this position and enter talks with the member states on the reform of the EGF.

 

Vote result: +550; -80; Abs 67

 

The GUE/NGL group is made up of 52 MEPs from across Europe working for peace, solidarity, social justice, equality, democracy and human rights in Europe and beyond. It is the only gender balanced group in the European Parliament.

 

GUE/NGL Press:

David Lundy +32 470 85 05 09

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20

Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08