Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2021)683 - Globalisation Fund application from Spain - EGF/2021/004 ES / Aragón automotive - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2021)683 - Globalisation Fund application from Spain - EGF/2021/004 ES / Aragón automotive. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2021)683  |
| date | 08-11-2021 |
CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
1.The rules applicable to financial contributions from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) are laid down in Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 1 (hereinafter called EGF Regulation).
2.On 26 July 2021, Spain submitted an application EGF/2021/004 ES/Aragón automotive for a financial contribution from the EGF, following displacements in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 29 (Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers) in the NUTS 2 region of Aragón (ES24) in Spain.
3.Following its assessment of this application, the Commission has concluded, in accordance with all applicable provisions of the EGF Regulation, that the conditions for awarding a financial contribution from the EGF are met.
SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION
| EGF application | EGF/2021/004 ES/Aragón automotive |
| Member State | Spain |
| Region(s) concerned (NUTS 2 level 2) | Aragón (ES24) |
| Date of submission of the application | 26 July 2021 |
| Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the application | 4 August 2021 |
| Date of request for additional information | 9 August 2021 |
| Deadline for provision of the additional information | 30 August 2021 |
| Deadline for the completion of the assessment | 10 November 2021 |
| Intervention criterion | Article 4(2)(b) of the EGF Regulation |
Number of enterprises concerned | 50 |
| Sector(s) of economic activity (NACE Revision 2 division) 3 | Division 29 (Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers) |
| Reference period (six months): | 1 November 2020 – 1 May 2021 |
| Number of displacements during the reference period (a) | 592 |
| Number of displacements before or after the reference period (b) | 460 |
| Total number of displacements (a + b) | 1 052 |
| Total number of eligible beneficiaries | 1 052 |
| Total number of targeted beneficiaries | 320 |
| Budget for personalised services (EUR) | 1 600 280 |
| Budget for implementing EGF 4 (EUR) | 0 052 500 |
| Total budget (EUR) | 1 652 780 |
| EGF contribution (85 %) (EUR) | 1 404 863 |
ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION
Procedure
4.Spain submitted application EGF/2021/004 ES/Aragón automotive within 12 weeks of the date on which the intervention criteria set out in Article 4 of the EGF Regulation were met, on 26 July 2021 5 . The Commission acknowledged receipt of the application on 4 August 2021 and requested additional information from Spain on 9 August 2021. Such additional information was provided within 15 working days of the request. The deadline of 50 working days of the receipt of the complete application within which the Commission should finalise its assessment of the application's compliance with the conditions for providing a financial contribution expires on 10 November 2021.
Eligibility of the application
Contents
- Enterprises and beneficiaries concerned
- Intervention criteria
- Calculation of displacements and of cessation of activity
- Eligible beneficiaries
- Description of the events that led to the displacements and cessation of activity
- Targeted beneficiaries
- Proposed measures
- 29.The personalised services to be provided to displaced workers consist of the following measures:
- Estimated budget
- Period of eligibility of expenditure
- Consultation of the targeted beneficiaries or their representatives or the social partners as well as local and regional authorities
5.The application relates to 592 displaced workers whose activity has ceased in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 29 (Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers located in the NUTS 2 region of Aragón (ES24).
| Enterprises and number of displacements within the reference period | |||
| Adieconti S.L. | 11 | Lear Corporation Asientos S.L. | 26 |
| Adient Automotive S.L. | 4 | Lecitrailer Post Venta Zaragoza S.L. | 1 |
| Adient Seating Spain S.L. | 7 | Lecitrailer S.A. | 1 |
| Af Aftermarket Iberica S.L. | 1 | Magna Automotive Spain S.A.U. | 2 |
| Android Industries Zaragoza S.L. | 13 | Mahle Behr Spain S.A. | 1 |
| Arcelormital Tailored Blanks Zaragoza S.L. | 1 | Majorel Sp Solutions S.A.U | 2 |
| Carrocerías Moncayo S.L. | 1 | Mann-Hummel Iberica S.A. | 63 |
| Carrocerías Vicam S.L. | 1 | Modulos Ribera Alta S.L.U. | 1 |
| Carrocerías Vicente Salomon Sanz S.L. | 2 | Opel España S.L.U. | 181 |
| Casting Ros S.A. | 1 | Proma Hispania S.A.Ad | 5 |
| Celulosa Fabril S.A. | 1 | Remolques Jalon S.L. | 1 |
| Cooper Estándar Automotive España Slu | 11 | Rhenus Automotive Systems Zaragoza | 2 |
| Copo Aragón S.L.U. | 1 | Rigual S.A. | 2 |
| Copo Zaragoza S.A. | 11 | Ronal Iberica S.A. Unipersonal | 4 |
| Dana Automoción S.A. | 11 | Schmitz Cargobull Iberica S.A. | 1 |
| Faurecia Automotive España S.A. | 1 | Seguridad De Servicio Movil S.L. | 18 |
| Faurecia Sistemas de Escape | 2 | Talleres Emilio Montañes S.A. | 1 |
| Flexngate Aragón S.L. | 3 | Ti Group Automotive Systems S.A. | 61 |
| Gestamp Aragón S.A. | 4 | Traf Automotions S.L. | 2 |
| Gestamp Manufacturing Autochasis S.L. | 2 | Tristone Flowtech Spain S.A. | 1 |
| Icer Brakes S.A. | 2 | Union Tecnológica del Automóvil S.L. | 3 |
| Ilunion Servicios Industriales Aragón S.L. | 11 | Valeo Térmico S.A. | 75 |
| Ilunion Servicios Industriales S.L. | 1 | Zanini Epila S.L. | 11 |
| Insonorizantes Pelzer S.A. | 7 | ZF-Aftermarket Ibérica SL. | 1 |
| Kdk-Dongkook Automotive Spain S.A. | 15 | Zfoam España SL | 1 |
Total no. of enterprises: 50 | Total no. of displacements: | 592 | |
| Total no. of self-employed persons whose activity has ceased: | 0 | ||
| Total no. of eligible workers and self-employed persons: | 592 |
6.Spain submitted the application under the intervention criteria of Article 4(2)(b) of the EGF Regulation, which requires the cessation of activity of at least 200 displaced workers over a reference period of six months in enterprises operating in the same economic sector defined at NACE Revision 2 division and located in one region or two contiguous regions defined at NUTS 2 level in a Member State. There were 592 displaced workers in the NACE Revision 2 division 29 (Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers), in the NUTS 2 region of Aragón (ES24).
7.The reference period of six months for the application runs from 1 November 2020 to 1 May 2021.
8.The cessation of activities of all displaced workers during the reference period has been calculated from the date of the de facto termination of the contract of employment or its expiry.
9.In addition to the workers already referred to, the eligible beneficiaries include 460 displaced workers whose activity ceased before or after the reference period of six months. All these workers ceased their activity within the six months before the start of the reference period on 1 November 2020 and/or between the end of the reference period and the day before the adoption of this proposal. A clear causal link can be established with the event that triggered the cessations of activity of the displaced workers during the reference period..
10.The total number of eligible beneficiaries is therefore 1 052.
11.The events giving rise to these displacements are the impact on the Spanish automotive sector of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of semiconductors.
12.The strict lockdown measures implemented in Spain in Q2 2020 resulted in a curtail of non-essential economic activities and services, which caused the temporary closure of car dealers commercial activity and car production.
13.According to data from Confemetal 6 and Anfac 7 , the pandemic had a significant impact on the activity and turnover of the enterprises operating in the automotive sector in Spain, which resulted in a decline in sales (32,3%) 8 , production (18,9%), and turnover (11,3%) in 2020 compared to 2019, with negative consequences on employment and on the liquidity of enterprises (payment defaults, access to credit, etc.) 9 .
14.Production declined for all types of vehicles in 2020.
| 2019 | 2020 | Variation 20/19 (%) | |
| Passenger and off-road cars | 2 248 291 | 1 800 664 | -19,9 |
| Light commercial vehicles | 524 504 | 430 616 | -17,9 |
| Industrial vehicles | 49 837 | 36 905 | -26,9 |
Source: Anfac 10
15.Over January-June 2021, the production of vehicle in Spain (1,2 million units) was still lower by 21,6% than the production in the same period of 2019. Production in June 2021 (172 696 units) was lower by 33,8% compared to June 2019 and by 18,1% compared to June 2020 11 .
16.According to Anfac, the worldwide shortage of semiconductors is putting additional stress in the car sector and causing a significant decline in car production. At the beginning of 2021, the chip-crisis was forecast to lead to losses of approximately EUR 60 billion in the automotive sector. The figure has been revised upwards to over EUR 90 billion 12 . The sector expects this issue to continue throughout the first half of 2022 13 .
17.The lockdown and the shortage of semiconductors forced to interrupt or slow down car production in Spain 14 , consequently car manufactures started to use short-time work schemes or temporarily shutting downs with the subsequent job losses 15 .
Application of the EU Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring
18.In its application, Spain has described how the recommendations set out in the EU Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring were taken into account. The Spanish authorities confirmed that actions to better anticipate and manage restructuring processes were followed and measures had been taken.
19.Spain highlights that public bodies monitor restructuring processes and manage collective redundancies requests although without authorisation/refusal capacity. These bodies can however set programmes promoting job creation in partnership with local bodies or public-private bodies (redeployment agencies).
20.In the run-up to displacements, in accordance with national legislation, social partners, enterprises and workers’ representatives engage in negotiation processes aimed at agreeing on displacements and the outplacement plans that are a legal obligation for the enterprise that dismisses 50 or more workers at the same time. The outplacement plans provide the workers with job-search assistance, occupational guidance and training. The duration of the plans is six months. Aragon’s public employment service (INAEM) provides redeployment services to the displaced workers not entitled to the outplacement plans.
21.As part of the regional employment strategy, INAEM runs a variety of training programs, such as Detecta 16 (training combined with work), training for people in active employment 17 , training CTA 18 (CTA is a centre of advanced technologies within the INAEM that offers training related to TIC and audio-visual technologies).
22.Regarding the activities already undertaken for the assistance of the displaced workers Spain has informed that INAEM has provided the workers with access to its general services (job-search support, vocational counselling and training - mostly linked to obtaining certificates of vocational qualification).
Expected impact of the displacements as regards the local, regional or national economy and employment
23.In Aragón, the automotive sectors represents 2,42% of the net employment and about 6% of the regional GDP 19 .
24.According to the Aragón Statistics Institute (IAEST), from February 2021 to June, the number of registered job seekers in Aragón declined by 11%, from 85 158 to 75 578 20 . However, registered unemployment is still 26% higher than pre-pandemic levels (60 000 job seekers in June 2019) 21 .
25.In June 2021, the regional unemployment rate was 10,7% 22 that is 3,6 pp higher than the EU average (7,1%) 23 .
26.Of all job seekers in Aragon, 60% are women (the percentage rises to 65% if only the group of long-term unemployed is considered). In addition, 52% of the registered job seekers are long-term unemployed (>12 months), of which 49% are over 50 years old 24 .
27.Given that 40% of the targeted beneficieries belong to the 54+ age group and that a third of the redundant workers are women, the dismissals will have a particular impact on these two categories of workers who are already at a disadvantage on the regional labout market. The regional authorities argue that the dismissed workers will need additional and targeted support to increase their possibility to find new jobs.
Targeted beneficiaries and proposed measures
28.The estimated number of displaced workers expected to participate in the measures is 320. The breakdown of these workers by gender, age group and educational level is as follows:
| Category | Number of expected beneficiaries | ||
| Gender: | Men: | 211 | (65,9 %) |
| Women: | 109 | (34,1 %) | |
| Non-binary | 0 | (0,00 %) | |
| Age group: | Below 30 years: | 31 | (9,7 %) |
| 30-54 years: | 162 | (50,6 %) | |
| Over 54 years: | 127 | (39,7 %) | |
| Educational level | Lower secondary education or less 25 | 111 | (34,7 %) |
| Upper secondary 26 or post-secondary education 27 | 151 | (47,2 %) | |
| Tertiary education 28 | 58 | (18,1 %) |
29.The personalised services to be provided to displaced workers consist of the following measures:
–General information and welcome sessions. The information session is the first measure to be offered to all targeted beneficiaries and includes general information on available counselling, training programmes and incentives. The individual information sessions includes the profiling of the participant and the allocation of the counsellor who will accompany the worker along the process to reemployment.
–Occupational guidance will be provided through collective and individual sessions. The workers interested in become self-employed will be provided with tutoring sessions, which might cover planning, carrying out feasibility studies, preparing business plans, help with identifying financing possibilities, etc.
–Intensive job-search assistance. Through biweekly sessions, workers will receive information on job search techniques and hiring processes. This measure also includes the active search for local and regional employment opportunities and job matching.
–Training. This will include (1) Horizontal training, such as soft skill and digital skills. (2) Re-skilling vocational training for those who choose to redirect their vocational career outside the automotive sector, such as logistics, welding, industry 4.0 tools in production environments (basic elements, problems and implementation process of automated guided vehicle (AGV), augmented reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and COBOTS 29 in production), or Lean Six Sigma (project management). (3) Up-skilling vocational training to cater for the skills at request in the automotive sector, such as risks prevention when working with HEV batteries 30 ; cyber security automation and threat detection; automotive quality internal auditor; or the AIAG 31 Core Tools, which are necessary tools to implement a Quality Management System for the Automotive Industry, and include Advanced Product Quality Planning & Control Plan (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Measurement System Analysis (MSA); etc..
–Incentives. (1) Participation incentive. The workers completing all the measures included in their agreed back to employment plan will receive a lump sum of EUR 500 (EUR 700 for participants with care responsibilities); (2) Outplacement incentive. Beneficiaries who return to employment with a contract of at least three months will receive a lump sum of EUR 300. The incentive is designed to encourage quick reemployment and stimulate elderly workers to remain in the labour market; (3) Contribution to commuting expenses. The beneficiaries can get public transport costs reimbursement or EUR 0,19/kilometre when they commute by private car to participate in the measures.
30.The measures were planned to be in line with the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy 32 . The horizontal training on digital skills along with some of the planned up-skilling/re-skilling training caters the requirement of disseminating the skills required in the digital industrial age and in a resource-efficient economy, in line with Article 7.2 of the EGF Regulation.
31.The proposed coordinated package of personalised services, here described, constitutes of active labour market measures within the eligible measures set out in Article 7 of the EGF Regulation. The proposed services do not substitute passive social protection measures.
32.Spain has provided the required information on measures that are mandatory for the enterprise concerned by virtue of national law or pursuant to collective agreements. They have confirmed that a financial contribution from the EGF will not replace such measures.
33.The estimated total costs are EUR 1 652 780, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 1 600 280 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 52 500.
34.The total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 1 404 863 (85 % of total costs).
35.The national pre-financing and co-funding is provided by funds of Aragon’s public employment service (INAEM).
| Measures | Estimated number of participants | Estimated cost per participant (EUR) 33 | Estimated total costs (EUR) 34 |
| Personalised services (measures under Article 7(2)(a) of the EGF Regulation) | |||
| General information and welcome sessions (sensibilización y acogida) | 320 | 374 | 119 680 |
| Occupational guidance (orientación profesional) | 320 | 800 | 256 000 |
| Intensive job-search assistance (intermediación laboral y búsqueda de empleo) | 320 | 1 100 | 352 000 |
| Training (formación) | 260 | 1 954 | 508 000 |
| Sub-total (a): Percentage of the package of personalised services | – | 1 235 680 | |
| (77,22 %) | |||
| Allowances and incentives (measures under Article 7(2)(b) of the EGF Regulation) | |||
| Incentives (incentivo a la participación, a la búsqueda de empleo, y contribución a los gastos de desplazamiento) | 310 | 1 176 35 | 364 600 |
| Sub-total (b): Percentage of the package of personalised services: | – | 364 600 | |
| (22,78 %) | |||
| Activities under Article 7(5) of the EGF Regulation | |||
| 1. Preparatory activities | – | 6 000 | |
| 2. Management | – | 2 500 | |
| 3. Information and publicity | – | 2 000 | |
| 4. Control and reporting | – | 42 000 | |
| Sub-total (c): Percentage of the total costs : | – | 52 500 | |
| (3,18 %) | |||
| Total costs (a + b + c): | – | 1 652 780 | |
| EGF contribution (85 % of total costs) | – | 1 404 863 |
36.The costs of the measures identified in the table above as measures under Article 7(2)(b) of the EGF Regulation do not exceed 35 % of the total costs for the coordinated package of personalised services. Spain confirmed that these measures are conditional on the active participation of the targeted beneficiaries in job-search or training activities.
37.Spain will start providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 15 October 2021. The expenditure on the measures will therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 15 October 2021 until 24 months after the date of the entry into force of the Financing Decision.
38.Spain started incurring the administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 1 October 2021. The expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities shall therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 1 October 2021 until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the Financing Decision.
Complementarity with actions funded by national or Union funds
39.Spain has confirmed that the measures described above receiving a financial contribution from the EGF will not also receive financial contributions from other European Union financial instruments.
40.The coordinated package of personalised services complements actions funded by other national or EU funds, such as the general outplacement services offered by the regional public employment service or the outplacement plans.
Consultation of the targeted beneficiaries or their representatives or the social partners as well as local and regional authorities
41.Spain has indicated that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up in consultation with the social partners (UGT 36 , CCOO 37 , CEPYME 38 and CEOE 39 ). The application was discussed at political level on a social dialogue meeting on 3 December 2020 and 16 July 2021. A technical meeting was held on 26 June 2021. The social partners will also be involved in the implementation of the package of measures, as they did in previous EGF cases related to Aragón 40 . INAEM sought the views of the Aragon Automotive Cluster (CAAR) regarding skills in demand and the most suitable training to facilitate the return of the displaced workers to the automotive sector.
Management and control systems
42.The application contains a description of the management and control system, which specifies the responsibilities of the bodies involved. Spain has notified the Commission that the financial contribution will be managed and controlled by the same bodies that manage and control the European Social Fund Plus. INAEM will be the intermediate body for the managing authority.
Commitments provided by the Member State concerned
43.Spain has provided all necessary assurances regarding the following:
–the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination will be respected in access to the proposed measures and their implementation,
–the requirements laid down in national and EU legislation concerning collective redundancies have been complied with,
–the dismissing enterprises, which have continued their activities after the lay-offs, have complied with their legal obligations and provided for their workers accordingly,
–any double financing will be prevented,
–the financial contribution from the EGF will comply with the procedural and material Union rules on State aid.
BUDGETARY IMPLICATION
Budgetary proposal
44.The EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 186 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 41 .
45.Having examined the application in respect of the conditions set out in Article 13(1) and i of the EGF Regulation, and having taken into account the number of targeted beneficiaries, the proposed measures and the estimated costs, the Commission proposes to mobilise the EGF for the amount of EUR 1 404 863, representing 85 % of the total costs of the proposed measures, in order to provide a financial contribution for the application.
46.The proposed decision to mobilise the EGF will be taken jointly by the European Parliament and the Council, as laid down in point 9 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources 42 .
Related acts
47.At the same time as it presents this proposal for a decision to mobilise the EGF, the Commission will present to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a transfer to the relevant budgetary line the amount of EUR 1 404 863.
48.At the same time as it adopted this proposal for a decision to mobilise the EGF, the Commission adopted a decision on a financial contribution that constitutes a financing decision within the meaning of Article 110 of the Financial Regulation 43 . That financing decision will enter into force on the date on which the Commission is notified of the approval of the budgetary transfer by the European Parliament and the Council.