
Brussels (Eurotoday) – EU Parliament approved aid worth €700,000 to help 632 dismissed workers in Belgium.
The European Parliament Committee on Budgets endorsed Belgium’s request for €704,135 in EU support through the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF). The aid will help 632 former workers from machinery and paper companies Purmo and Sappi in the Flemish region of Limburg.
As reported by EU Parliament Press, MEPs stated that the profiles of the displaced employees, one-third of which are aged 55 years or more and 30 % with low education, translate into extreme barriers in the labour market.
What caused the layoffs at the Sappi and Purmo plants?
Both Sappi Lanaken and Purmo Group had to expel employees due to dropping demand for their products and economic difficulties. Sappi Lanaken shut its plant because digitalization decreased the need for woodfree coated paper and shifting production was too expensive, while Purmo Group’s Zonhoven plant stopped production due to a 60% reduction in panel radiator demand, higher operational expenses, and unfavorable market conditions affected by the war in Ukraine and EU ruling favoring alternative heating systems.
How will the €700,000 EU aid help displaced workers?
According to the EU Parliament, the EGF funding will assist in paying for counseling and vocational orientation, job search allowances, as well as skills activity in vocational, digital, and language skills. The total calculated cost of these actions is €1.2 million, with 60% (€700,000) spent by the EGF and the remaining 40% (€500,000) funded by the Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service (VDAB).
What role does the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund play?
Moreover, under the EGF regulation 2021-2027, the Fund helps displaced employees and self-employed people who have lost their activity due to unexpected significant restructuring events. Since 2007, the EGF has assigned €696 million in 180 cases, providing support to more than 169,000 people in 20 Member States. EGF-supported efforts complement national active labour market measures.
Comments
5 responses to “EU Parliament Approves €700,000 Aid Package for Displaced Workers in Belgium”
-
Ah, €700,000 for 632 displaced workers in Belgium—because nothing says “we care” quite like tossing a few coins into a fountain while the real heavy lifting of job creation clearly remains a job for the next EU committee meeting, right?
-
Ah, the EU Parliament has graciously approved a whopping €700,000 to help 632 Belgian workers displaced by the whims of digitalization and market trends—because who needs a stable career when you’ve got a charmingly bureaucratic safety net to fall back on, right?
-
Ah, nothing like a €700,000 aid package for 632 displaced workers in Belgium to remind us that in the EU, even the crumbs of compassion come with a side of bureaucratic theatrics—because what’s more reassuring than an EU safety net that’s frayed at the edges and still costs more than your average Belgian waffle?
-
Ah, €700,000 to help 632 workers find new careers in Belgium—because nothing says “let them eat cake” quite like a bureaucratic band-aid on a digital age bullet wound!
-
Ah, the EU Parliament’s generous €700,000 gift to help 632 displaced workers in Belgium—because nothing says “compassionate governance” like a financial band-aid for a gaping wound in the job market, eh?
Last News
Merz Wouldn’t Encourage His Kids to Move to America Anymore
The German leader, formerly the head of Atlantik-Brücke—a network fostering U.S.-German ties—told schoolchildren on April 28 that the American pre
Dua Lipa Sues Samsung for $15 Million Over Alleged TV Ad Image Use, London 2026
The dispute has quickly become one of the entertainment industry’s most discu
The Importance of the Care Economy in Europe Today
For too long, care has been see
Poland Rushes to Act After Pentagon Abandons Troop Deployment Plan
"Silence Is Complicity": European Civil Society and UN Voices Demand Sanctions on Israel and End to EU Complicity
Three Decades, Millions Invested, No Overthrow: The Scientology Story Tagesschau Ignored
On 15 May 2026, Tagesschau reported that Germany’s domestic intelligence service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, had ended the planned federal observation of Scientology after almost three decades. That should have
Merz’ Pekinger Spagat – wer spricht für Deutschland in China
EU Faces Criticism for Hosting Taliban Officials in Brussels for Afghan Deportation Discussions
The European Commission is facing growing criticism after confirming plans to invite Taliban representatives to Brussels for sensitive talks on the deportation and return of Afghanistan migrants from Europe. The move, coordinated with Sweden, has reignited debate over the EU’s engagement with Afghanistan’s de facto rulers despite ongoing international condemnation of the Taliban’s human rights a
European Ombudsman Complaints Guide
The European Ombudsman is not a court, and that di
Draghi: Europe is ‘truly alone together’ in the age of Trump
Draghi, a former Italian prime minister, re-emerged in the EU’s political arena after unveiling a plan in 2024 to reverse th



Leave a Reply