The production of the Q8 e-tron ended in February last year, marking the conclusion of Audi’s operations in Brussels. This closure resulted not only in job losses for factory workers but also affected hundreds of positions at supplier companies.
The Commission has proposed mobilizing 7.5 million euros to assist 2,580 former Audi employees and 834 displaced workers from suppliers in their job search, which may include career guidance, vocational training, or support for entrepreneurship.
Following the factory’s closure, an employment unit was established, and by October, nearly a thousand employees had secured new positions. The European funding, pending approval from the European Parliament and Member States, can retroactively cover already incurred expenses.
Of the funding for the employment program, 85 percent will come from European support, while Belgium will contribute an additional 1.3 million euros.
The funding is sourced from the globalisation fund, which the European Union uses to assist workers who have lost jobs due to significant restructuring. Since its inception in 2007, the fund has allocated 727 million euros to benefit over 180,000 individuals.
(Brussels, 09/01/2026)
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