EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 16.7.2026
COM(2026) 155 final
2026/0197(BUD)
Proposal for a
DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium – EGF/2026/001 BE/Cora
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
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 .
2.On 25 March 2026, Belgium submitted an application EGF/2026/001 BE/Cora for a financial contribution from the EGF, following displacements in Cora SA and one supplier and dowstream producer in Belgium.
3.Following its assessment of this application, the Commission has concluded, in accordance with all applicable provisions of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, that the conditions for awarding a financial contribution from the EGF are met.
SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION
|
EGF application |
EGF/2026/001 BE/Cora |
|
Member State |
Belgium |
|
Region(s) concerned (NUTS 2 level 2) |
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (BE10), Province Hainaut (BE32), Province Liège (BE33), Province Luxembourg (BE34). |
|
Date of submission of the application |
25 March 2026 |
|
Date of acknowledgement of receipt of the application |
13 April 2026 |
|
Date of request for additional information |
13 April 2026 |
|
Deadline for provision of the additional information |
5 May 2026 |
|
Deadline for the completion of the assessment |
17 July 2026 |
|
Intervention criterion |
Article 4(2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691 |
|
|
Cora SA |
|
Sectors of economic activity (NACE Revision 2 division) 3 |
Division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) 4 , and Division 49 (Land transport and transport via pipelines) |
|
|
1 |
|
Reference period (four months): |
1 September 2025 – 1 January 2026 |
|
Number of displacements during the reference period (a) |
662 |
|
Number of displacements before or after the reference period (b) |
595 |
|
Total number of displacements (a + b) |
1 257 |
|
Total number of eligible beneficiaries |
1 257 |
|
Total number of targeted beneficiaries |
1 010 |
|
Budget for personalised services (EUR) |
4 441 774 |
|
Budget for implementing EGF 5 (EUR) |
54 062 |
|
Total budget (EUR) |
4 495 836 |
|
EGF contribution (85 %) (EUR) |
3 821 460 |
ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION
Procedure
4.Belgium submitted application EGF/2026/001 BE/Cora within 12 weeks of the date on which the intervention criteria set out in Article 4 (2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691 were met, on 25 March 2026. The Commission acknowledged receipt of the application and requested additional information from Belgium on 13 April 2026. 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 17 July 2026.
Eligibility of the application
Enterprises and beneficiaries concerned
5.The application relates to 662 workers whose activity has ceased in Cora SA and one of its suppliers. The primary enterprise operated in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles. The jobs displaced by Cora and its provider are mainly located in the NUTS 2 region of Province Hainaut (BE32).
|
Enterprises and number of displacements within the reference period |
|||||
|
Cora |
621 |
STEF Logistics Courcelles |
41 |
||
|
|
Total no. of displacements: |
662 |
|||
|
Total no. of eligible workers: |
662 |
||||
Intervention criteria
6.Belgium submitted the application under the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, which requires the cessation of activity of at least 200 displaced workers over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State, including workers displaced in suppliers and downstream producers.
7.The reference period of four months for the application runs from 1 September 2025 to 1 January 2026.
8.There were 662 job displacements during the reference period.
Calculation of displacements and of cessation of activity
9.Pursuant to Article 6, first paragraph, point (a), in conjunction with Article 5, first paragraph, point (c) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, the number of workers affected by job displacement during the reference period has been calculated from the date of the de facto termination of the contract of employment or its expiry.
Eligible beneficiaries
10.In addition to the 662 workers already referred to, the eligible beneficiaries include 595 displaced workers whose activity ceased before or after the reference period of four months. All these workers ceased their activity within the six months before the start of the reference period on 1 September 2025 and/or between the end of the reference period and the day before the adoption of this proposal, pursuant to Article 6, first paragraph, point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, as required by Article 6, second paragraph, of Regulation (EU) 2021/691. A clear causal link can be established with the event that triggered the cessations of activity of the displaced workers during the reference period as required by Article 6, second paragraph, of Regulation (EU) 2021/691.
11.The total number of eligible beneficiaries is 1 257.
Description of the events that led to the displacements and cessation of activity
12.The hypermarket model currently faces significant challenges. Shifting consumer habits—with shoppers increasingly favouring quick, convenient shopping trips—alongside the rise of online grocery shopping has reduced the need to visit large stores. Competition from new retail formats has also intensified: neighbourhood supermarkets and specialty stores, such as organic and gourmet retailers, are gaining market share. Furthermore, the higher operating costs associated with the hypermarket model, compared to smaller or digital store formats, have pressured profitability.
13.To adapt to these market changes and improve its financial position, Cora implemented several initiatives, such as multiple recovery plans (introduced in 2014, 2017 and 2023), recapitalisations totalling nearly EUR 112 million since 2020, and strategic commercial collaborations with Carrefour and Intermarché.
14.Rising inflation weighed on operating costs. Since 2021, hourly wage costs have undergone ten successive index-linked increases resulting in a cumulative rise of over 20%. In 2024, Cora reported an EUR 34 million loss and a 6,1% decline in revenue. Over the 2020–2024 period, Cora’s gross margin declined by EUR 16,1 million, while EBITDA 6 deteriorated from EUR -3,7 million to EUR -22,5 million, contributing to a cumulative net loss of EUR 123 million 7 .
15.Despite its efforts, Cora could not improve its financial position. Therefore, the enterprise initiated collective redundancies in successive waves from September 2025, through a gradual winding-down of operations.
Expected impact of the displacements as regards the local, regional or national economy and employment
16.The displacements by Cora represent a major social shock for Wallonia, as they occur in a labour market already weakened by other restructuring events such as TNT-FedEx 8 , Makro 9 or Liberty 10 for which Belgium also applied for EGF support.
17.The unemployment rate in Belgium is 6,4% 11 , slightly above the EU average (5,8%) 12 . However, the unemployment rate in Wallonia is 8,3% 13 , about 2 percentage points (pp) higher than the national rate.
18.Belgium, citing data from Statbel, highlights that employment rates in Wallonia are strongly influenced by both age and educational attainment, with gaps of 23 to 30 percentage points between successive qualification levels. Among working-age adults, the employment rate reaches just 31% for those with low educational attainment, compared with 61% for those with intermediate qualifications and 84% for those with high attainment 14 . Meanwhile, while the employment rate for the 25–49 age group stands at 77%, it declines by 16 percentage points for individuals aged 50 and over 15 .
19.Cora had two stores in Brussels 16 and five in Wallonia. The redundancies primarily concern the Walloon province of Hainaut, where two in three displaced workers reside, and particularly the city of Charleroi which also hosted Cora's general services.
20.Hainaut is a disadvantaged labour market. In December 2025, the registered unemployed jobseeker rate in Hainaut was 17,6%, (+1,5 percentage points year-on-year) 17 . Hainaut accounts for 41% of Walloon jobseekers, and long-term unemployment is prevalent: 68% of the registered jobseekers have been unemployed for more than 12 months. Almost two in three long-term unemployed jobseekers have second or third cycle of secondary school 18 . As regards their age, the 15-29 age group accounts for the largest number of jobseekers (30%), followed by the over 50 year old group (26%) 19 .
21.Eight in ten displaced workers have an educational attainment of upper secondary level or lower. Regarding age, around half are aged 50 or over. Consequently, tailored, reinforced outplacement support and vocational guidance, alongside upskilling and reskilling opportunities, are essential to facilitate their transition into new employment.
22.Belgium is applying for EGF co-financing exclusively to support former Cora workers residing in Wallonia. Given the relatively small number of affected workers in Brussels, the regional authorities deem that the public employment services can provide adequate support without requiring additional resources.
Application of the EU Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring (QFR)
23.Belgium has described how the recommendations set out in the EU Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring have been taken into account.
24.Cora complied with Belgian law on collective redundancies, which establishes a mandatory procedure for informing and consulting workers' representatives. The procedure makes it possible to explore any possibility of avoiding or reducing the number of redundancies. It also seeks to mitigate the consequences of job loss through complementary social measures, such as support for redeployment or retraining of redundant workers. The negotiations secured a specific budget of EUR 1 898 000 to cover for retraining costs.
25.Regarding the activities undertaken to assist the displaced workers, Belgium has reported that national labour law 20 on the active management of restructuring requires enterprises undergoing restructuring to set up an employment unit (cellule pour l’emploi) 21 , whose purpose is to provide workers laid off in the context of collective redundancies with 30 hours of outplacement services in a period of three months (60 hours over six months for workers aged 45+).
26.Wallonia's regional legislation 22 provides for specific support for redundant workers, in the form of a redeployment unit (cellule de reconversion) 23 by the Regional Public Employment and Vocational Training Service (Le Forem), at the request of workers’ representative organisations. The redeployment unit does not constitute an obligation for the employer, nor for Le Forem. The implementation of the EGF co-financed measures will be managed through such a redeployment unit.
27.Regarding the activities undertaken to assist the displaced workers, Belgium has reported that the redeployment unit was set up on 1 October 2025, shortly after the first redundancies occured.
Complementarity with actions funded by national or Union funds
28.Belgium has confirmed that the measures described below receiving a financial contribution from the EGF will not also receive financial contributions from other Union financial instruments.
29.The coordinated package of personalised services complements actions funded by other national or EU funds.
Procedures for consulting the targeted beneficiaries or their representatives or the social partners as well as local and regional authorities
30.Belgium has indicated that the co-ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up in consultation with targeted beneficiaries, their representatives, and the social partners, in compliance with Article 7(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691.
31.To facilitate workers' transitions into new employment, Le Forem, trade unions (FGTB 24 and CSC 25 ), and other partners met on 29 September 2025. The meeting helped assess workers’ retraining needs. Social counsellors, who had supported the workers following their redundancies, were also consulted. As a result, a coordinated package of EGF measures was developed, compliant with Article 7(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691.
Targeted beneficiaries and proposed measures
Targeted beneficiaries
32.The estimated number of displaced workers expected to participate in the measures is 1010. Pursuant to Article 8(7), point (f), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, the provided breakdown of these workers by gender, age group and educational level is as follows:
|
Category |
Number of
|
||
|
Gender: |
Men: |
472 |
(46,7 %) |
|
Women: |
538 |
(53,3 %) |
|
|
Non-binary |
0 |
(0,0 %) |
|
|
Age group: |
Below 30 years: |
44 |
(4,4 %) |
|
30-54 years: |
667 |
(66,0 %) |
|
|
Over 54 years: |
299 |
(29,6 %) |
|
|
Educational level |
Lower secondary education or less 26 |
120 |
(11,9 %) |
|
741 |
(73,4 %) |
||
|
Tertiary education 29 |
149 |
(14,7 %) |
|
Proposed measures
33.Pursuant to Article 8(7), point (h) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, the personalised coordinated package to be provided to displaced workers consists of the following measures:
–Outplacement and vocational guidance: These services are delivered by a team comprising vocational advisors specialising in restructuring events and social support workers, typically drawn from the company’s employee representatives. The advisors offer outplacement services, career guidance, and professional reintegration support through individual and group counselling and coaching sessions. Meanwhile, the social support workers assist with administrative procedures related to changes in employment status and help preserve a collective framework of solidarity among employees.
–Skills certification: Former Cora employees can have their professional skills certified through the Skills Validation Consortium 30 . The Consortium organises tailored validation assessments based on the workers’ profiles and needs. Skills certification helps secure and accelerate reintegration into employment, while also enabling more effective training pathways.
–Training: Specific training will be offered to cater for the identified needs of the workers, after the profiling and agreement of individual projects with the vocational counsellors. Such training complements Le Forem’s standard training programmes and those of its partners. Two IT modules, designed to develop and strengthen digital autonomy, are offered to workers as cross-cutting training.
–Support for business creation: This measure targets workers seeking to start their own enterprise and includes a diagnostic and guidance phase, entrepreneurship awareness-raising activities, information sessions on business creation opportunities (based on territorial economic analyses), and networking with established entrepreneurs and certified business-creation coaches.
–Contribution to business start-up: The workers who start a business or a self-employed activity will receive a contribution up to EUR 15 000. The contribution will be paid in two instalments, subject to verification of the launch and progression of the business activity through supporting documents.
–Incentives and allowances: (1) Job-search allowances. Workers will receive EUR 2 per hour of effective participation in job-search activities entitled to the allowance. (2) Return-to-school allowance. A monthly allowance of EUR 350 will be granted to workers who embark on full-time secondary or tertiary studies, or qualifying training to acquire the necessary skills for jobs that are in demand and for which recruiting is difficult or linked to critical functions 31 . (3) Allowance towards business creation. To support workers during setting up business, a monthly allowance of EUR 350 will be granted for a maximum of 12 months or up to 18 months under certain conditions.
34.The training designed to develop and strengthen digital autonomy, which complements Le Forem’s standard digital skills programme, alongside a module on the circular economy and efficient resources use, support the dissemination of skills essential for the digital industrial age and a resource-efficient economy, as required by Article 7(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691.
The circular economy and resource efficiency module, originally developed for former Swissport workers (EGF/2020/005 BE) 32 , is now part of Le Forem’s standard training offer, co-financed by the ESF+. As such, it is not included in the budget of this proposal.
Additionally, the circular economy module is supplemented by a social economy module, also developed under an EGF case 33 .
35.The proposed actions, here described, constitute active labour market policy measures within the eligible actions set out in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691. These actions do not substitute passive social protection measures.
36.Belgium has provided the required information on measures that are mandatory for the enterprise concerned by virtue of national law or pursuant to collective agreements. In accordance with Article 9(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, Belgium has confirmed that a financial contribution from the EGF will not replace such measures.
Estimated budget
37.The estimated total costs are EUR 4 495 836, comprising expenditure for personalised services of EUR 4 441 774 and expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities of EUR 54 062.
38.The total financial contribution requested from the EGF is EUR 3 821 460 (85 % of total costs).
39.Pursuant to Article 8(7), point (m), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, Belgium has specified that the national pre-financing and co-funding is provided by Le Forem, and Région Wallonne.
|
Measures |
Estimated number of participants |
Estimated cost per participant
|
Estimated total costs (EUR) 35 |
|
Personalised services (measures under Article 7(2), second subparagraph, point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691) |
|||
|
Information services, occupational guidance and outplacement assistance
|
1 010 |
2 860 |
2 874 558 |
|
Skills certification
|
150 |
133 |
20 000 |
|
Training and retraining
|
500 |
937 |
468 800 |
|
Support for business creation
|
50 |
2 350 |
117 503 |
|
Contribution to business start-up
|
45 |
10 000 |
450 000 |
|
Sub-total (a): Percentage of the package of personalised services |
– |
3 930 861 |
|
|
(88,50 %) |
|||
|
Allowances and incentives (measures under Article 7(2), second subparagraph, point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691) |
|||
|
Incentives and allowances
|
1 005 |
508 |
510 913 |
|
Sub-total (b): Percentage of the package of personalised services: |
– |
510 913 |
|
|
(11,50 %) |
|||
|
Activities under Article 7(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691 |
|||
|
1. Preparatory activities |
– |
0 |
|
|
2. Management |
– |
13 260 |
|
|
3. Information and publicity |
– |
5 000 |
|
|
4. Control and reporting |
– |
35 802 |
|
|
Sub-total (c): Percentage of the total costs : |
– |
54 062 |
|
|
(1,20 %) |
|||
|
Total costs (a + b + c): |
– |
4 495 836 |
|
|
EGF contribution (85 % of total costs) |
– |
3 821 460 |
|
40.The costs of the measures identified in the table above as measures under Article 7(2), second subparagraph, point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2021/691 do not exceed 35 % of the total costs for the coordinated package of personalised services. Belgium confirmed that these measures are conditional on the active participation of the targeted beneficiaries in job-search or training activities.
41.In accordance with Article 7(2), fourth subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, Belgium confirmed that the costs of investments for self-employment, business start-ups and employee take-overs will not exceed EUR 22 000 per beneficiary.
Period of eligibility of expenditure
42.Belgium started providing the personalised services to the targeted beneficiaries on 1 September 2025. The expenditure on the measures will therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 1 September 2025 until 24 months after the date of the entry into force of the Financing Decision.
43.Belgium started incurring the administrative expenditure to implement the EGF on 9 April 2025. The expenditure for preparatory, management, information and publicity, control and reporting activities shall therefore be eligible for a financial contribution from the EGF from 9 April 2025 until 31 months after the date of the entry into force of the Financing Decision.
Management and control systems
44.The application contains a description of the management and control system required under Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, which specifies the responsibilities of the bodies involved. Belgium has notified the Commission that the financial contribution will be managed and controlled by the same bodies that manage and control the ESF+ in Wallonia.
Commitments provided by the Member State concerned
45.Belgium 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,
–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
46.The EGF shall not exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 36 .
47.Having examined the application in respect of the conditions set out in Article 13(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, 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 3 821 460, representing 85 % of the total costs of the proposed measures, in order to provide a financial contribution for the application.
48.The proposed decision to mobilise the EGF will be taken jointly by the European Parliament and the Council pursuant to Article 15(1), first subparagraph, second sentence, of Regulation (EU) 2021/691 and, 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 37 .
Related acts
49.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 to transfer to the relevant budgetary line the amount of EUR 3 821 460.
50.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 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 38 . 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 pursuant to Article 15(2), first subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2021/691.
2026/0197 (BUD)
Proposal for a
DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium – EGF/2026/001 BE/Cora
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to 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 39 , and in particular Article 15(1), first subparagraph, thereof,
Having regard to 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 40 , and in particular point 9 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) aims to demonstrate solidarity and promote decent and sustainable employment in the Union by providing support for workers made redundant and self-employed persons whose activity has ceased in the case of major restructuring events and assisting them in returning to decent and sustainable employment as soon as possible.
(2)The EGF is not to exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 41 , and Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691.
(3)On 25 March 2026, Belgium submitted an application to mobilise the EGF in accordance with Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, in respect of workers’ displacements in Cora SA and one supplier in Belgium. It was supplemented by additional information provided in accordance with Article 8(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/691. That application is considered to comply with the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the EGF as laid down in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691, on the basis of the assessment made by the Commission in the Proposal for a mobilisation decision of the European Parliament and of the Council 42 .
(4)The EGF should, therefore, be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution of EUR 3 821 460 in respect of the application submitted by Belgium.
(5)In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the EGF, this Decision should apply from the date of its adoption,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2026, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 3 821 460 in commitment and payment appropriations.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from [the date of its adoption] 43* .
Done at Brussels,
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President
The President