The European Commission has proposed a €6.5 million support package to help almost 2,000 workers affected by major job losses in Belgium and Spain, as industries face
financial pressures and structural changes.
The funding, drawn from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF), would assist 1,928 employees who lost their jobs following the closure of Belgian hypermarket chain Cora and redundancies across Spain’s automotive sector.
The proposals must still be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU before the money can be released.
Belgian supermarket workers to receive €3.8 million EU support
In Belgium, the Commission plans to provide assistance to 1,257 former employees of Cora after the hypermarket chain ended operations in December 2025 following years of financial difficulties.
The EU funding would cover 85% of a €4.5 million recovery programme, with the remaining contribution coming from the Walloon Public Employment Service.
The support package will include career advice, job guidance, skills certification, professional training and financial assistance for workers interested in starting their own businesses.
Belgian authorities began helping affected employees in September 2025, shortly after the first redundancies were announced. The EGF rules allow some costs incurred after job losses to be reimbursed retroactively.
Automotive workers in Galicia targeted by EU assistance
A separate €2.7 million EU contribution would support 671 workers dismissed from 20 companies in Spain’s automotive sector in Galicia.
The region’s car industry has been affected by supply chain disruptions, changing trade conditions and a shift in investment towards electric vehicle technologies.
The programme aims to help workers return to employment through career counselling, job-search assistance and training for new skills.
Additional measures include financial support for commuting costs, help for workers caring for dependent relatives, and allowances for those taking part in training programmes.
The scheme would also provide a monthly return-to-work incentive of €200 for up to six months, designed particularly to encourage older workers to stay active in the labour market.
The total cost of the Spanish measures is estimated at €3.2 million. The EU would finance 85% (€2.7 million), while the remaining €480,900 would come from the regional government of Galicia. Support is expected to begin on 1 September 2026.
EU expands support for workers facing economic change
The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund has been used since 2007 to support workers affected by major economic changes. It has so far provided €737 million in assistance across 192 cases, helping more than 185,000 people in 20 EU member states.
The fund was originally designed to assist people who had already lost their jobs, but its role has expanded to include workers at risk of redundancy.
In May 2026, the Commission broadened the EGF rules to allow support for employees facing imminent job losses during company restructuring. The aim is to help workers retrain earlier and either move into new roles within the same company or find employment elsewhere.
The Commission said improving workers’ skills in response to a rapidly changing labour market remains a key priority.
As part of this effort, the EU launched a Skills Guarantee pilot programme in November 2025, combining workplace training with job opportunities in growing sectors. By July 2026, six pilot projects had been selected, supporting more than 1,000 workers at risk of unemployment across 10 EU countries. Photo by Didivo67, Wikimedia commons.