EU Grants €2 M to Help Liège Steel Workers Find New Jobs

What is the EGF?

• The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund is an EU safety net that pays for training, job‑search help and other support for workers who lose jobs because of big changes in global trade or industry.
• It can spend up to €30 million a year (in 2018 prices).

Belgium’s request

• Applicant: Belgium
• Company: Liberty Galaţi Belgian Branch, a steel‑making plant in Liège, Wallonia
• Sector: Manufacture of basic metals (NACE 24)
• Workers affected: 507
• Lay‑off period: 24 April 2025 – 24 August 2025
• Reason: Plant declared bankruptcy on 22 April 2025 after long‑term financial trouble.
• Requested amount: €2 033 869 (≈ 85 % of the total cost of €2 392 788)
• Use of funds:
• €2 358 922 for personalised services (outplacement, training, business‑creation support, etc.)
• €33 866 for preparatory, management, information, publicity, control and reporting activities.

How the decision works

1. The European Parliament and the Council have agreed to mobilise the fund for Belgium.
2. The fund will commit €2 033 869 for the 2026 budget year.
3. The decision becomes effective when published in the Official Journal of the EU.
4. Eligibility period

• Workers can receive help from 1 June 2025 until 24 months after the decision takes effect.
• Administrative costs can be funded from 22 April 2025 until 31 months after the decision takes effect.

What the money will be used for

• Personalised services – outplacement, vocational guidance, training (including IT skills), support for starting a business, incentives and other allowances.
• Preparation & management – planning, information, publicity, control and reporting of the programme.

Why this matters for Belgium and the region

• Wallonia is already moving away from heavy industry; the loss of 507 steel jobs is a “social shock” that could worsen unemployment and social exclusion.
• Many affected workers are older (52 % are 55 or more) and have low formal education (69 % have a low education level).
• The EU aims to help these workers find new, decent jobs that match their skills and market needs.

Conditions and safeguards

• Eligibility – The application meets EU rules (at least 200 workers laid off in a four‑month period).
• Co‑financing – Wallonia and the national employment agency (Le Forem) will provide pre‑financing and co‑fund the measures.
• Non‑discrimination – All beneficiaries are treated equally; double‑financing is avoided.
• Monitoring & evaluation – Belgian authorities must report regularly on spending, re‑employment outcomes and whether EGF objectives are met; a final evaluation will involve social partners.
• Complementary role – The EGF supplements, not replaces, national or company responsibilities for supporting workers.

Key take‑aways

• The EU will give Belgium €2 033 869 to help 507 workers from a bankrupt steel plant in Liège find new jobs.
• Funds cover personalised job‑search support, training, business support and the administrative work needed to run the programme.
• The decision is part of a broader effort to protect workers, strengthen the European steel sector and promote a fair transition to a more sustainable economy.
• Belgium must use the funds responsibly, report on progress and ensure the support is fair and effective.

Broader context

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) was created in 2006 after the EU recognised that while free global trade benefits economies overall, it can devastate specific communities when factories close or relocate. The fund has since helped tens of thousands of workers across Europe — from car factory workers in Germany to textile workers in Portugal.

Liberty Steel (part of the GFG Alliance owned by Sanjeev Gupta) was once seen as a rescuer of struggling European steelworks, including plants in Belgium, France, and Romania. Its financial collapse affected workers in multiple countries, not just Belgium.

The steel industry in Europe has been under long-term pressure from:

The EU has broader goals behind this fund — it is not just about helping individuals, but about managing the social costs of economic change so that communities do not turn against open trade or European integration.

Impact on people living in the EU

For EU citizens, this case illustrates a concrete benefit of EU membership: when a major employer collapses, the EU can step in with money that individual countries — especially smaller or poorer regions — might struggle to find on their own.

For people in Wallonia specifically, this is significant because the region has been losing heavy industry jobs for decades. The 507 workers affected are mostly older and have fewer formal qualifications, which makes finding new work genuinely difficult without support.

The fund covers practical things like:

• Help writing CVs and finding job offers (outplacement)
• Retraining for new skills, including IT
• Support if a worker wants to start their own business
• Financial allowances during the transition period

For other EU citizens, this sets a precedent and a signal: if your region faces a similar industrial shock, the EU has a mechanism to help — though it requires your national government to apply and co-fund the programme.

One important limit: the EGF only helps employees, not the self-employed or subcontractors, which means some people affected by the same factory closure may receive no EU support at all.