The plans were adopted by the Council in Ministers on Monday. The Commission will transfer the funding to Germany and Lithuania within 15 days of the plenary vote. The Member States then have twelve months to use the money. 

Germany: help for former Karmann workers

Between December 2008 and March 2009 2,476 workers lost their jobs at the Karmann car manufacturing group (Wilhelm Karman GmbH and Karmann-Rheine GmbH & Co.KG). Of these, 1,793 will be eligible for help from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The total cost of this help is estimated at €9,537,449, of which EU aid will cover €6,199,341.

Lithuania: former construction workers and Snaigė employees

A total of 1,612 people lost their jobs at 128 building firms in Lithuania between October 2008 and July 2009. Of these, 806 will be eligible for EU help.    The total cost is expected to be €1,721,374, of which the globalisation adjustment fund will cover €1,118,893.

A total of 651 people lost their jobs at refrigerator manufacturer AB Snaigė and two of its suppliers, UAB Jugos kabeliai and UAB Hoda between December 2008 and May 2009. Of these, 480 will be eligible for help. These measures are expected to cost €397,175, of which Lithuania has applied for €258,163 from the EU fund.

To finance the EGF support, money will be transferred from the European Social Fund's budget. Transferring money from other budget lines is the normal way of funding payments through the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund.

The three applications are the first to be dealt with in 2010. Parliament's reports on the plans, drafted by Reimer Böge (EPP, DE), were adopted with very large majorities.