EU to provide 8 million euros in aid for Van Hool workers

The European Commission has proposed an 8 million euro support package to help 2,400 workers made redundant after the bankruptcy of Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool.

The funding, requested by Belgium, comes from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and will cover 85 per cent of a 9.4 million euro aid package. Flanders’ public employment service VDAB will contribute the remaining 1.4 million euros.

The initiative aims to assist workers in and around Mechelen, where unemployment has risen sharply since Van Hool’s collapse in April 2024. Many affected employees are over 54 or have lower qualifications, which makes job hunting particularly challenging. Support measures include career counselling, job-search assistance, and training in professional and digital skills. 

Belgian authorities began providing support immediately after the layoffs: retraining programmes and employment services are already in place. The additional EU funding will help expand these efforts and ensure more workers receive assistance in transitioning to new jobs.

The proposal now awaits approval from the European Parliament and the Council.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Workers leave after an extraordinary works council at the Van Hool bus assembly plant in Lier © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}