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

 

Share

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About belganewsagency.eu

Belga News Agency delivers dependable, rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media. The information covers all sectors, from politics, economics and finance to social affairs, sports and culture, not to mention entertainment and lifestyle.

Every day, our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories, dozens of online information items, plus audio and video bulletins, all in both national languages. Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language.

For public institutions, businesses and various organisations that need reliable information, Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs.

Contact

Arduinkaai 29 1000 Brussels

www.belganewsagency.eu