European EGF Fund for Dismissed Workers in the Automotive Auxiliary Sector in Galicia: What It Covers and How to Access It

Key data

Dismissed workers from the automotive auxiliary sector in Galicia have access to a support network co-financed by the European Union. Decision (EU) 2026/2453, approved on 7 October 2026 by the European Parliament and Council, activates the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Dismissed Workers (EGF) in response to the Spanish application identified as EGF/2026/002 ES/Galicia automotive ancillary.

The context is clear: the accelerated transition towards electric mobility and disruptions in global supply chains have hit Galician automotive auxiliary companies hard, generating a significant volume of collective redundancies that has triggered the European protection mechanism.

What does this regulation establish?

The decision approves the mobilization of the EGF to co-finance a set of active employment measures aimed exclusively at dismissed workers from the automotive auxiliary sector in Galicia. The specific measures contemplated are as follows:

• Vocational training: programmes adapted to current labour market needs, with special focus on emerging digital and industrial skills.
• Career guidance: individualised support to identify redeployment opportunities.
• Job search: active support in labour market prospecting and contact with employers.
• Entrepreneurship support: resources and advice for workers who choose to start their own business or self-employment activity.

The EGF is an instrument of EU social policy that is activated when large industrial restructurings—linked to globalisation or structural market changes—cause mass redundancies. Spain, through the competent authorities, requested its activation under the reference EGF/2026/002 ES/Galicia automotive ancillary, which indicates that the volume of collective redundancies in the region met the thresholds required by European regulations to access the fund.

The programmes are personalised: each beneficiary worker receives an itinerary adapted to their profile, experience and employment objectives, co-financed jointly by the EU and the Spanish State.

Economic and operational impact

For companies in the automotive auxiliary sector in Galicia, the activation of the EGF has direct implications for managing their restructuring processes:

• Reduction of the social cost of collective redundancies: affected workers have access to a support network co-financed by the EU, which reduces pressure on regional public employment services and facilitates a more orderly transition.
• Improvement of corporate image: companies that actively communicate to their workers the existence of these programmes demonstrate social responsibility in restructuring processes.
• Coordination with SEPE and the Xunta de Galicia: the implementation of EGF measures is channelled through public employment services, so companies must coordinate with these bodies during the collective redundancy process.
• No direct cost to the company: co-financing is between the EU and the Spanish State; companies do not bear the cost of the programmes, although they must provide information and collaborate in administrative processes.

From a macroeconomic perspective, the activation of the EGF in Galicia is an unmistakable signal that the transition towards electric mobility is generating a structural impact on the region's automotive auxiliary industry, with collective redundancies of sufficient magnitude to trigger European protection mechanisms.

Who does it affect?

• Dismissed workers from the automotive auxiliary sector in Galicia who meet the EGF eligibility requirements.
• Galician automotive auxiliary companies that have carried out or are carrying out collective redundancies linked to the transition towards electric mobility or changes in supply chains.
• HR departments and labour advisors managing restructuring processes in the sector in Galicia.
• Public employment services (SEPE, Xunta de Galicia) responsible for implementing co-financed programmes.
• Trade unions and workers' representatives involved in negotiating collective redundancies in the sector.

Practical example

A worker from an automotive auxiliary company in Galicia—for example, a manufacturing operative in transmission component production—who has been dismissed as part of a collective redundancy linked to the transition towards electric vehicles can access, through the EGF (reference EGF/2026/002 ES/Galicia automotive ancillary), a personalised itinerary that includes:

1. A career guidance session to identify whether their profile fits better in redeployment in another industrial sector or in self-employment.
2. A training programme in, for example, electric vehicle maintenance or industrial automation, financed by the EU and Spain.
3. Active support in job search, with access to job banks and direct contact with employers in the sector.
4. If they opt for entrepreneurship, advice and resources to start a self-employment activity.

The company, for its part, must inform affected workers of the existence of these programmes during the collective redundancy process and facilitate coordination with the public employment services of the Xunta de Galicia.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify whether redundancies made or planned are eligible for the EGF: the reference EGF/2026/002 ES/Galicia automotive ancillary defines the scope of application. Contact SEPE or the Xunta de Galicia to confirm the eligibility of affected workers.
2. Inform dismissed workers of the existence of these EU co-financed redeployment programmes during the collective redundancy or dismissal process, as part of information obligations in negotiations.
3. Coordinate with public employment services (Xunta de Galicia and SEPE) to facilitate the registration of affected workers in available EGF programmes.
4. Document the restructuring process in sufficient detail to demonstrate the link between redundancies and the transition towards electric mobility or changes in global supply chains, a key requirement for EGF eligibility.
5. Consult with your labour advisor on the impact of this decision on collective bargaining processes and information obligations to workers' representatives.

Official source

Consult full regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202602453