The European Commission has proposed an €8 million aid package to help 2,400 workers laid off after the bankruptcy of Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool.
The funding requested by Belgium will come from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and will cover 85% of the €9.4 million aid package. Flanders’ public employment service VDAB will contribute the remaining €1.4 million.
The initiative aims to help workers in and around Mechelen, where unemployment has risen sharply since the collapse of Van Hool in April 2024. Many of the affected workers are over the age of 54 or have lower qualifications, making it particularly difficult to find work. Support measures include career counselling, job search assistance and vocational and digital skills training.
Belgian authorities started providing support immediately after the layoffs: retraining programmes and employment services are already in place. Additional EU funding will help expand these efforts and ensure that more workers are helped to transition to a new job. The proposal now awaits approval from the European Parliament and the Council.
