In a written answer on 29 June 2026, Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu outlined the EU's limited but concrete instruments to support workers affected by Electrolux's restructuring in Italy, while stressing that the Commission cannot intervene in the company's commercial decisions. The answer, addressed to S&D MEP Matteo Ricci, signals that EU-level financial support and legal safeguards exist, but their activation depends on Italian authorities and the company's compliance with national law.
Mînzatu recalled that the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) can co-finance active labour market measures for dismissed workers if Italy submits an application meeting the regulation's criteria. She noted that companies planning 200 or more redundancies can now request EGF support before dismissals occur, provided the request is filed within 14 weeks of notifying worker representatives. This early-intervention mechanism, introduced in the 2021 EGF regulation, could apply to the 1,700 planned redundancies across Electrolux's Italian sites, including the closure of the Cerreto d'Esi plant. The answer also referenced EU directives on information and consultation (2002/14/EC) and collective redundancies (98/59/EC), which Italy has transposed into national law. Mînzatu emphasised that enforcement of these obligations falls to national authorities and courts, not the Commission.
Ricci's question, submitted on 13 May 2026, followed Electrolux's 11 May announcement of a restructuring plan affecting 1,700 of its 4,500 Italian employees and the definitive closure of the Cerreto d'Esi plant. Italian trade unions Fim, Fiom and Uilm had declared the plan unacceptable and launched indefinite industrial action. The answer provides no new funding commitments or direct EU intervention, but clarifies the procedural avenues available: Italy can apply for EGF support, and workers can seek redress through national courts if Electrolux failed to comply with information and consultation duties. The Commission's role remains facilitative and supervisory, not executive, on company-level restructuring.