The European Commission has proposed a €1.9 million contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to support 416 workers made redundant by the bankruptcy of retail and logistics consortium Casa in Belgium's Province of Antwerp. The proposal, published on 25 February 2026, initiates the legislative procedure for the Council and European Parliament to approve the budgetary mobilisation.
The Commission seeks an EGF contribution of €1,916,733, covering 85% of a total €2.25 million package. The remaining 15% would be co-financed by Belgium. The application meets the EGF intervention criterion of over 200 job losses within four months. The coordinated package of personalised services includes establishing a specialised taskforce for guidance, outplacement services with individual guidance and skills certification, active mediation and job-matching by public employment services, access to training and retraining, and allowances for training participation, job search, and mobility, as well as incentives for prospective employers.
If adopted, the decision will provide co-financing for active labour market measures aimed at reintegrating the displaced workers, particularly addressing challenges for warehouse staff in a tightening regional labour market. The EGF functions as a crisis-response instrument for severe localised employment shocks, complementing national support where bankruptcy laws limit employer obligations. The proposal advances the legislative procedure, with the Commission's positive assessment obliging the Council and Parliament to decide on the budgetary mobilisation.
The Council and European Parliament must now decide on the mobilisation. The proposal is expected to be discussed in the Council's budgetary committee and the Parliament's Committee on Budgets before a final vote. The EGF has been used in similar cases across the EU, providing rapid financial support to workers displaced by structural changes in trade patterns or economic crises.
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