With 577 votes in favour, 47 against, and 15 abstentions, Parliament approved Germany’s request for €3,085,166 in EU aid from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) for workers laid-off following the closure of Goodyear’s tyre production site in Fulda and the partial shutdown of its plant in Hanau, Germany.

The funds will cover 60% of the total costs of the planned reintegration measures, such as career guidance, acquiring new skills, support for business start-ups, and help with efforts to find a new job. German authorities started providing funding to these workers in November 2024, shortly after the layoffs occurred, and the EGF money will retroactively cover these costs.

In 2024, Goodyear restructured due a significant decline in demand, rising costs, and increasing competition from low-cost imports from Asia. MEPs noted that the redundancies at Goodyear pushed the annual unemployment rate in the Fulda region above 10%. This…