The European Commission has proposed €1.1 million in EU funding to support 351 paper industry workers in Finland who were dismissed by four manufacturers.
The money would come from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF), which finances help such as training and career guidance for people who have lost their jobs, the Commission announced on Tuesday.
The workers were laid off by Metsä Group, Stora Enso, UPM Communication Papers and SAPPI.
The package would include job-search assistance and career counselling, alongside an AI-based pilot project intended to identify local recruitment needs and skills demand and improve matching between employers and jobseekers.
The proposed support also covers training in new and transferable skills, recruitment incentives, mobility allowances, financial support for business start-ups, and allowances during the set-up phase.
How the funding would work
The Commission put the total estimated cost of the measures at €1.8 million, with 60% (€1.1 million) covered by the EU and 40% (€735,000) by the South Karelia and Lohja-Karkkila Employment Regions and local public employment services.
Finland began supporting the affected workers in January 2026, and the EGF could reimburse costs retroactively if the proposal is approved.
The proposal must be approved by the European Parliament and EU member states in the Council, requiring a simple majority in Parliament and a qualified majority in the Council.
The EGF has been used in 192 cases since 2007, allocating €737 million to support more than 185,000 people across 20 EU member states.
