MEPs have approved €7.5 million in EU funding to support 3,414 workers made redundant after Audi closed its Brussels plant.
The European Parliament backed releasing the money from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) by 593 votes to 55, with nine abstentions, the parliamentary press service announced on Wednesday.
Audi stopped producing its Q8 e-tron model in Brussels in February 2025 and closed the factory after more than 75 years of activity, leading to job losses at the carmaker and among suppliers.
The funding is expected to support 2,580 former Audi employees and 834 workers from supplier firms.
EU-funded measures will include career guidance, job-search assistance, training in new skills and support for workers who want to start their own businesses.
How the funding is split
The total cost of the support package is estimated at €8.8 million, with the EU covering 85% (€7.5 million) and Belgian regional public employment services funding the remaining 15% (€1.3 million).
The EGF is an EU fund that helps workers and self-employed people who lose their jobs because of major restructuring events, under rules for 2021 to 2027 set out in EU legislation.
Member states can apply for the support when at least 200 workers are made redundant within a defined period, after which the European Commission proposes funding that must be approved by the European Parliament and the Council.
The EGF has supported more than 181,000 people in 20 EU countries across 186 cases, with €727 million paid out.
