The European Commission on 6 February proposed drawing €1.9 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to help 416 former employees of Belgian home-decor retailer Casa find new jobs. The support package—part of a joint request with Austria, which will aid ex-KTM staff—covers career counselling, skills training and job-search allowances. (brusselstimes.com)
Casa collapsed into bankruptcy in March 2025, leaving workers across Flanders and Wallonia unemployed. Belgian authorities began offering assistance immediately, but the EGF money would allow retroactive reimbursement of eligible costs and expand services such as language training for redeployment abroad. The Flemish Public Employment Service will co-finance €338,000 of the total €2.3 million Belgian programme.
![EU to mobilise €1.9 million for Belgian workers laid off in Casa bankruptcy]()
Should some of those workers secure posts outside the EU single market, they may have to navigate new visa formalities. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers step-by-step guidance on entry rules worldwide, produces customised document checklists and can even submit paperwork to embassies on applicants’ behalf—letting job-seekers focus on EGF-funded training and interviews instead of consular queues.
While the EGF is primarily a social-policy tool, mobility specialists note that the fund increasingly finances up-skilling that facilitates cross-border assignments within the EU’s single labour market. A growing share of past beneficiaries have taken jobs in neighbouring countries, and Casa staff with retail-logistics experience could be attractive to Dutch or German employers grappling with warehouse shortages.
The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and Council for approval. HR teams of multinationals operating in Belgium may wish to flag the programme to supply-chain workers facing redundancy, as EGF funding can cover language courses, relocation advice and even allowances for interviews abroad.
Casa collapsed into bankruptcy in March 2025, leaving workers across Flanders and Wallonia unemployed. Belgian authorities began offering assistance immediately, but the EGF money would allow retroactive reimbursement of eligible costs and expand services such as language training for redeployment abroad. The Flemish Public Employment Service will co-finance €338,000 of the total €2.3 million Belgian programme.
Should some of those workers secure posts outside the EU single market, they may have to navigate new visa formalities. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers step-by-step guidance on entry rules worldwide, produces customised document checklists and can even submit paperwork to embassies on applicants’ behalf—letting job-seekers focus on EGF-funded training and interviews instead of consular queues.
While the EGF is primarily a social-policy tool, mobility specialists note that the fund increasingly finances up-skilling that facilitates cross-border assignments within the EU’s single labour market. A growing share of past beneficiaries have taken jobs in neighbouring countries, and Casa staff with retail-logistics experience could be attractive to Dutch or German employers grappling with warehouse shortages.
The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and Council for approval. HR teams of multinationals operating in Belgium may wish to flag the programme to supply-chain workers facing redundancy, as EGF funding can cover language courses, relocation advice and even allowances for interviews abroad.
