The European Commission tabled a proposal on 2 March 2026 to unlock €2 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to support 507 workers made redundant after Liberty Steel Belgium’s bankruptcy. Although not an immigration measure, the scheme is a bell-wether for labour-mobility policy because it finances retraining, career counselling and start-up aid—tools that allow displaced employees to remain economically active and geographically mobile. Liberty Steel’s Liège operations collapsed in 2025 after protracted supply-chain disruptions.
Wallonia’s public employment service has already enrolled many of the affected staff in language and IT courses designed to make them employable across borders, recognising the tight integration of the Benelux labour market.
![EU moves to fund reskilling for 507 displaced Liberty Steel workers in Belgium]()
For those Liberty Steel alumni—or any Belgian resident—who end up pursuing work opportunities outside the EU, arranging the right travel documents can be daunting. VisaHQ’s digital platform simplifies visa applications for more than 200 destinations and offers tailored support for Belgian passport holders and their employers; details are available at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
The EGF will retroactively reimburse 85 % of those costs if Parliament and Council grant approval. For global-mobility managers the case is notable: Article 7 of the EGF Regulation permits funding for workers who move to another EU member state for a new job, including relocation allowances and language tuition. In practice, that means a steelworker from Liège could accept an offer at a Dutch offshore-wind fabricator with part of their moving expenses covered by the grant. Since its launch in 2007, the EGF has assisted more than 180,000 Europeans affected by trade shocks or automation. The Commission’s latest Skills Guarantee pilot, unveiled in 2025, dovetails with the Liberty Steel package, illustrating how Brussels is mainstreaming mobility-oriented reskilling into its industrial policy. Assuming a swift green light from EU co-legislators, the first tranche of money could reach Wallonia by early summer—just as regional authorities finalise their Just Transition Fund blueprint, which also earmarks cash for cross-border commuting initiatives.
Wallonia’s public employment service has already enrolled many of the affected staff in language and IT courses designed to make them employable across borders, recognising the tight integration of the Benelux labour market.
For those Liberty Steel alumni—or any Belgian resident—who end up pursuing work opportunities outside the EU, arranging the right travel documents can be daunting. VisaHQ’s digital platform simplifies visa applications for more than 200 destinations and offers tailored support for Belgian passport holders and their employers; details are available at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
The EGF will retroactively reimburse 85 % of those costs if Parliament and Council grant approval. For global-mobility managers the case is notable: Article 7 of the EGF Regulation permits funding for workers who move to another EU member state for a new job, including relocation allowances and language tuition. In practice, that means a steelworker from Liège could accept an offer at a Dutch offshore-wind fabricator with part of their moving expenses covered by the grant. Since its launch in 2007, the EGF has assisted more than 180,000 Europeans affected by trade shocks or automation. The Commission’s latest Skills Guarantee pilot, unveiled in 2025, dovetails with the Liberty Steel package, illustrating how Brussels is mainstreaming mobility-oriented reskilling into its industrial policy. Assuming a swift green light from EU co-legislators, the first tranche of money could reach Wallonia by early summer—just as regional authorities finalise their Just Transition Fund blueprint, which also earmarks cash for cross-border commuting initiatives.
