European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
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This law based on previous cross-sector collective agreements (n°51, 82 and 82 bis) aims at defining procedures in case of outplacement.
Outplacement is defined as a set of services and guidance counselling provided by outplacement experts (private or public companies) on behalf of the employer in order to help employees (if applicable) to find a new job with another employer as quickly as possible or to start self-employment.
These guidance services can be provided individually or in groups. Among these services, the office or company in charge of outplacement has to provide psychological support, but also to establish a personal assessment and/or assistance in developing a job search and its implementation, assistance in negotiating a new work contract, assistance during integration in the new work environment and ultimately also a logistical and administrative support. The length of the outplacement procedure is maximum 12 months with 20 hours of support during the first two months, 20 hours during the four next months (if needed) and 20 hours during the last 6 months (if needed).
The provision of psychological support is not explicitly defined by law. Therefore, these services are more or less developed depending on the particular situation.
Joint committees may decide to collectively support the cost of the outplacement procedure.
Eurofound (2015), Belgium: Health monitoring of workers affected by restructuring, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/health-monitoring-of-workers-affected-by-restructuring/belgium
This Eurofound research paper explores key trends in restructuring in recent years, highlighting the companies that announced the largest job losses and job gains in the EU. It builds on an analysis of company announcements recorded in Eurofound’s European Restructuring Monitor (ERM), alongside a new classification of restructuring events involving changes in company location.
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In 2024, the automotive sector in the EU came to the fore in public and policy discussions. The focus was on the slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) sales, rising global competition, belated investments in new technologies, and the potential closure of production lines in Europe. A number of European car manufacturers and suppliers announced their intention to make large-scale redundancies and change long-standing collective agreements on job security and wages, while workers raised concerns amid demonstrations and industrial action.
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