€1.1m in EU funds to help workers laid off in Finland 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted to unlock funds to help 351 workers who lost their jobs in the Finnish paper industry.

The Commission’s proposal, backed by 609 votes to 51, and with 14 abstentions, provides support for 351 displaced workers in the paper industry in the Finnish regions of Etelä-Suomi and Helsinki-Uusimaa.

The €1.1 million European Globalisation Adjustment Fund support package finances personalised services for the workers, such as job-search training and career coaching, vocational training, self-employment grants and allowances, an AI-based pilot project focused on recruitment needs, pay subsidies, mobility allowances, and business start-up support. The estimated cost of the package is €1.8 million, of which 60% would be covered by the EU and 40% (€735,000) by local public employment services.

The paper industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, as demand has fallen due to digitalisation. The closure of the border with Russia and the halt in imports of wood following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has hit the sector in Finland particularly hard. The report stresses the importance of maintaining a strong and competitive European manufacturing base that safeguards and creates quality and sustainable jobs. MEPs also point out that companies must be enabled to adapt to structural change, invest and remain competitive.

Since 2007, the EGF has helped more than 185,000 people in 20 EU countries, with €737 million in funding, according to the Commission. As of May 2026, the EGF can also fund training courses for workers who are facing redundancy.