The crisis surrounding Beko Europe and worker protection

Question for written answer E-002475/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Nicola Zingaretti (S&D), Dario Nardella (S&D), Matteo Ricci (S&D), Giorgio Gori (S&D), Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D), Pierfrancesco Maran (S&D), Antonio Decaro (S&D), Annalisa Corrado (S&D), Raffaele Topo (S&D), Camilla Laureti (S&D), Brando Benifei (S&D), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Pina Picierno (S&D), Giuseppe Lupo (S&D), Irene Tinagli (S&D), Alessandra Moretti (S&D), Marco Tarquinio (S&D), Stefano Bonaccini (S&D), Alessandro Zan (S&D), Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D), Krzysztof Śmiszek (S&D), Robert Biedroń (S&D)

In April this year, following the Turkish manufacturer Arçelik's acquisition of the Whirlpool plants in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, amounting to 75 % of the shares, Beko Europe was established with 11 production sites across Europe (Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia).

This acquisition risks triggering a transformation in the European sector of household appliance production if the company does not launch a serious industrial plan. The company has in fact already decided to close two plants in Poland (1 800 layoffs across the Łódź and Wrocław sites) and one in the UK. This raises concerns for many European and Italian workers (around 5 000 across the sites in Siena, Comunanza, Melano, Cassinetta and Carinaro) and for the European competitiveness of the sector.

In light of this situation:

• 1.What strategies does the Commission intend to adopt to ensure and promote the competitiveness of the European household appliances sector, amid a structural decline in volume and an increase in raw material prices, in order to safeguard employment and avoid delocalisation?
• 2.What measures does the Commission intend to propose to support workers in the sectors struggling the most, such as those at Beko Europe, whose jobs are at risk in the above-mentioned countries?

Submitted: 8.11.2024