20.12.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 347/855 REGULATION (EU) No 1309/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 17 December 2013 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 175, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, Whereas: (1) On 26 March 2010, the European Council agreed to the Commission’s proposal to launch a new strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (the "Europe 2020 strategy"). One of the three priorities of the Europe 2020 strategy is inclusive growth by empowering people through high levels of employment, investing in skills, fighting poverty and modernising labour markets, training and social protection systems so as to help people anticipate and manage change, and build an inclusive, cohesive society. Overcoming the adverse effects of globalisation also calls for the creation of jobs throughout the Union and a resolute policy on supporting growth. (2)  The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) was established by Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council ) for the duration of the Multiannual Financial Framework from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013. The EGF enables the Union to show solidarity towards workers made redundant as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation and global financial and economic crises, and can also support bene- ficiaries in small labour markets or in exceptional () OJ C 143, 22.5.2012, p. 42. () OJ C 225, 27.7.2012, p. 159. (*) Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (O] L 406, 30.12.2006, p. 1). circumstances, in particular with regard to collective applications involving small and medium-sized enter- prises (SMEs), even if the number of redundancies is below the normal threshold for mobilisation of the EGF. () In its Communication of 29 June 2011 entitled 'A Budget for Europe 2020', the Commission recognises the role of the EGF as a flexible fund to support workers who lose their jobs and to help them to find another job as rapidly as possible. The Union should continue to provide, for the duration of the Multiannual Financial Framework from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020, specific, one-off support to facilitate the re-integration into employment of redundant workers in areas, sectors, territories or labour markets suffering the shock of serious economic disruption. Given its purpose, which is to provide support in situations of urgency and unexpected circumstances, the EGF should remain outside the Multiannual Financial Framework. 4y The scope of Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 was broadened in 2009 by Regulation (EC) No 546/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*) as part of the European Economic Recovery Plan to include workers made redundant as a direct result of the global financial and economic crisis. In order to enable the EGF to intervene in ongoing or future crisis situations, its scope should cover redundancies resulting from a serious economic disruption caused by a continuation of the global financial and economic crisis addressed in Regulation (EC) No 546/2009, or by a new global financial and economic crisis. (5)  The European Monitoring Centre on Change, based in the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) in Dublin, assists the Commission and the Member States with qualitative and quantitative analyses in order to help in the evaluation of trends of globalisation and use of the EGF. (6)  In order to maintain the European nature of the EGF, an application for support should be triggered when the number of redundancies reaches a minimum threshold. Nevertheless, in small labour markets, such as small Member States or remote regions, or in exceptional circumstances, applications may be submitted for a lower number of redundancies. (*) Regulation (EC) No 546/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 on establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (O] L 167, 29.6.2009, p. 26).