Divestment of Toscana Aeroporti Handling: call on the Commission to support and protect the workers affected by the employment crisis

Subject: Divestment of Toscana Aeroporti Handling: call on the Commission to support and protect the workers affected by the employment crisis

Toscana Aeroporti Handling is a Florence-based company founded in 2018 following the merger by acquisition of Aeroporto di Firenze s.p.a. and the Tuscan Airport Galileo Galilei. It is responsible for the management of ground operations at Pisa and Florence airports. The company Toscana Aeroporti is said to have received an offer to purchase Toscana Aeroporti Handling and is therefore considering this option.

The crisis caused by the Coronavirus emergency has already had grave consequences for the transport sector and handling companies, as in the case of Brussels International Airport, which, in June 2020, experienced serious operational difficulties as a result of the bankruptcy of Swissport Belgium, the company which managed 60% of the airport's ground handling services.

In view of this:

1. What measures is the Commission taking to support the air transport sector and what action is it taking to ensure that transactions involving the sale of assets such as that described above do not entail costs for the public purse and at the same time protect the workers affected?

2. Can it ascertain what measures are being planned for the restructuring of the company that intends to take over the management of the service?

Answer given by Ms Vălean on behalf of the European Commission

(3 August 2021)

1. At the initiative of the Commission, the EU has adopted a number of measures to support the air transport sector in the context of the COVID-19. In the field of groundhandling, the EU has also approved a temporary framework (1) that waived certain obligations with regard to the selection of groundhandling companies and duration of their contracts. These temporary rules will expire on 31 December 2021.

The Commission also adopted the Temporary Framework for state aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak, which clarifies the application of the state aid rules to national measures, which address liquidity needs due to the COVID- 19 outbreak. The validity of the framework has been extended until the end of 2021.

The workers involved in the transaction of assets which imply the transfer of a business or a part of it, are protected by Council Directive 2001/23/EC (2), which obliges the transferee to assume the obligations of the previous employer in relation to its employees.

2. The Commission cannot comment on measures taken in the context of a company restructuring, unless the transaction is subject to merger or state aid control.

⋅1∙ Regulation (EU) 2020/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2020 amending Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 on common rules for the

operation of air services in the Community in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, OJ L 165, 27.5.2020, p. 1‐6. ⋅2∙ Council Directive 2001/23/EC of 12 March 2001 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employees' rights in the

event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses, OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 16‐20.