Commission will release more than €17 million to people who have lost their jobs in Sweden and in Belgium.  The European Commission will release more than €17 million of EU money to help people who have lost their jobs with carmaker Volvo in Sweden and Belgium's textile industry.

The money will come from the European Globalization Adjustment Fund (EGF). The fund was created in 2007 to support people who lost their jobs in the EU because of businesses moving to lower-cost economies, but was adapted earlier this year to help reduce the effects of the economic crisis. The money will take the total amount paid out from the fund in 2009 to €31.89 million.  Applications to the fund have increased markedly since the start of the crisis.

Nine applications have so far been made in 2009, totalling €60.2 million – far more than the €20.6 million requested in 2008, and the €18.6m requested in 2007.

The Commission said in December last year that it would consider asking MEPs and EU member states to increase the EGF's budget if there were an increase in applications. But the Commission official said that there are no plans to make such a request at present.