The European Commission has proposed to mobilise €2 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to support 507 workers dismissed after the bankruptcy of Liberty Steel Belgium.

Liberty Steel production lines in Belgium came to a halt in December 2021 due to raw material shortages. Despite efforts to restructure the entity, production never resumed, and workers were placed in short-term work schemes. After prolonged inactivity, the Liège Commercial Court declared Liberty Steel bankrupt on 22 April 2025, resulting in 507 workers losing their jobs.

The EGF funding will support affected workers through measures such as career counselling and guidance, training in new professional and horizontal skills, and assistance for those wishing to start their own businesses. Together, these measures will help dismissed workers learn new skills and rejoin the labour market. Their total estimated cost amounts to €2.4 million, of which 85% (€2 million) will be covered by the Commission and 15% (€0.4 million) by the Walloon public employment services.

The Belgian authorities began providing support to workers already in June 2025, shortly after the bankruptcy. The EGF can retroactively cover these costs.