Home
EEAS
Hors Union
All Staff
Contract Agents
Local Agents
CSDP civil staff
Archive

All Staff

 

On this page

Sur cette page

bulletConcertation on Home Leave
bullet

Révision des règles régissant la mobilité des Agents contractuels en délégation

bullet

British Staff

bullet

Réduction des droits à congés

bullet

Work-life balance in Delegations

bullet

The Central Staff Committee of the Commission writes to Mr Ottinger and Mrs Mogherini

bullet

Task Force Careers

bullet

Contrôle juridictionnel des actes de gestion du personnel en mission PESC

bullet

Educational Allowances

bullet

Une carrière pour les AST

bullet

Formation aux concours EPSO

Voir aussi : workplace

Concertation on Home Leave

Update on the concertation (November 2021)

An improved offer for those who are furthest away but overall all categories except 0-2,000km has been made, as can be seen in the table below.

This should be applicable from 2021 onwards.

Geographical distance between the place of employment and the place of origin, in kilometres

2013 Decision in force now

Days of home leave per calendar year

0-2,000

2.5

2.5 ( NO change)

2,001-5,000

3

4 (+1)

5,001-10,000

4

6 (+2)

Above 10,000

5

9 (+4)

In addition, there was mention of a new SPECIAL LEAVE for administrative/medical purposes

We intend to accept this definite improvement on the current 2013 Decision on Home Leave, which has taken far too long. We must push hard for the new Special Leave and the new Teleworking Decision for EU DEL.

Home leave for officials, temporary staff and contract staff serving in a third country

Proposed Joint OSP position ;

bullet

After a wait of over 7 years (since Jan 2014) – we must ensure that ALL EXPAT staff get something – we cannot accept that some DEL colleagues in countries ( 0-2,000 kms) have NO increase whatsoever and remain at 2.5 days

bullet

There is room to improve the COM/EEAS offer - they are currently offering the absolute MINIMUM – we firmly believe DEVCO can increase the offer – the question is how much

bullet

We propose increases to all km categories ( see OSP proposal of 2017 below for reference)

COVID- specific situation :

bullet

under COVID it is undeniable that travel has become more complex and lengthier for all and even more so for staff based in DEL

bullet

We are proposing unreservedly exceptional increases in Home Leave for all km categories for application in 2021/2022 with the inclusion of a REVISION clause end 2022 due to COVID and the disruptions to travel that affect DEL STAFF more.

SUMMARY and GENESIS of this HL proposal

bullet

Additional Special leave has been requested by OSPs/CLP HU since the onset of the new Annex X in Jan 2014 which severely cut the annual leave allocation

bullet

Staff have been waiting 7 years for a political gesture of good will to compensate partially for Annex X cuts to Annual Leave

bullet

EEAS/COM committed themselves to increasing HL as of January 2019 – this did NOT take place – no increase despite written communication to all DEL EXPATS in December 2018

bullet

Previous CCP/CLP HU request below – MAY 2017 – the CCP sent this request directly to Commissioner OETTINGER and OSPs requested a Concertation – no concertation ever took place in 2017/2018

bullet

CURRENT DECISION on HL in FORCE since  1 Jan 2014

Home Leave : All officials working outside the EU are entitled to home leave calculated on the basis of the distance between the place of employment and the place of origin.

Geographical distance between the place of employment and the place of origin, in kilometres

Days of home leave per calendar year

0-2,000

2.5

2,001-5,000

3

5,001-10,000

4

Above 10,000

5

 

bullet

2021 HR Home Leave Proposal for Concertation  : Nothing for less than 2000, max of 2 extra days for more than 10,000 km

See the Draft Decision Proposal

In addition to the above, we all have a range of specific arguments to demonstrate the “particular needs” as per Annex V of the Staff Regulations for expatriates serving in delegation to justify why more HL is required. The above provides us all with the general framework so that we are all clear on what is at stake in this 1st meeting of concertation.

 

Demande de concertation politique au sujet du « recyclage » (annexe X).  Jan 2021

horizontal rule

Révision des règles régissant la mobilité des Agents contractuels en délégation

SEAE: Révision des règles régissant la mobilité des Agents contractuels en délégation: la mobilité au SEAE ne peut être la réplique exacte de celle à la Commission européenne et doit tenir compte du faible nombre de postes disponibles chaque année.

Le 26 mai les organisations syndicales ont été invitées à prendre part à un dialogue social concernant la révision de la Décision ADMIN(2017) 19 du 8 novembre 2017 régissant la mobilité des Agents contractuels du SEAE en Délégation. Cette révision vise à rapprocher les règles régissant la mobilité au SEAE de celles de la Commission (Décision C(2020) 997 du 26 février 2020). En cela, elle comporte des améliorations, à commencer 1) par la réduction du nombre d’années d’affectation dans les pays à partir de 30% d’Indemnités de Conditions de Vies (ICV); 2) la possibilité d’être affecté dans une même Délégation deux fois dans une carrière de façon non-consécutive.

Cependant, pour que la mobilité au SEAE soit soutenable, les organisations syndicales ont tenu à pousser la révision plus loin en tenant compte de la spécificité du Service extérieur, en premier lieu du très faible nombre de postes d’Agents contractuels à durée indéterminée. Ainsi, en attendant qu’une mobilité interinstitutionnelle soit possible (à l’instar du Gentlemen’s agreement qui existe entre la Commission et les Agences exécutives) et pour laquelle U4U continuera de se mobiliser, certaines revendications ont été mises sur la table :

• la révision à la baisse du nombre de pays à lister parmi ses ‘choix’, actuellement fixé à 5 parmi un nombre de propositions à peine supérieur ;

• la possibilité d’effectuer deux posting de 4 ans chacun au siège.

Sans cela, la mobilité au SEAE ne peut pas répondre à l’objectif d’assurer un haut niveau de mobilité et de progression de carrière stimulante qu’elle est censée proposer.

26/06/2020

horizontal rule

British Staff

High Representative and Commission position with regard to staff with UK nationality only in EU Delegations

See also our topical page on Brexit and its effects on EU Staff

horizontal rule

Droits à congé: La Cour annule la décision de première instance

Last year, we started lodging collective complaints / appeals on your behalf against the decisions of the Commission and the EEAS concerning the length of your annual leave, which has progressively been reduced by the EU legislature from 42 days per year (before 2014) to 24 days per year.

These actions were based on a pilot case pending at the Court of justice since 2014. In 2018, in the first instance (see below), the General Court ruled that the EU legislature had infringed upon the Charter of Fundamental Rights by reducing the length of the annual leave. The Court argued in essence that it was incompatible with the principle according to which the EU legislature must promote the improvement of the living and working conditions of every worker and that it had not ensured in this case that the health and safety of all officials and other members of staff serving in third countries and placed in a particularly difficult situation were sufficiently protected.

The Commission, the Council and the Parliament challenged that ruling in appeal before the CJEU. In the meantime, the Commission and the EEAS refused to implement the ruling to the benefit of each applicant, leaving staff members posted in delegation no choice but to individually challenge the decision concerning their annual leave. In other words, the members of staff who would not participate in this action would not have been able to benefit from a potential positive ruling in the pilot case.

In order to give a possibility to as many staff members as possible to lodge such an appeal, we agreed together with the trade unions to set a fixed amount as a contribution to the costs of a collective judicial action. On that basis, in 2019 and in 2020 we lodged collective complaints / appeals on your behalf pending a final decision of the Court in the pilot case.

Yesterday Sept 8th 2020, the Court delivered its ruling in the pilot case and they have unfortunately sided with the institutions. In essence, the Court argued that as long as the length of the annual leave was superior to 20 days, which is the minimum prescribed by an EU directive, it could not be held that the EU legislature had infringed upon the right to annual leave nor that it would affect the living and working conditions of officials and contract staff posted in delegations. As a result of this ruling, the collective actions we have lodged on your behalf can only be dismissed and we will therefore inform the Court that we withdraw the applications. The full text of the Court’s ruling is available here.

Le Tribunal annule les effets de l'article 6 de l'annexe X du Statut 2014 !

Décembre 2018 : Le tribunal considère que la réduction des congés annuels pour le personnel en Délégation doit être annulée ! Lire l'arrêt...

Dans l'arrêt T-518/16, le Tribunal annule les décisions individuelles de réduction du nombre de congé des requérants à partir de 2014, et donc pas le règlement modificatif de l'article 6 de l'annexe X du statut, dont l'annulation n'avait pas été demandée et qui continue donc d'être en vigueur pour les autres agents qui n'ont pas porté l'affaire devant le Tribunal. Néanmoins, il semble que le principe de l'égalité entre fonctionnaires exige de supprimer la réduction des congés même pour les fonctionnaires et agents qui n'ont pas introduit de recours.

Les requérants se sont prévalus d'une atteinte au droit au congé annuel consacré par l’article 31, paragraphe 2, de la charte des droits fondamentaux de l’Union européenne et garanti, entre autres, par l’article 7 de la directive 2003/88/CE du Parlement européen et du Conseil, du 4 novembre 2003, concernant certains aspects de l’aménagement du temps de travail.

Le raisonnement des requérants est que ce droit vise à permettre au travailleur, d’une part, de se reposer par rapport à l’exécution des tâches lui incombant et, d’autre part, de disposer d’une période de détente et de loisirs.

Le Tribunal a considéré en résumé que la réduction significative du nombre de jours de congé annuel opérée par le nouvel article 6 de l’annexe X du statut porte atteinte à leur droit au congé annuel, et que cette atteinte est n'est pas adéquatement justifiée.

À noter que cet arrêt peut faire l'objet d'un pourvoi devant la Cour tendant à son annulation, voie que le Conseil va probablement suivre compte tenu des implications financières.

Dans l'arrêt T-517/16, en revanche, il est vrai que le résultat est opposé (rejet du recours), mais les requérants ont invoqué d'autres arguments et le Tribunal n'y a pas fait droit, d'où le rejet du recours.

Lettre concernant l'application de l'arrêt de la Cour sur Congés annuels en Délégations - Annexe X du Statut - Article 6
Les syndicats demandent l'application à tous des droits à congé rétablis par la Cour de justice

 

horizontal rule

Work-life balance in Delegations

Proposal for the creation of a new Delegation posting category "Child Free Posting", for security reasons. (12/04/2019)

Request for administrative consultation for the draft decision on home leave for staff in Delegations (avril 2018)

Leave days : New measures on work-life balance for DEL Staff (29/01/2018)

Vidéo : Working in delegations: challenges & difficulties (Oct 2017)

CLP HU Concept Paper to improve work-life balance in EU Delegations (May 2017)

 

horizontal rule

The Central Staff Committee of the Commission writes to Mr Ottinger and Mrs Mogherini

31/052017

Note for the attention of

bulletMr OETTINGER, Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources
bulletMs MOGHERINI, High Representative/Vice President

Subject: Central Staff Committee Resolution on EU Delegations adopted by unanimity

The Central Staff Committee (CSC) held its 491st plenary meeting in the EU Delegation in Montenegro from 18 to 19 May 2017.

The CSC took note of the staff concerns as well as the results of the staff surveys which show a deterioration of the quality of the work-life balance and working conditions in EU Delegations.

The CSC underlines the crucial role staff play in EU Delegations and invites Commissioner Gunther H. Oettinger and High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini to coordinate efforts among the Relex services for a swift adoption and implementation of the measures proposed by the CLP HU concept paper on the work-life balance in EU Delegations, and in particular:

bullet

Introduce and implement teleworking in EU Delegations for all staff categories in line with the Commission Decision on teleworking which is already implemented in Commission Headquarters.

bullet

Provide additional special leave for expatriate staff in EU Delegations.

bullet

Introduce more flexibility in use of public holidays for all staff categories, in line with the current practice in Commission Headquarters.

bullet

Assess and address with concrete measures the issue of excessive workload in EU Delegations and stop the staff reduction policy.

bullet

Ensure that flexitime and recuperation is fully implemented for all staff categories in EU Delegations as set out in the Commission Decision on flexitime implemented in Commission Headquarters.

bullet

Modernise the Local Agents Framework Rules by improving the current social rights and protection in line with EU Directives, including (a) increase social security rights to cover additional entitlements to be extended after retirement; (b) maintain the acquired rights of staff in service arising from the specific conditions of employment; (c) introduce and implement a reclassification system for Local Agents.

bullet

In line with the commitment at Commission level, negotiate a transparent procedure to ensure the swift identification and publication of Team Leader posts for Contract Agents foreseen by the new General Implementing Provisions (GIPs).

bullet

Improve medical care and procedures for all staff categories in EU Delegations, including the necessary flexibility to address specific cases.

bullet

Ensure that the security of all staff categories in EU Delegations is given high priority, and introduce the legal basis for Local Agents evacuation/internal relocation measures as discussed by the CSC and CLP HU with the former Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva.

bullet

Ensure that job descriptions correspond to the functions of staff in line with the Staff Regulations; Stop recruiting staff at a lower Functional Group or Grade than the functions they are actually performing, i.e. CA FGIII recruited in lieu of CA FG IV; AST replaced by CA; LA Group III recruited in lieu of LA Group II or I, etc.

bullet

Apply accelerated reclassification to all Contract Agents grades, starting from the current reclassification system, taking into account Commissioner Oettinger’s political declaration on the Contract Agents GIPs.

The CSC and CLP HU are working closely with the Commission and the EEAS services for a swift introduction and implementation of the above proposed measures.

As foreseen in Article 9 of Staff Regulations, the CSC and CLP HU request a specific meeting with Commissioner Oettinger and High Representative / Vice President Mogherini to explain the above measures to improve the conditions of staff in EU Delegations.

horizontal rule

Task Force Careers

EEAS HR report for 2016

Here are the draft documents produced by the TF, as they are by the end of May 2017. They are communicated for information only and should not be considered as decisions.

Contribution of Working Group on AD Officials

Career path for EEAS AST and AST/SC staff

Vision, tools and facilitating measures for Contract agents in the EEAS

Career Planning and Advice

Learning and development

Thematic draft paper by Mobility and Rotation Working Group (MRWG)

Team on Recruitment and Promotion

Working group on Temporary agents

Perspectives from Heads of Political Sections

Gender and Equal Opportunities Strategy

Task Forces "Career Development" and "Gender and Equal Opportunities": Implementation Roadmap

01/06/2017

horizontal rule

Contrôle juridictionnel des actes de gestion du personnel en mission PESC

Arrêt de la Cour de Justice attribuant à la Cour de Justice la compétence à connaître des litiges concernant le personnel détaché par les états membres auprès des missions dans le cadre de la PESC. (§ importants surlignés)

La Cour réaffirme que :

bullet

L’existence même d’un contrôle juridictionnel effectif destiné à assurer le respect des dispositions du droit de l’Union est inhérente à l’existence d’un État de droit

bullet

Le Tribunal et, dans le cas d’un pourvoi, la Cour, sont compétents pour contrôler des actes de gestion du personnel relatif aux opérations « sur le terrain » concernant à la fois des agents détachés par les États membres et des agents détachés par les institutions de l’Union.

A cause de cette affaire, le Conseil aurait décidé d'attribuer la personnalité juridique aux missions.

horizontal rule

Educational Allowances

Note au personnel sur les allocations scolaires (juin 2016)

Agreement between the EEAS and the Commission on the new package of measures concerning educational allowances for staff serving in delegations. May 2016

Recours en Annulation auprès du Tribunal de l'Union Européenne contre la nouvelle politique du personnel au SEAE concernant les Allocations Scolaires en délégations

horizontal rule

Une carrière pour les AST

Lettre à l'administration sur le plan de carrière des AST (avril 2016)

horizontal rule

Formation aux concours EPSO

Les personnes postées en délégations peuvent très difficilement se rendre à Bruxelles pour suivre des préparations aux concours EPSO. De ce fait, elles souffrent d'un réel désavantage, face à des candidats mieux préparés.

C'est pourquoi nous avons mis en place un programme de cours à partir du poste de travail, sous forme de webinars. Plus besoin de se déplacer !

Voir les cours proposés et s'inscrire ...

 

[Top]

 

                    Page updated on 08/12/2021