U4U and the Staff Committee

The Staff Committee represents the interests of staff within the institution and cooperates in the smooth running of services.

The Staff Committee (CdP) is a statutory body (Article 9 §3 of the Staff Regulation) whose function is to:

• to represent the interests of staff vis-à-vis the institution,
• to cooperate in the smooth running of the services by providing an advisory opinion on any difficulty of a general nature relating to the interpretation and application of the Staff Regulations.

Dialogue between the CoPs and the administration (represented by the Director General of DG HR) takes place through the contact committees (Coco).

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Election of the Staff Committee of the Commission in Brussels: Why Choose U4U (Union for Unity)?

LIST 3 – GIVE US MORE WEIGHT BY VOTING FOR THE LIST AS A WHOLE

The elections for the Brussels Local Staff Committee (that is responsible for representing colleagues working in Brussels, but also in most representations in Member States and at the Veterinary Office in Grange) will take place starting from 13 February 2025.

For these elections, we consistently position ourselves and act based on our principles and values.

We stand for a strong European Union serving its citizens, for staff unity, and against corporatism, individualism, and exclusionary ideologies.

We address all aspects of staff careers, organisational structures, and working methods.

We also advocate for European education for our children and for evolving the European Schools model to achieve greater openness to the whole society.

We support initiatives encouraging staff engagement in local and national life in their place of work. Furthermore, we promote a strong policy of inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

We also position ourselves in favour of a strong policy of support for the inclusion of diversity in the workplace.

Finally, we oppose the proposed staff regulation reform, which threatens to weaken the European civil service.

In this context, we present a clear and structured programme, broken down into six key points, which we commit to supporting throughout the three-year mandate you may entrust to us:

1. CAREERS FOR EVERYONE

We aim to ensure greater equality of treatment and better career prospects for all, prioritising AST/SC staff and those on precarious contracts (contract agents or temporary staff).

Specifically, we propose to:

• Strengthen mobility opportunities for all staff (including those on precarious contracts), within the Commission and between the Commission, agencies, and executive agencies.
• Promote organised mobility, including for interpreters and translators, as well as at the inter-institutional level.
• Maintain a diversity of recruitment methods while safeguarding primary recruitment through external competitions. Expand the Junior Professional Programme (JPP), allowing promising colleagues to transition from contractual to permanent positions through internal competitions.
• Improve accessibility to recruitment competitions for people with disabilities.
• Enhance communication and support for contractual and temporary agents to help them succeed in annual internal or external competitions, securing their permanent positions.
• Create better reclassification opportunities for contractual and temporary agents.
• Regularise the process for upgrading AST/SC staff to AST every two years.
• Develop robust talent detection policies to better highlight staff expertise and skills.
• Emphasise the meaningfulness of our work to boost staff motivation.
• Encourage varied career paths that enrich knowledge and skills.
• Promote rewarding non-management career options, particularly for those over 55.
• Combat the ongoing “social dumping” within the Commission, where some staff are placed in grades that do not reflect their qualifications or work content.

2. MANAGERS WHO CARE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE

We want to improve working conditions and management practices to enhance motivation and well-being at work.

Managers are accountable for the financial or legal implications of their decisions.  These questions are therefore the subject of the greatest attention on their part.

But are they equally mindful of their human impact? Do they receive the necessary tools to address these dimensions?

We prioritise:

• Combating harassment and all situations or behaviours detrimental to individuals and teams.
• Strengthening managers’ proximity roles and equipping them with tools for humane management.
• Providing teams with adequate human resources, because understaffing is a clear cause of tension and unease at work.
• Encouraging participative management methods.

• Promoting inclusion and diversity (social, societal, and cognitive).
• Embedding inclusion and diversity into recruitment and training processes for managers.
• Offering more support for colleagues facing specific challenges (e.g., disabilities, single parents, illnesses, etc.).

3. WORKING CONDITIONS THAT SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLBEING

We aim to ensure a work environment conducive to health and well-being, alongside teleworking arrangements that foster teamwork and collective spirit.

Our priorities include:

• Establishing, maintaining, and expanding services (schools, nurseries, cafeterias, etc.) for staff.
• Addressing mental health issues, with a focus on prevention and risk assessment.
• Improving inclusion and creating an accessible Commission for everyone.
• Accounting for neurodiversity in the workplace.
• Enhancing health expense reimbursements and aligning caps with actual costs.
• Ensuring adequate human and material resources (offices, communication tools, etc.)
• Promoting voluntary, flexible, and adaptable teleworking while preserving teamwork.

4. EVOLVING WORK METHODS

We advocate better utilisation of talents, encouraging collaboration and fostering skills development.

Our key proposals are:

• Pooling human resources into project teams tackling cross-policy issues.
• Supporting multidisciplinary and inter-service approaches.
• Encouraging methods that inspire innovative ideas among staff.
• Expanding training initiatives beyond service-specific skills.
• Leveraging individual talents by reducing unnecessary hierarchical layers.

5. SOCIAL DIALOGUE

We strive to strengthen social dialogue practices and the role of unions within the Commission.

Specifically, we propose:

• Broadening the topics covered in social dialogue, allowing staff and their representatives to table their priorities.
• Synchronising local staff committee elections within the same quarter, ensuring the central committee can begin its work immediately with stable governance over three years.
• Basing social dialogue also on direct staff engagement within various Commission services.
• Increasing resources for staff representation, which are currently significantly insufficient.
• Boosting training and expertise available to staff representatives.
• Establishing staff committees at workplaces where none exist (e.g., Seville).
• Incorporating executive agency representation into the central staff committee.  The executive agencies are actually almost services of the Commission (it is the Commission which appoints their directors, issues the rules which apply to them, etc.).
• Providing exemptions for staff associations dealing with disabilities, cultural activities, and education-related issues to enhance their community contributions.

6. NO TO A STAFF REGULATION REFORM, YES TO AN INCREASE IN BUDGET

Finally, U4U opposes any new staff regulations reform that, like all previous ones, would only erode rights and benefits in the current political context.

The Member States pushing for a reform seek explicitly budgetary cuts and reduction of our social rights. This will endanger promotions, pensions, expatriation allowances, and the stability of the European civil service.

Asking for or encouraging a reform, as other organisations are doing, is to accept downward pressure, particularly on promotion rates, on the “accumulation rate” for pension contributions (which means that contributions will have to be made for longer to obtain the same pension rights), on expatriation and foreign residence allowances. This is a supplementary step toward precariousness of our civil service. This is also putting at risk the automatic method of calculating our salary adjustments as well as many other dimensions.

Pretending that a reform of the status could bring about improvements for any category of staff is the most dangerous illusion.

U4U advocates instead for improvements within the current staff regulations framework. As demonstrated by recent achievements (e.g., Luxembourg housing allowances, improvement discussed for contract and temporary staff) there is a strong, even if limited, possibility to obtain improvements for staff with this approach.

U4U also urges the Commission to secure a more ambitious multi-annual budget to tackle societal challenges.

Many challenges can only be effectively addressed at a European level: ecological transition, responses to the war situations that are tearing our continent and its neighbourhood apart, creation of a Europe of defence, definition and implementation of an industrial policy, promotion of territorial and social cohesion, etc.

The European civil service finds its legitimacy in its actions to achieve objectives that are useful to our societies. A European budget that is truly aligned with the growing responsibilities assumed by our institutions should also allow for the necessary dotation in human resources, which is not the case today.

06/02/2025

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2025 elections to the Commission staff committee in Brussels: our list

U4U participates in the elections of the Commission’s staff committee in Brussels.

For these elections, which will take place between 13 and 17 February 2025, U4U submitted a list of candidates reflecting the diversity of the staff and its professions.

By taking part to the vote, you will decide about the composition of the local committee of the Commission in Brussels, which represents a majority of colleagues working in Brussels, in the Commission’s representation office (with the exception of the one in Paris) and in Grange.

This election will also make it possible to designate the representation of the Commission’s staff committee in Brussels within the Central Staff Committee of the Commission as a whole, representing all the sites where the various services and directorates-general are located.

The role of the Staff Committee is important. The Committee ensures the application of the rules on staff management. It also appoints representatives to the various joint committees where the administration and the Staff Representatives sit, such as the promotion, teleworking, health care, professional inadequacy, discipline committees, etc. The Staff Committee finally expresses its views on the conduct and content of the Commission’s social dialogue.

Our list includes 54 colleagues, 27 full members and 27 substitutes.

It is composed of 31 women and 23 men who work in 27 directorates-general and services.

It includes 25 administratores, 11 contract agents, 13 assistants, 2 secretary/clerck (including 1 temporary agent) and 4 temporary agents.

These colleagues also reflect a very large number of professions and 19 nationalities.

Finally, our candidates are representative of the societal and social diversity of the Commission’s staff.

Our candidates are committed to actions that respect our values ​​and principles and our programme.

04/02/2025

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Your Voice, Your Rights

Feb 13 Elections: 1,576,800 Minutes for You – Support U4U, List 3!

The European Commission is a vast and complex machine, and we, its staff, are the oil that keeps it running smoothly. Our expertise, dedication, and daily efforts ensure that the institution fulfils its mission efficiently and effectively.

As U4U candidates, we firmly believe in constructive dialogue and cooperation with the administration to maintain and improve our working conditions. Trade unions play a crucial role in ensuring that staff voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and fair solutions are found. We work with the administration, not against it, to foster a more sustainable and balanced working environment.

At the same time, we remain fully available to support you whenever challenges arise. Whether you have concerns about career progression, well-being, or working conditions, you can always turn to us. Your engagement and participation are key to strengthening our collective voice and ensuring that staff interests are effectively represented.

We ask for just 10 minutes of your time—6 minutes to watch our election video and a few more to read this message. In return, if elected, we will dedicate 1,576,800 minutes—the full three years of our mandate—to standing up for your rights, improving your working conditions, and ensuring a fair and transparent dialogue with the administration.

Stepping Forward for You

It is not always easy to step into the spotlight. Trade union work is still too often misunderstood, yet it plays a vital role in ensuring fairness, transparency, and better working conditions for all staff. Despite this, our candidates have chosen to stand up and dedicate their time, energy, and commitment to working for you.

At the end of the video, you will find the list of Directorates-General from which our candidates come. If you see them in the corridors, don’t hesitate to say hello. Take a moment to share your concerns, your ideas, or simply your thoughts—because your voice matters, and they are here to listen.

Together, we can build a stronger, fairer workplace.

Thank you for your trust and support.

Your support makes all the difference.

03/02/2025

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2025: Election of the Brussels Staff Committee

From February 13 to 17, 2025, the next elections will be held to elect our next representatives to the Brussels Staff Committee. The main role of the Staff Committee is to represent the interests of the staff towards the institution and to contribute to the smooth running of the services. The U4U Campaign Team is ready to take on this role and protect your interests. We have also received the necessary number of nominations to propose a full list (see article above).

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Internal organisation

From an organisational point of view, the CoP is made up of

• a Central Staff Committee (CSC)
• 8 local sections corresponding to the main places of employment (Brussels, Luxembourg, Ispra/Séville, Karlsruhe, Petten, Geel, France et “outside Union“).

The members of the Local Staff Committees (LSCs) are elected by the staff at their place of employment for a three-year term.

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2025 Elections to the Commission staff committee in Brussels

Our list

U4U participates in the elections of the Commission’s staff committee in Brussels.

For these elections, which will take place between 13 and 17 February 2025, U4U submitted a list of candidates reflecting the diversity of the staff and their professions.

By taking part to the vote, you will decide about the composition of the local committee of the Commission in Brussels, which represents a majority of colleagues working in Brussels, in the Commission’s representation office (with the exception of the one in Paris) and in Grange.

This election will also make it possible to designate the representation of the Commission’s staff committee in Brussels within the Central Staff Committee of the Commission as a whole, representing all the sites where the various services and directorates-general are located.

The role of the Staff Committee is important. The Committee ensures the application of the rules on staff management. It also appoints representatives to the various joint committees where the administration and the Staff Representatives sit, such as the promotion, teleworking, health care, professional inadequacy, discipline committees, etc. The Staff Committee finally expresses its views on the conduct and content of the Commission’s social dialogue.

Our list includes 54 colleagues, 27 full members and 27 substitutes.

It is composed of 31 women and 23 men who work in 27 directorates-general and services.

It includes 25 administrators, 11 contract agents, 13 assistants, 2 secretary/clerck (including 1 temporary agent) and 4 temporary agents.

These colleagues also reflect a very large number of professions and 19 nationalities. Finally, our candidates are representative of the societal and social diversity of the Commission’s staff.

Our candidates are committed to actions that respect our values ​​and principles and our program.

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Election of the Staff Committee of the Commission in Brussels – Why choose U4U (Union for Unity)?

LIST 3 – GIVE US MORE WEIGHT BY VOTING FOR THE LIST AS A WHOLE

The elections for the Brussels Local Staff Committee (that is responsible for representing colleagues working in Brussels, but also in most representations in Member States and at the Veterinary Office in Grange) will take place starting from 13 February 2025.

For these elections, we consistently position ourselves and act based on our principles and values.

We stand for a strong European Union serving its citizens, for staff unity, and against corporatism, individualism, and exclusionary ideologies.

We address all aspects of staff careers, organisational structures, and working methods.

We also advocate for European education for our children and for evolving the European Schools model to achieve greater openness to the whole society.

We support initiatives encouraging staff engagement in local and national life in their place of work. Furthermore, we promote a strong policy of inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

We also position ourselves in favour of a strong policy of support for the inclusion of diversity in the workplace.

Finally, we oppose the proposed staff regulation reform, which threatens to weaken the European civil service.

In this context, we present a clear and structured programme, broken down into six key points, which we commit to supporting throughout the three-year mandate you may entrust to us:

1. CAREERS FOR EVERYONE

We aim to ensure greater equality of treatment and better career prospects for all, prioritising AST/SC staff and those on precarious contracts (contract agents or temporary staff).

Specifically, we propose to:

• Strengthen mobility opportunities for all staff (including those on precarious contracts), within the Commission and between the Commission, agencies, and executive agencies.
• Promote organised mobility, including for interpreters and translators, as well as at the inter-institutional level.
• Maintain a diversity of recruitment methods while safeguarding primary recruitment through external competitions. Expand the Junior Professional Programme (JPP), allowing promising colleagues to transition from contractual to permanent positions through internal competitions.
• Improve accessibility to recruitment competitions for people with disabilities.
• Enhance communication and support for contractual and temporary agents to help them succeed in annual internal or external competitions, securing their permanent positions.
• Create better reclassification opportunities for contractual and temporary agents.
• Regularise the process for upgrading AST/SC staff to AST every two years.
• Develop robust talent detection policies to better highlight staff expertise and skills.
• Emphasise the meaningfulness of our work to boost staff motivation.
• Encourage varied career paths that enrich knowledge and skills.
• Promote rewarding non-management career options, particularly for those over 55.
• Combat the ongoing “social dumping” within the Commission, where some staff are placed in grades that do not reflect their qualifications or work content.

2. MANAGERS WHO CARE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE

We want to improve working conditions and management practices to enhance motivation and well-being at work.

Managers are accountable for the financial or legal implications of their decisions.  These questions are therefore the subject of the greatest attention on their part.

But are they equally mindful of their human impact? Do they receive the necessary tools to address these dimensions?

We prioritise:

• Combating harassment and all situations or behaviours detrimental to individuals and teams.
• Strengthening managers’ proximity roles and equipping them with tools for humane management.
• Providing teams with adequate human resources, because understaffing is a clear cause of tension and unease at work.
• Encouraging participative management methods.
• Promoting inclusion and diversity (social, societal, and cognitive).
• Embedding inclusion and diversity into recruitment and training processes for managers.
• Offering more support for colleagues facing specific challenges (e.g., disabilities, single parents, illnesses, etc.).

3. WORKING CONDITIONS THAT SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLBEING

We aim to ensure a work environment conducive to health and well-being, alongside teleworking arrangements that foster teamwork and collective spirit.

Our priorities include:

• Establishing, maintaining, and expanding services (schools, nurseries, cafeterias, etc.) for staff.
• Addressing mental health issues, with a focus on prevention and risk assessment.
• Improving inclusion and creating an accessible Commission for everyone.
• Accounting for neurodiversity in the workplace.
• Enhancing health expense reimbursements and aligning caps with actual costs.
• Ensuring adequate human and material resources (offices, communication tools, etc.).¨
• Promoting voluntary, flexible, and adaptable teleworking while preserving teamwork.

4. EVOLVING WORK METHODS

We advocate better utilisation of talents, encouraging collaboration and fostering skills development.

Our key proposals are:

• Pooling human resources into project teams tackling cross-policy issues.
• Supporting multidisciplinary and inter-service approaches.
• Encouraging methods that inspire innovative ideas among staff.
• Expanding training initiatives beyond service-specific skills.
• Leveraging individual talents by reducing unnecessary hierarchical layers.

5. SOCIAL DIALOGUE

We strive to strengthen social dialogue practices and the role of unions within the Commission.

Specifically, we propose:

• Broadening the topics covered in social dialogue, allowing staff and their representatives to table their priorities.
• Synchronising local staff committee elections within the same quarter, ensuring the central committee can begin its work immediately with stable governance over three years.
• Basing social dialogue also on direct staff engagement within various Commission services.
• Increasing resources for staff representation, which are currently significantly insufficient.
• Boosting training and expertise available to staff representatives.
• Establishing staff committees at workplaces where none exist (e.g., Seville).
• Incorporating executive agency representation into the central staff committee.  The executive agencies are actually almost services of the Commission (it is the Commission which appoints their directors, issues the rules which apply to them, etc.).
• Providing exemptions for staff associations dealing with disabilities, cultural activities, and education-related issues to enhance their community contributions.

6. NO TO A STAFF REGULATION REFORM, YES TO AN INCREASE IN BUDGET

Finally, U4U opposes any new staff regulations reform that, like all previous ones, would only erode rights and benefits, in particular, in the current political context.

The Member States pushing for a reform seek explicitly budgetary cuts and reduction of our social rights. This will endanger promotions, pensions, expatriation allowances, and the stability of the European civil service.

Asking for or encouraging a reform, as other organisations are doing, is to accept downward pressure, particularly on promotion rates, on the “accumulation rate” for pension contributions (which means that contributions will have to be made for longer to obtain the same pension rights), on expatriation and foreign residence allowances. This is a supplementary step toward precariousness of our civil service. This is also putting at risk the automatic method of calculating our salary adjustments as well as many other dimensions.

Pretending that a reform of the status could bring about improvements for any category of staff is the most dangerous illusion.

U4U advocates instead for improvements within the current staff regulations framework. As demonstrated by recent achievements (e.g., Luxembourg housing allowances, improvement discussed for contract and temporary staff) there is a strong, even if limited, possibility to obtain improvements for staff with this approach.

U4U also urges the Commission to secure a more ambitious multi-annual budget to tackle societal challenges.

It is clear that many challenges can only be effectively addressed at a European level: ecological transition, responses to the war situations that are tearing our continent and its neighbourhood apart, creation of a Europe of defence, definition and implementation of an industrial policy, promotion of territorial and social cohesion, etc.

The European civil service finds its legitimacy in its actions to achieve objectives that are useful to our societies. A European budget that is truly aligned with the growing responsibilities assumed by our institutions should also allow for the necessary dotation in human resources, which is not the case today.

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Members of the U4U list at the Brussels CLP

Results of the Brussels CLP elections (2022)

Full member	Substitute member
VLANDAS Georges	MENENDEZ VALLINA Anabel
GERVAISE Anne	CAMARA Ramata
CAELEN Yves	LENGENFELDER Maria
POSLUSZNA Anna	ANDREONE Fabrice

Élus de la liste U4U au CLP de Luxemboug

Results of the Luxembourg CLP elections (2022)

Full member	Substitute member
BRITTES NUNES Margarida – Vice-présidente du Bureau	CARDOSO Sergio

Représentants de U4U au CCP de la Commission

Full member	Substitute member
VALLINA MENENDEZ Annabelle
GERVAISE Anne
CAELEN Yves (Vice-président Bureau)	CAMARA Rama (Vice-présidente Bureau)

Participation in various committees and working groups

Participation of RS U4U / USHU: You can contact our representatives if necessary.

1 – On behalf of the CCP

Inter-institutional committees

Coparco (Commission paritaire commune)	CAELEN Yves, ISLAMAJ Agim
Comité du Statut	CAELEN Yves
Comité de gestion de l’Assurance Maladie (Sickness fund)	GERVAISE Anne

Statutory committees

COPAR Commission paritaire

FERRAZZOLI Angelo, OPREANA Elena Corina (LUX)

Careers

Comité paritaire de suivi de l’exercice des promotions CPSEP	CAELEN Yves (S)
Comités paritaires de promotion AD	MENENDEZ VALLINA Anabel, CAMARA Rama, MAIRATE Andrea
Groupe de travail promotion AD	MENENDEZ VALLINA Anabel, CAMARA Rama, MAIRATE Andrea
Comités paritaires de promotion AST – AST/SC	GERVAISE Anne, CAELEN Yves
Groupe de travail promotion AST – AST/SC	GERVAISE Anne, CAELEN Yves, ISLAMAJ Agim, JUAN LINARES Victor
Comité paritaire pour la procédure de certification	MENENDEZ VALLINA Anabel
Comité de reclassement des AT du CCR, GROW, RTD, OLAF	JUAN LINARES Victor
Comité paritaire de reclassement des AC 3 bis	ISLAMAJ Agim
Comité paritaire pour l’insuffisance professionnelle	CAELEN Yves, MAIRATE Andrea
Conseils de discipline	MAIRATE Andrea, JUAN LINARES Victor
Groupe technique de coordination concours Recherche GT-CCR
Groupe ad hoc	VLANDAS Penelope, ISLAMAJ Agim

Social committees

Conseil d’administration pour les Services sociaux	CAMARA Rama, GROSJEAN Patrice
Comité paritaire pour le remboursement des frais scolarité exceptionnels RFSCE	JUAN LINARES Victor
Commission consultative pour l’octroi de prêts et de secours

Conseils de Direction

Conseil de Direction du PMO
Conseil de direction EPSO	STEPHANY Jean-Luc

Autres

Comité paritaire pour l’égalité des chances COPEC	CAMARA Rama, LIPSZYC Barbara
Comité directeur de la Formation
Groupe d’accompagnement Ecoles européennes	VLANDAS PENELOPE

2 – CLP Brussels

MENENDEZ VALLINA Anabel – membre du Bureau
CPPT Comité paritaire de Prévention et de Protection au travail	JUAN-LINARES Victor
CPRE  Comité paritaire de Gestion des restaurants et de l’économat	JUAN-LINARES Victor
COCEPE Comité paritaire de gestion du Centre de la Petite enfance	VLANDAS Penelope
COPAS Comité paritaire des Actions sociales	CAMARA Rama

3 – CLP Luxembourg

BRITTES NUNES Margarida – Vice-présidente du Bureau
Comité de sécurité, d’hygiène embellissement des lieux de travail (CSHT)	DE MIGUEL Francisco
Restaurants et cafétérias (CPGRC)	OPREANA ELENA Corina
Comité des activités Sociales (CAS)
Commission paritaire commune (COPARCO)	MIETZNER Carmen

Employee representation reform: nothing to move on

The Commission offered an opportunity to improve the way in which staff representation operates. For the time being, staff representation and the trade unions have failed to seize this opportunity.

Improvements were urgently needed, for example to

• give each workplace the opportunity to have a local committee – Seville does not have one;
• allow each location to have the same weight on the central committee; the Non-Union is under-represented, while Luxembourg and the JRC sites are over-represented;
• ensure equal treatment between union lists, some of which take part in the elections under different names, which gives them an advantage over organisations which, as is normal, only stand with one list;
• electing the central staff committee and its local committees at the same time: today, 7 months after the elections, for example, the constitution of the central committee bodies has not been completed, and there is even a risk that it will be called into question by the elections for the Luxembourg local staff committee, which will be elected next November.

The reform of staff representation is necessary, even if it calls into question acquired situations or advantages. It is necessary to enable staff to be better represented and to take on the new challenges when the Member States want to call the Staff Regulations into question. The greatest fears are permitted at this level since even certain lists for the European elections in May 2019, which are considered to be European, are proposing to call into question the European civil service.

Only the unity of the staff and the strengthening of its staff representation will be able to oppose this effectively.

24/05/2019

Let’s improve staff representation at the Commission.

Negotiations are underway on this subject. If they are successful, staff representation and social dialogue will be strengthened.

U4U opts for a single staff committee for the whole Commission elected at the same time as its local sections, with the same electoral rules: we advocate proportional representation. These elections are organised on the basis of electoral colleges representing the different workplaces. Some workplaces also need to be represented, for example Seville, which is not represented at present. It will also be necessary to redress the balance between workplaces. Brussels, for example, needs to be better represented.

This will enable the staff committee to get to work straight away, which is not the case with the current system. For information, it should be noted that three months after the last elections to the Brussels and Hors Union staff committees, neither the Brussels nor the Hors Union local committees have been fully set up, nor has the Central Staff Committee team, formed from the various local committees, been set up.

This change, which we are proposing, is necessary if things are to function properly.

Request to postpone the election date and negative response from DG HR (Feb 2018)

Working paper: U4U proposals on the reform of staff representation (Feb 2018)

The DG HR of the European Commission wants to review how the social dialogue is conducted. In a note addressed to all trade-unions, DG HR calls for ideas and contributions with a view to opening a formal concertation (Nov 2017)

This document, sent out by DG HR’s social dialogue unit in response to various requests from staff representatives, invites us to revisit the 4 major texts organising social dialogue at the Commission.

This invitation to dialogue provides a unique opportunity to improve the way we operate as staff representatives, to enable all workplaces – like SEVILLE – to finally have their own committee, to synchronise electoral rhythms, and so on.

It is important to ensure that the positive results of this social dialogue become a reality from 2018. Let’s not put off until the Greek calends the changes demanded by staff representation.

Central and Local Staff Committees (SC)

The Staff Committees represent the interests of the staff vis-à-vis the Institution and contributes to the smooth running of the service. They are the equivalent of ‘Work Council’, ‘Comité du personnel’ or ‘Comité d’entreprise’ of middle to large companies in the private sector.

European Works Councils are bodies representing the European employees of a company. Through them, workers are informed and consulted by management on the progress of the business and any significant decision at European level that could affect their employment or working conditions. Member States are to provide for the right to establish European Works Councils in companies or groups of companies with at least 1000 employees in the EU or EEA, when there are at least 150 employees in each of two Member States (see directive 2006/109/EC).

Role

In the European Commission, the Staff Committees are an elected statutory body which represent all officials and other agents of the Commission vis-à-vis the Administration and the College of Commissioners to ensure that the rules established by the Commission as regards staff are fully respected. Their function is:

• to represent the interests of the staff vis-à-vis the Institution,
• to contribute to the smooth running of the service by delivering consultative opinion on general issues related to the interpretation and application of the Staff Regulations.

The role and the function of the Staff Committee is

• to participate in the application of the rules and regulations implementing the staff policy as negotiated by the trade unions and professional organisations of the Commission in order to ensure they are in conformity with agreements reached.
• to play a consultative or participative role in helping staff to resolve problems through a series of statutory and administrative committees.

To this effect, the Staff Committees :

• designate staff representatives to either statutory or joint committees.
• delegate a part of their competencies, as regards particular work requirements, to sectoral staff delegations.
• will question the Administration on any deviations or erroneous interpretations of agreements.

Therefore, the role of the Staff Committees is central to the protection of Staff interests, both collective and individual. The representatives in the statutory or joint committees play a crucial role to ensure that rules are applied with fairness in litigious cases.

Structure

The particular case of EU delegations

Composition of the CSC of the European Commission

Local Staff Committee	Composition (full members + equivalent number of alternates)	Delegation to the Central Staff Committee
Brussels	27	19 full members + 19 alternates
Luxemburg	20	7 full members + 7 alternates
Ispra – Sevilla	21	7 full members + 7 alternates
Karlsruhe	8	1 full members + 2 alternates
Geel	7	1 full members + 2 alternates
Petten	7	1 full members + 2 alternates
France	4	1 full members + 2 alternates
Outside Union	14	3 full members (with at least 1 official and 1 local agent) + 4 alternates

Statutory General Meeting of Civil Servants

Article 1 of Annex II of the Staff Regulations defines the role and competences of the statutory GA which are the following:

• To lay down the conditions for election to the local section, if the Staff Committee is organised in local sections (which is the case); and
• To lay down the manner in which the members of the Central Committee are appointed for each place of employment.

As a result, the GA is competent for the adoption/modification of the electoral rules applicable for its place of employment.

Electoral process

In application of the current electoral rules, the main role of the GA is to appoint the members of the electoral office and set the date of the elections but in no case the duration of the mandate established by the Staff Regulations (three years) can be extended.

Duration of mandates

Article 1 of Annex II to the Staff Regulations provides: “The Staff Committee shall comprise the members thereof, together with their alternates if any, whose term of office shall be three years. The appointing authority of each institution may, however, decide to fix a shorter term of office, which may not be less than one year.” As a result, if the duration mandate of Staff Committee members can be shortened by decision of the AIPN, it cannot be extended beyond 3 years.

It should be clarified that this is not an issue of rules being imposed by the Administration but pertains to the legal framework set by the Staff Regulations. In that regard, the very existence and competences granted to the GA are foreseen by the Staff Regulations which are a higher ranking legal norm than the electoral regulation and which binds the GA. The sovereignty of the GA is constrained by its competences as granted by the staff regulations.

The competence of the statutory GA in the context of electoral process is only to appoint the members of electoral office and set the elections date within the limits of the 3 years mandate established by the Staff Regulations.

Any motion which would consist in requesting the creation or deletion of a local section of the Staff Committee is outside the scope of competence of the GA as the decision on the organisation of the Staff Committee in local sections rests exclusively with the Administration. Such motions will have no legal and binding effect of any kind.

Agenda

Can points not communicated to staff in advance be added to the agenda of the “Statutory General Assembly”? Additional points can be added to the agenda as long as they are communicated in advance to staff members. If they are added to the agenda during the meeting, such points should be approved by vote of the attendants. Yet, for these additional points to produce any “effet utile” they should fall within the scope of competences of the GA.

Linguistic regime

Is the General Assembly allowed to demand to apply a linguistic regime that is more restrictive than the one formally in place (use of EN, FR, DE as working languages)? How should the languages of the hosting country where the local section is located, be treated? Article 342 TFUE provides that “[t]he rules governing the languages of the institutions of the Union shall, without prejudice to the provisions contained in the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union, be determined by the Council, acting unanimously by means of regulations”.

Pursuant to Article 342 TFEU, Regulation No 1 determining the languages to be used by the EEC (OJ 17, 6.10.1958, p. 385) was adopted. It derives therefrom that the working languages of the Commission are the same as the EU official languages [i.e. the 24 languages]. Yet, for historical reasons, EN DE FR are the only working languages used in practice within the Commission. In addition, only the EU institutions are competent to stipulate in their rules of procedure which of the languages are to be used in specific cases, the General Assembly has no competence in that regard.

It follows from these considerations that the General Assembly cannot apply a restrictive linguistic regime to participating staff members. As a result, staff members can choose to express themselves for example in FR, DE, EN, ES or IT. Any restrictive linguistic regime could infringe the freedom of expression of the attendants.

Nonetheless, it should also be borne in mind that DG SCIC does not provide interpretation for internal meetings and staff members should be informed that no interpretation will be ensured during the General Assembly. Depending on the chosen language they will have to run the risk of not being understood by a majority of participants.

Equality of participants

Is it acceptable that members of Trade Unions may benefit of longer time for their interventions compared to other staff? The Chairman of the General Assembly, i.e. the president of the local section of the staff committee, is responsible for policing the discussions and votes. In accordance with article 1 of Annex II to the Staff Regulations, (i) every official of the institution shall be entitled to vote and stand for election (as well as other servants under the conditions set in article 7 of the CEOS) and (ii) the General Assembly is constituted of the officials and other agents of the Institution in service at the relevant place of employment. Therefore, granting longer times of intervention to members of the OSP in comparison to other staff members could indeed give rise to accusations of unequal treatment. As a consequence each attendant can take the floor during an equal time slot defined by the chair of the GA.

Participants from other places of employment

Is staff not belonging to the local section allowed to take the floor during the GA? The Chairman of the GA can give the floor to staff members who are not employed in the local section, but should make sure that such staff members do not vote as it would violate the Staff Regulations.

NB. This article is about the ‘Statutory General Assemblies’. OSP can also call for ‘General Meetings’ (Assemblées générales) with a view to consulting the Staff or deciding industrial actions.

Trade Unions and Staff Associations (OSPs)

The central function of a trade union is to represent people at work and to protect their interests.

The existence of strong and recognized trade unions is a pre-requisite to industrial peace. Decisions taken through the process of collective bargaining and negotiations between employer and unions are more influential. Trade unions are helpful in effective communication between the workers and the management. They provide the advice and support to ensure that the differences of opinion do not turn into major conflicts. They also play an important educational role, organizing courses for their members on a wide range of matters. Seeking a healthy and safe working environment is also prominent feature of union activity.

Role of a Trade Union

Trade unions are organisations that represent people at work. Their purpose is to protect and improve people’s pay and conditions of employment. They also campaign for rules and policies which will benefit working people.

Trade unions exist because an individual worker has very little power to influence decisions that are made about his or her job. By joining together with other workers, there is more chance of having a voice and influence.

Trade unions aim to further its members’ interests, inter alia by :

• Negotiating employment conditions and job descriptions
• Obtaining satisfactory rates of pay and correct career perspectives
• Protecting or improving working conditions, such as health and safety and equal opportunities
• Protecting workers jobs and employment
• Protecting individuals, if there is a problem at work
• Securing adequate work facilities

Most “collective bargaining” takes place quietly and agreements are eventually reached by the union and the employer. Occasionally disagreements do occur and the two sides cannot agree. In these cases, the union may decide to take industrial action. Industrial action takes different forms: it could mean an over time ban, a work-to-rule or a strike…

Role in the European Commission

The Trade Unions defend the general interest of the staff of the Institution. They maintain stable and structured relations with the Administration, even though they are not statutory organs.

The Agreement on Relations between the European Commission and the Trade Unions and Staff Associations (“Framework Agreement”) defines that social dialogue may relate to any matters relating to staff policy and the working conditions of officials and other servants.

However concertation procedures can only apply to a modification of the existing rules or a creation of new rules, without prejudice to the statutory competences of the Staff Committee. Concertations may be held on administrative (with the Director of the relevant services), technical (with DG HR) and political (with the Commissionner in charge of HR) levels.

U4U is a general union that represents staff from several Institutions belonging to the European Union or being considered as European intergovernmental organisations.

Why should you join a Trade Union and this one in particular ?

Unions are made up of the people who want to have their voice heard, their interests promoted, their claims presented to the employer. If you stay out, you will have no or little influence.

Unions are effective. Of course, they cannot completely reverse a political trend that results from general elections. But they often can limit the adverse effects of policies and negotiate changes to a project. The capacity of unions to resist and negotiate is a direct result of the volume of their membership and influence in social elections. In other words, the strength of a Union comes from its members and no other source.

U4U is an organisation that is non-bureaucratic, assertive, creative and full of fighting spirit. Contrary to some other unions, you can easily participate to shaping our policies and elaborating our claims. All you have to do is to turn in our internal meetings (see invitations on the home page of this website) and become an active member.

Not all trade unions are the same.
Make your own judgment. If you want to know us better before joining, please read our press. Thus, you will have a good view on who we are, what we are fighting for and what are our achievements.

U4U :

• is defending a European construction that serves citizens
• is active all the time and do not only wake up at election time.
• defends all staff (Civil Servants and contractual agents, AD and AST grades, pre- and post-2004 staff) (Particular case of Staff in the Agencies)
• builds unity, promotes a united front and common actions
• knows the issues and makes proposals that are well constructed and argued. Therefore U4U is recognised as a valid negotiation partner.

Further reading : yes, Trade Unions are good for the economy !

Trade unions recognise that organisations must be competitive in the global markets if they are to be successful and provide secure employment for employees.

Trade unions have an important role in:

• improving communication between employees and managers so that employees can understand and be committed to the organisation’s objectives
• negotiating improvements to pay and working conditions so that people feel more satisfaction at work and stay longer in their jobs
• encouraging companies to invest in training and development so that employees have the skills necessary for improved products and services
• acting as a positive force for change – by winning employees’ support to the introduction of new technologies and work organisation

Europe’s most successful companies are ones where unions are recognised. Mutatis mutandis, this applies to the European Institutions. They also rely on their staff for reaching their objectives. They also constantly need to adapt to a changing environment. They also need their Unions.

U4U is a constructive partner, committed to a socially responsible European Union.

Voir dans Graspe n°10 un texte qui a influencé la réflexion aboutissant à la création de U4U : La représentation du personnel en question.
Les n°10 et 11 de cette revue contiennent d’autres articles éclairants sur le même sujet.

Further reading : Who is the boss ?

In a private company, employees know who is the boss. But in a European institution ? The hierarchy, the HR administration, the appointing authority, the head of the institution, the legislator and, down the line, the Council, which is formed of Member States, all have a decisive power on our Staff Regulations and their implementing regulations, on the budget (which defines available posts and missions), on day-to-day decisions such as restructuring, mobility, promotions, continuation or discontinuation of contracts…

To complicate matters, the Commission is the primus inter pares which shapes by its own decisions the HR policy of other institutions and Agencies.

Of course, this complex structure is used by the employer to divide and rule.

This is why it is very important for a European trade-Union to be a general Union, able to be present in all institutions, in order to maintain unity in the social dialogue and to speak with one voice to all stakeholders.

Unfortunately, the staff is sometimes seduced by Unions who are present in one structure only. These in-house Unions claim to be closer to the staff and to be more familiar with the local situation. However, in truth, they are instrumental in the employers’ divide et impera policy. They are not effective negotiators because they lack access to the ‘big picture’. In the European Institutions ; the huge number of small Trade Unions is a major weakness that the Staff pays dearly.