Talking about privileged officials (some dare to call them “fat cats”, one wonders why), a transitional measure of the 2014 reform of the staff regulations that has received little attention thus far, is the creation of 2 new steps for AD12 and AD13 grades. AD13s, for instance, will now be able to reach step 7, instead of the maximum of step 5 before 1 January 2014. In financial terms, this will translate into a monthly salary almost €500 higher than what was possible before. As a result, the beneficiaries will be able to reach the same salary as an AD14 step 1 with no need for a promotion. They will mostly be senior AD12/AD13, many of them having already reached the end of career grade of A4/8 before the 2004 reform, in case they are not able to land upon a “Senior Expert” (see above) position.
What is the rationale for granting a pay rise to already well-paid officials that are not necessarily performing in an outstanding way in the context of a reform that has massacred the rest of the staff, in particular the newcomers who are being recruited after 1 January 2014? This kind of measure is hard, if not impossible, to sell to the European tax payer. By allowing this kind of practice, the “Senior(ity)” management of the Commission becomes the prime culprit in fuelling euroscepticism. That the “Senior(ity)” management of DG HR wants to reward people just because they were colleagues in the good old days of Edith Cresson, the Commissioner that infamously rewarded her dentist with lucrative EU contracts, and other members of the Santer Commission, while putting under tremendous pressure the newcomers, is not acceptable! We might be post- 2004, but we know very well, only too well, what we are talking about!
