The publication of the 2027 EU Delegation rotation exercise has once again generated excitement among colleagues dreaming of an international career. Working in an EU Delegation offers unique professional and personal opportunities, and every year many officials eagerly await the publication of the available posts. 

Unfortunately, for many AST/SC colleagues, that excitement may have ended almost as soon as it began. 

The article published on Staff Matters opens with the following invitation: 

“Career mobility in the institution does not stop at the main Commission locations: your next career move may take you to an EU Delegation. With the 2027 rotation exercise for AD and AST officials set to launch in mid-July, now is the time for colleagues to think whether a posting in a Delegation could be the right next step.” 

Reading this, most AST/SC colleagues would quite reasonably conclude that the exercise is not intended for them. 

Many probably stopped reading there.   

But that is not the whole story.

Generation 2004 looked beyond the announcement and examined the detailed EEAS guidelines.

Hidden among the practical information is an important provision: 

“EEAS AST/SC officials may express interest for these posts provided they have two years’ seniority in their position. In case of selection, such posts will be modified to correspond to the function group of the selected officials (AST/SC).” 

This changes the picture considerably. 

Although the vacancy list is published as AST posts, eligible AST/SC officials are explicitly allowed to express interest. If selected, the post will be converted to the AST/SC function group. 

This is a welcome development and a significant improvement compared with previous years. 

Opportunities do exist 

This year’s EEAS rotation includes more than twenty Assistant to the Ambassador positions in EU Delegations around the world, together with one Secretary position in the Other EU Policies Section at the EU Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva. 

Although all these vacancies are published as AST posts, the EEAS guidelines clearly state that eligible AST/SC officials with at least two years’ seniority in their current position may express interest. If selected, the post will be converted to the AST/SC function group. 

This stands in sharp contrast to the Commission rotation exercise, where only one AST/SC vacancy has been published: a Secretary position in the EU Delegation to China. 

For AST/SC colleagues who aspire to work in an EU Delegation, this distinction is crucial. Looking only at the published vacancy lists, many will conclude that there is virtually nothing available to them. Reading the EEAS guidelines tells a very different story. 

So why are colleagues still frustrated? 

Because communication matters. 

The opening message of the Staff Matters article is clear: 

“With the 2027 rotation exercise for AD and AST officials set to launch in mid-July, now is the time for colleagues to think whether a posting in a Delegation could be the right next step.”

The official communication repeatedly refers to AD and AST officials, while the possibility for AST/SC colleagues is mentioned only in the detailed guidelines. 

For an AST/SC colleague, the initial message is simple: this is not for me. 

Only those who continue reading the guidance documents will discover that they may in fact be eligible to apply for the EEAS Assistant to the Ambassador posts. 

As a result, opportunities that formally exist may remain practically invisible. 

This is particularly unfortunate because the EEAS has clearly taken a positive step by allowing AST/SC officials to express interest. That progress deserves to be communicated openly and transparently—not hidden several pages into a guidance document. 

Recognition where it is due 

Generation 2004 welcomes the inclusion of this provision in the EEAS guidelines. 

For several years we have highlighted the limited mobility opportunities available to AST/SC colleagues. Seeing an explicit possibility for AST/SC officials to apply for Delegation posts is undoubtedly a positive step. 

Progress deserves recognition. 

But progress should also be visible. 

If an opportunity exists, colleagues should not have to search through pages of guidelines to discover it. 

Looking ahead 

The Commission and the EEAS rightly encourage mobility as a way of developing careers, sharing expertise and strengthening the European civil service. 

That ambition should include every eligible colleague. 

Clear and transparent communication is essential to achieving that goal. Otherwise, opportunities risk benefiting only those who already know where to look. 

Perhaps next year’s announcement could simply state that, in addition to AD and AST officials, eligible EEAS AST/SC officials may also apply for the published AST posts in accordance with the EEAS guidelines. Such a small addition would make a significant difference. 

Our message to AST/SC colleagues 

If you are an EEAS AST/SC official with at least two years’ seniority in your current position, don’t assume that Delegation opportunities are closed to you simply because the vacancies are published as AST posts. 

Take the time to read the EEAS guidelines carefully. You may be eligible to apply. 

And if working in an EU Delegation has always been your ambition, this may be your opportunity. 

Generation 2004 will continue advocating for equal access to professional mobility and, just as importantly, for communication that is transparent, accurate and inclusive from the very first announcement—not hidden in the small print. 

Because equal opportunities begin with equal information.