Newsletter-2026-04-17

Competitions Under Pressure: Delays, Overload and Structural Challenges

Recent developments in both internal and external competitions highlight growing pressure on the system and raise important questions about its capacity, reliability and fairness. 

While some progress has been made, particularly with the launch of the AD7 internal competition, many of the structural challenges previously identified remain unresolved. At the same time, it is important to underline that AST/SC colleagues still do not have access to AD competitions, meaning that the move towards inclusiveness remains partial and that significant gaps persist. 

Continue reading Competitions Under Pressure: Delays, Overload and Structural Challenges

Newsletter editorial – 17-04-2026

Welcome to the third spring edition of our Newsletter!
This edition comes at a pivotal moment for the future of the Commission, as discussions on the Large-Scale Review (LSR) begin to take shape. We cover key takeaways from our meeting with Catherine Day and what it means for the future of staff. We also examine the growing pressure on both internal and external competitions – highlighting delays, administrative burdens and capacity challenges that raise important questions about the system’s reliability and fairness – while taking a closer look at the newly published AD7 internal competition as a long-awaited step forward. We also address the dismissal of local agents in delegations, raising serious concerns about transparency, social dialogue, and the human impact of these decisions.
You will find an article on the situation in the European Schools, where administrative choices are creating inefficiencies and frustration for parents and teachers alike.
Have a look at the two articles written in collaboration with two of our members – a powerful testimony that further illustrates the human cost of rigid procedures, and a concerning PMO case on educational allowances, highlighting issues of transparency, fairness, and the real impact that administrative shortcomings can have on colleagues and their families.
In addition, we look at the new mobility policy and the challenges faced in making it truly effective in practice.
Looking ahead, please find available the self-study packages for the EPSO AD7 competition for Data management and data knowledge. A study group 5 as well as self-study modules for the EPSO AD5 Generalists/Graduates competition on the Reasoning tests, the MCQ on EU knowledge, the EUFTE and the digital skills test are also offered in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos. Finally, you can watch the recording of our Q&A session on the EPSO AD5 competition for Generalists/Graduates.

That’s all for now!

Enjoy the reading and get in touch if you believe we can help!

Share Your Sad PMO Allowance Story! – Member’s opinion    

Are you not getting all the necessary educational allowance information from the other parent? Do you feel that you are being treated unfairly?  Generation 2004 would prefer to share more positive stories about the PMO, but sometimes there are shortcomings that need to be pointed out and acted on! We have come across a case where a parent-official was seconded out of the Commission for four years to discover that the other parent-official was collecting monthly PMO educational allowances during that time without disclosing them. 

Continue reading Share Your Sad PMO Allowance Story! – Member’s opinion    

Training offer: Study group 5 in (ES+EN) for AD5 Generalists / Graduates competition

Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is happy to invite you to the fifth round of online training in ES+EN for the competition for AD5 Generalists/Graduates, with a special discount rate for our members. The offer contains modules in Spanish with materials and exercises available in English, and sessions will be recorded.

 

 

Continue reading Training offer: Study group 5 in (ES+EN) for AD5 Generalists / Graduates competition

G2004 meet Catherine Day, Chair of the High-Level Group on Large-Scale Review: Key Takeaways

On 26 February, representatives from Generation 2004 (G2004), together with other trade unions and the Central Staff Committee, met with Catherine Day, Chair of the High-Level Reflection Group (HLRG), to discuss the Large-Scale Review (LSR). The meeting followed January’s initial exchange with Commissioner Serafin, marking a further step in staff engagement as the Commission shapes its future workforce strategy.  

Continue reading G2004 meet Catherine Day, Chair of the High-Level Group on Large-Scale Review: Key Takeaways

Dismissal of Local Agents: Enough is Enough!

In early February, the administration finally agreed to meet with trade unions and staff associations (TUs) to discuss the so-called ‘modernisation of delegations’, particularly the decision to dismiss local agents at several EU delegations. 

This meeting only happened because it was a necessary conciliation step – as set out in the Framework Agreement between TUs and the Administration – after all representative TUs of the Commission had issued a strike warning to protest again the dismissals and the refusal of the administration to hold negotiation meetings (social dialogue) on the issue. 

Continue reading Dismissal of Local Agents: Enough is Enough!

When Administrative Rules Shape and Damage a Life: Testimony of a Member

After reading the article on in vitro fertilization (IVF) reimbursement, I feel compelled to share my own experience – one that profoundly altered the course of my life and remains painful even years later. 

In 2016, after several years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, my partner and I decided to pursue IVF treatment. At that time, reimbursement required the existence of a formally recognised “pathology.” My request for prior authorisation was refused because no such pathology had been established.  Continue reading When Administrative Rules Shape and Damage a Life: Testimony of a Member

The trip to nowhere: How European School trips became a nightmare for parents and teachers

Parents in European School pay overpriced disorganised trips for their kids.
It works as follows: the school organises a trip (for instance, a visit to a museum or to a farm) with pedagogical goals. Most often, the teachers are those arranging all the practical details, choosing the place, the best choices for tickets, the activities and hours…
The file is sent to a travel agency that holds the monopoly so that they buy the tickets and arrange transport and, when needed, accommodation. More often than not, the agency acts slowly so that by the time they buy the whole trip is more expensive than at the time the teachers planned it. 

Continue reading The trip to nowhere: How European School trips became a nightmare for parents and teachers

Free conference: EPSO AD5 Graduate Administrators

*Update 09.03.2026 – you can find here the recording and the presentation of the webinar*

After the enormous interest in our webinar on 27 February 2026, Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is happy to invite  you to a free Q&A session for the competition for AD5 Graduate Administrators.  

Continue reading Free conference: EPSO AD5 Graduate Administrators