At Generation 2004, we consider that protection against arbitrary termination is a fundamental element of fair employment conditions. The recent judgment from 10 June 2026 (Case T-13/25, HC v Court of Justice of the European Union) of the General Court of the European Union is particularly important in this respect. It clarifies the conditions under which an indefinite contract of a Temporary Agent may be terminated on the grounds of a breakdown of the relationship of trust.
Newsletter-2026-09-11
EU Court clarifies the Conditions for Relocation Allowance and the Correction Coefficient
For colleagues approaching retirement, questions concerning the relocation allowance and the applicable correction coefficient can have a significant financial impact. The recent judgment from 3 June 2026 (Case T-662/24, GW v Commission) of the General Court of the European Union is therefore relevant. It clarifies how the concept of “residence” is assessed under the staff regulations and what evidence staff may need to demonstrate that their main or habitual residence has genuinely been transferred to another Member State.
Getting to know the Representations better: Strenghtening support for colleagues across the network
Since last July, the Staff Representation has reinforced its attention to the specific situation of colleagues working in the European Commission Representations through a 25% secondment dedicated to these issues. The colleague working on this, an elected member of Generation 2004, is Nicolette Camilleri.
This reflects a clear priority: to gain a better understanding of the realities of working in the Representations and to ensure that the concerns of colleagues are more systematically considered in staff representation work.
The 7-Year Rule Is Back on the Agenda: Why This Discussion Matters
In July, the administration launched a discussion on the 7-year rule, an issue we had already been advocating for a while. It is an important opportunity to revise a rule that has significant consequences for the careers of contract and temporary agents.
The next meeting is currently foreseen for the end of September. As the discussion moves forward, we want to clarify what is at stake, explain our position and outline why we believe that a meaningful extension of the 7-year rule deserves serious consideration.
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Contract Agents and the Large Scale Review (LSR): open reflection on opportunities, risks and expectations
Following the all-staff event of 13 July in which the workstreams presented an overview of their recommendations, we have had a closer look at the report with suggested recommendations concerning contract staff.
This article sets out our reflections on the report from the perspective of Contract Agents (CAs). It highlights areas where the proposals could strengthen the role and career prospects of CAs, as well as aspects that require further clarification, stronger safeguards, or additional guarantees to ensure that the reform delivers fair and sustainable outcomes for all.
The Commission fights against precarious contracts – but what about its own staff?
The recent judgment from 13 May 2026 (Case C-155/25, Commission v Italy) of the Court of Justice of the European Union deserves particular attention from an EU staff perspective. It shows a striking contradiction in the Commission’s approach to fixed-term employment.
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Digital Culture or Institutional Amnesia? – A Constructive look at the “Keep What Matters” initiative
According to recent announcements on MyIntracomm, the European Commission will introduce an automatic deletion rule on 1 January 2027. Under this policy, more than 300 million working files older than 10 years stored on shared network drives (U, P, O, G) and in M365 collaborative spaces (Teams, SharePoint Online) face permanent automatic deletion on a rolling basis, unless staff manually intervene to identify and save them.
LAST CALL – Survey on teleworking
Generation 2004 continues to advocate for a revised teleworking policy that reflects the values of a modern EU administration. In order to collect the view of our colleagues, we launched a survey in July on teleworking, teleworking from abroad and travelling to work.
What is your view? Is our employer modern and attractive enough or do you think the attractiveness can be increased by more flexibility on teleworking and teleworking from anywhere? Is there already enough flexibility?
Training offer: AD5 and AST3 internal competitions – SHL G+ exam packages
Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is happy to offer you 2 package modalities for the COM AD5 and AST3 Internal competition. In both packages, registered candidates will receive within 24/48 hours a personal access link to the Verify Interactive G+ exam in the SHL platform. Exam is available in a choice of languages, including English, French and German (languages 2 in the COM/AD5/108/2026 and COM/AST3/109/2026 competitions). There is a special discount rate for our members ONLY.
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