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Speakers’ Corner: Sprachenpolitik / in / les institutions européennes

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G2004 Newsletter #9

NEW – the “Speakers’ Corner”
Beginning with this edition of our newsletter, the “speakers’ corner” is intended to provide a space where anyone can express an individual opinion which does not necessarily have to be the official opinion of Generation 2004. Please send us your contributions for coming editions.

The somewhat inconsistent sprachenpolitik dans les institutions européennes – a politically incorrect proposal for refurbishing the tower of Babel – by “the rock” from Ispra
One of the lesser known features of the 2004 staff regulations reform was the introduction of what is commonly known as the third language requirement. In the beautiful prose of the legislator, it is stated that “officials shall be required to demonstrate before their first promotion after recruitment the ability to work in a third language among those referred
to in … the EC Treaty.” Continue reading Speakers’ Corner: Sprachenpolitik / in / les institutions européennes →

LUX Contract Agents: a fight against precarity in the Commission

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G2004 Newsletter #9

Generation 2004 continues to support Contract Agents in Luxembourg as they fight for a decent pay or for that matter, a pay that is not below the legal Luxembourgish minimum.

Several meetings between the staff representatives and DG HR have taken place over the past days and weeks and although some concessions were proposed by the administration, fundamental differences unfortunately remain. DG HR considers any salary compensation out of the question and instead proposes to stop the movement with “social measures” such as – for instance – the ludicrous proposal of reducing the price of (some) meals in the cafeteria. The idea of being silenced with a baguette springs to mind instantly, doesn’t it? Or Marie Antoinette’s infamous proposal to “let them eat cake”, when faced by the first uprisings of the French revolution. Continue reading LUX Contract Agents: a fight against precarity in the Commission →

Analysis: AD9 internal competitions

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G2004 Newsletter #9

Internal competitions were presented last year by Vice-President Sefcovic as an initial response to the divergence between pre and post – 2004 careers. What is our assessment now that the competition is over?

Generation 2004 has looked in details at the results of the AD9 competition. The analysis of other competitions will follow. The first finding, not surprisingly, is that cabinet members, together with several temporary agents (TAs) that have a link to DG HR (most of whom coincidentally hail from a specific Member State) represent about a quarter of the laureates. Continue reading Analysis: AD9 internal competitions →

First meeting of OSPs with our new Commissioner – Kristalina Georgieva

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G2004 Newsletter #9

On Friday 21 November, all unions and staff associations (OSPs) were invited to a first meeting with the new Commissioner in charge of personnel (as well as budget) – Vice- President Kristalina Georgieva. Several members of her cabinet including the head – Mrs Mariana Hristcheva – were also in attendance.

The meeting was a very cordial and positive event, with Mrs Georgieva proving to be a warm and open person as well as a good, attentive and patient listener.

She (and her staff) appear to have “hit the ground running”, demonstrating an excellent grasp of staff issues and engaging into some serious discussion on a number of concrete matters, beyond the usual pleasantries which normally characterise such initial meetings. Continue reading First meeting of OSPs with our new Commissioner – Kristalina Georgieva →

More than a Ray of Light: a debrief on the post-2004 conference

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G2004 Newsletter #9

You will remember the call launched by Generation 2004 on the 10th anniversary of the 2004 staff regulations reform (see here p. 1 and here p. 3) for all unions and staff associations (OSPs) to come together in a conference which would analyse in a holistic manner the post-2004 problem and ideally come out with a set of proposals intended to improve the situation and career perspectives of post-2004 colleagues. Continue reading More than a Ray of Light: a debrief on the post-2004 conference →

…… and finally some lighter moments

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G2004 Newsletter #9

After giving birth to Generation 2004 and watching it begin to grow, we are now well on the way to prepare for Generation 2015. Indeed, G2004 Secretary – Stefan Nistor – and G2004-LUX board member – Attila Gecse – have recently begun contributing in this sense by fathering two lovely baby girls  Congratulations to both proud daddies
….. and mummies of course Continue reading …… and finally some lighter moments →

Report from meeting with Vice-President Georgieva

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Vice-President Georgieva meets Luxembourg staff reps

Following a first meeting with staff representatives on 21 November in Brussels which we covered extensively in our last newsletter, on 11 December, Vice-President (and Commissioner for human resources) Georgieva, together with her team and the senior management of DG HR, met with Luxembourg (LUX) staff representatives following an invitation of the LUX LSC. Continue reading Report from meeting with Vice-President Georgieva →

Open letter to European Council President Tusk

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(Please find original version in PL on p 6 of G2004 Newsletter #10)

Dear President Tusk,

On behalf of Generation 2004 – an inter-institutional EU staff association – we would like to congratulate you upon taking up your post as President of the European Council. Continue reading Open letter to European Council President Tusk →

…… and finally some lighter moments

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G2004 Newsletter #8

G2004 message song of the month (with kind permission) – click here                 , sit back, turn up the volume and listen well (P.S. don’t forget to work for an extra 3 minutes 58 second before you go home today).

Got any ideas for the G2004 song for next month? Send them along (with “Newsletter” in subject) to our DJ here, together with any suggestions, ideas, articles, poems …. and other assorted forms of expression.