Professional mobility

Upholding flexibility offered by Third-party option in Mobility.net  

Commission services, commuting, Environment, Luxembourg, Mobility and Climate, Newsletter - 2024-07-16, Professional mobility, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 24.10.2024 We’re aware of OIB now accepting cross-border commuter passes reimbursement requests via myPMO, but Luxembourg-based colleagues are to use the same method as before.*

*Update 15.07.2024 Check out ‘A new tool for reimbursement’ in the Brussels Green Commuting Communication on MyIntracomm. It promises reimbursement of Brussels transport tickets without having to wait for them to expire. Have you managed to do this? Please let us know!*

Continue reading Upholding flexibility offered by Third-party option in Mobility.net   →

Own-initiative training: You are, in fact, on your own

Education, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2024-04-11, Professional mobility, Training, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 09.04.2024 we have received a response to our note below from HR: the own-initiative training budget is very limited but special leave might still be available as a contribution to your OIT. Please use all your options!*

Original article: If you work for the Commission and you would like to keep up with developments in your area of expertise, or to acquire new skills to help you in your work, you are in for an unpleasant surprise. Up until recently, the Commission would contribute to the fees of a successful course, making it easier to take the decision to acquire university or other qualifications later in your career – especially for colleagues at the lower end of the pay scales. Continue reading Own-initiative training: You are, in fact, on your own →

Internal competitions – but for whom?

EPSO, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2023-12-01, Professional mobility Print This Post

*Update 19.02.2025: ‘By default, all [internal] competitions will be cross-category.’ (Stay tuned: A new approach for internal competitions) This is excellent news and should now put the Commission on an even footing with the Parliament and other EU institutions. We hope that this inclusion is genuine and that the competitions are not  otherwise skewed to reduce participation.* Continue reading Internal competitions – but for whom? →

Language choice in EPSO competitions – beware the consequences of automatic translation

EPSO, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2023-11-14, Professional mobility Print This Post

*16.11.2023, thanks to the colleague who confirmed that the disinformation/misinformation issue outlined in footnote 1 has since been fixed.* Original article: For some time already, EPSO is moving towards monolingualism: we are seeing  competitions that are by-and-large English-only. This appears to completely disregard the 16.02.2023 outcome of the EPSO case where the Court of Justice confirmed the unlawfulness of artificially restricting the choice of the second language of competitions to 3 languages: English, French and German. Continue reading Language choice in EPSO competitions – beware the consequences of automatic translation →

Breaking Barriers: AST/SC colleagues may change function group?

Assistants, Brussels, EPSO, Newsletter - 2023-10-10, Professional mobility, Promotions, Secretaries and clerks, Staff Categories Print This Post

*Update 26.08.2025 the updated time estimates for internal competitions are available under ‘planning’: please note some will take place SOONER than originally stated: don’t miss your chance!*

Original article: While we are thrilled to announce that our efforts have contributed to the announcement by DG HR, that in future, colleagues might have the opportunity to change function groups through internal competitions, it remains to be seen whether this inclusiveness is genuine or something which exists in theory only.  The wording of the announcement is for movement ‘within each function group’ but it does also mention specialised competitions which might include a ‘wider mix of staff categories and function groups’; a measured success.

Continue reading Breaking Barriers: AST/SC colleagues may change function group? →

MCQ and written tests: training

EPSO, Internal Competitions, Professional mobility Print This Post

*Update 08.09.2023 EPSO intends to use automated proctoring.**Update 17.03.2023 Ombudsman opens inquiry into how EU staff recruitment test was carried out.* *Update 07.03.2023, here is the presentation.* Original article: Join us for some training in preparation for the forthcoming internal competitions multiple choice questions (MCQ) and written tests [1]. We will analyse all the key aspects.  As regards the MCQ, we will see a study methodology, go through the lessons learnt from previous competitions, and recommend materials and topics to cover the knowledge you need. Continue reading MCQ and written tests: training →

Guilty until proven innocent… and punished forever no matter the outcome!

Features, Newsletter - 2023-02-22, Professional mobility, Promotions, reclassification Print This Post

*Update 27.08.2024: Check out the the 2023 IDOC report.*

Original article: The Investigation and Disciplinary Office of the Commission (IDOC) is the European Commission service responsible for “ensuring compliance by (former) officials and other agents with their obligations as laid down in the staff regulations by conducting administrative inquiries and disciplinary proceedings in a fair, transparent and timely manner.”

IDOC procedures can be quite lengthy and often last several years. This is especially so in the situation where you are prosecuted in a civil court for a situation unrelated to your work but where, in parallel and linked to that civil case, you may be placed under an IDOC investigation. Until your civil court case is finished, the internal IDOC procedure will be pending (no matter how long that takes). Continue reading Guilty until proven innocent… and punished forever no matter the outcome! →

2022 internal competitions, where are we?

Contract Agents, EEAS, EPSO, Events, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2023-02-22, Professional mobility, Temporary Agents Print This Post

*Update 19.02.2025: ‘By default, all [internal] competitions will be cross-category.’ (Stay tuned: A new approach for internal competitions) This is excellent news and should now put the Commission on an even footing with the Parliament and other EU institutions. We hope that this inclusion is genuine and that the competitions are not  otherwise skewed to reduce participation.* Continue reading 2022 internal competitions, where are we? →

Help! My languages are in the wrong order!

EPSO, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2022-12-19, Professional mobility Print This Post

*Update 09.10.2025 we see that the internal competitions to allow flexibility in terms of which language is used as the first language (see p.6 of the FAQs).* 

Original article: You asked, we acted! A number of colleagues got in touch with us to ask for our help with regards to the internal competitions.  Continue reading Help! My languages are in the wrong order! →

Update on our collective action on internal competitions

Events, Internal Competitions, Junior Professionals Programme, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-04-13, Professional mobility, Staff Categories Print This Post

We are in April and DG HR has not yet provided competition planning (provisional or otherwise). We do not think that this will change any time soon. Even if the planning was to become available now, the ongoing exclusion of certain staff categories (16 000 potentially eligible staff) from internal competitions requires action and the most recent example of this is the internal competition published at the end of the last year (COM/AD/02/21). Continue reading Update on our collective action on internal competitions →