For several years, Generation2004 has been pointing out that something is not working well with how EU institutions are treating their own staff. Along the way, we have consistently proposed constructive solution to reverse the path towards unhappiness of staff. However, it looks like the “establishment”, with support of some staff organisations doesn’t see the same and proceeds with its own agenda serving personal interests and personal egos. We believe however, that staff should be treated differently and, most importantly, it should be listened to. Needless to say, but most of our claims have been disregarded throughout time. Continue reading We said it all along; now it is official: EU officials unhappy
Promotions
Promotion exercise 2019 – Where are we?
As you probably already know the yearly appraisal exercise is over and now it is time to talk about promotions. Well, at the moment we are at the stage where the staff representatives are “discussing” draft promotion lists with Directors General. We put “discussion” in quotes because some discussions are in fact not a real discussions but more information sessions. But it all depends on the individual General Directors if they are willing to discuss or not. Continue reading Promotion exercise 2019 – Where are we?
The promotion exercice of 2019 is on!
DG HR has just announced the start of the 2019 promotions exercise.
The annual promotion decisions are taken by the Appointing Authority (AIPN), on the basis of 1) proposals by each DG; 2) recommendations by a Joint Promotion Committee (JPC).
DGs and JPCs must determine who deserves a promotion on the basis of a comparison of merits. All officials take part in the appraisal exercise. But only those who are eligible for promotion, i.e. have been in the grade for at least 2 years take part in the promotion exercise.
The comparison of merits on which the promotion procedure is based takes into account:
- the appraisal reports since the last promotion or, failing that, since recruitment
- the use of languages in the execution of duties
the level of responsibilities exercised (to be taken into consideration on a systematic basis alongside the two other elements and not just “where applicable”, as stated in the 2004 version of Article 45)..
The promotion exercise step by step
Generation 2004 representatives will be present at dialogues with DGs before promotion proposals are published in June. Equally or maybe even more important Generation 2004 is appointing colleagues for both the AD and AST promotion committees. These colleagues will look carefully after every appeal which is submitted by staff members. Please contact us if you need help.
As usual, the Contract Agents reclassification exercise will start a few weeks later but we will also participate in it. We will let you know when it comes, stay tuned!
Self-Assessment conference in Luxembourg
Are the assessment and promotion exercises really independent from each other?
We say this is not entirely true!
Your report may indeed be only one of the elements taken into account when your DG prepares the draft promotion list… but the language of your appraisal will decide the fate of your appeal if you launch one for not being proposed.
Therefore your self-assessment and the evaluation by the reporting officer must very positively mirror your performance.
Self-Assessment conference in Brussels
Are the Assessment and promotion exercises really independent from each other?
We say this is not entirely true!
Your report may indeed be only one of the elements taken into account when your DG prepares the draft promotion list… but the language of your appraisal will decide the fate of your appeal if you launch one for not being proposed.
Therefore your self-assessment and the evaluation by the reporting officer must very positively mirror your performance.
Promotions (Article 90)
First we would like to congratulate once again those of you who received their well-deserved promotion during the 2018 promotion exercise. If you were one of the promoted colleagues, then it means you were lucky not to be penalised by a leaving Head of unit, by a restructuring of your DG or by many other factors which have nothing to do with merit and performance but that often negatively influence the outcome of the promotion exercise.
Yet, even not considering those unexpected factors, year after year most of us feel the uncertainty and injustice of the Commission’s very opaque and arbitrary promotion system and, unsurprisingly, many of you have contacted us for support on their intended Article 90 complaint concerning non-promotion. To that end, we have created an Article 90 template for you to use (deadline to submit is 10 February 2019). Continue reading Promotions (Article 90)
Promotion exercise 2018
Since Monday, you can see in Sysper whether you have been proposed for promotion this year or not.
We congratulate the colleagues proposed for promotion!
The promotion meetings between the Directors General and the staff representatives took place between 14 May – 8 June. In more than 40 meetings we took care of the interests of the post-2004 staff. From our experience and feedbacks we reached some conclusions: Continue reading Promotion exercise 2018
Generation 2004 – Promotion appeals 2018
Every year, the promotion procedure for officials goes through several stages to culminate with the allocation of promotions. During the first stage, your DG’s hierarchy puts together draft promotion lists according to the DG quota distribution and discusses those lists with the staff representation. This first stage is now over and DG promotion lists are out! Please, consult Sysper and check if you were proposed for promotion.
If you were proposed for promotion, congratulations!!! If not, and if you believe you deserved to be promoted, then you should consider appealing as you may still get another (slim) opportunity to grasp the desired promotion. 5% of the overall promotion quotas will be attributed after all appeals have been reviewed by the Joint Promotion Committees in October.
Please remember, there is a 5 days deadline to file an appeal and Generation 2004 is here to assist you.
The promotion system for officials: How it works
The annual promotion decisions are taken by the Appointing Authority (AA), on the basis of 1) proposals by the senior management of each DG; 2) recommendations by a Joint Promotion Committee (JPC).
DGs and JPCs must determine who deserves a promotion on the basis of a comparison of merits (in theory…, see article below). All officials take part in the appraisal exercise. But only those who are eligible for promotion, i.e. have been in the grade for at least 2 years take part in the promotion exercise. Continue reading The promotion system for officials: How it works
Reform of the promotion system
Elsewhere we explain how the promotion exercise works in theory, with three levels of ‘merit comparison’ along the exercise (at directorate-general level, by the Joint Promotion Committees and their preparatory groups, and finally by the appointing authority (AIPN)) on the basis of comprehensive and unambiguous appraisals. Continue reading Reform of the promotion system
