The deadline for applications to the certification process of this year is Monday 29th September at 23:59 (Brussels time). For the Commission there will be a maximum of 50 AST 5 (step 2 and higher) colleagues who will have the chance to be selected to potentially join the AD function group after intensive training and examinations. For further details, please refer to the following Notice and our AST FAQs.
Continue reading Certification: Free conference
Staff Categories
Free Training – EPSO AD7 Building Management (4 fields)
Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is happy to offer you a free online training webinar where we will analyse the new selection procedure announced in EPSO/AD/425/25 – Administrators (AD 7) for experts in the Building management area (4 different fields). Continue reading Free Training – EPSO AD7 Building Management (4 fields)
EEAS: Serving in the European Union’s diplomatic service
Serving in the European Union’s diplomatic service, particularly in EU Delegations around the world, is a role rich with complexity and significance. These delegations are the global outposts of the European External Action Service (EEAS), tasked with representing the EU in myriad geopolitical contexts. Continue reading EEAS: Serving in the European Union’s diplomatic service
Mobility for contract agents 3a: priority that cannot be ignored
The subject of the internal job market and the lack of real opportunities for Contract Agents to move post (‘job mobility’) has already been raised in earlier discussions, and we have exchanged views with the administration. In our opinion it requires further attention (details of the exchange are listed under ‘references’, below this article), particularly concerning the situation of CA 3a colleagues, who regularly approach us with their concerns and frustrations. We feel it is important to restate our concerns on this matter, given the on-going challenges faced by colleagues. Continue reading Mobility for contract agents 3a: priority that cannot be ignored
Equal recognition for language exams
*Update 18.09.2025: we’ve added a language-level-equivalence table below, many thanks to the reader who provided this. *
Original article: Here’s one more issue raised by staff: Generation 2004 was contacted by colleagues across different staff categories, including Contract Agents 3b, who were refused permission to attend in-person final exams for the in-house 12-level language courses. One reason given was that at this stage they are not required to validate their third language under the staff regulations or Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS).
Continue reading Equal recognition for language exams
Is Modernisation Just a New Word for Austerity?
The President has tasked Commissioner Serafin to ensure that Europe can draw on “a modern, efficient public administration” and has invited him to carry out a ‘large-scale review of the Commission’s organisation and operations’. The first question we can already ask is: Who will be the corresponding ‘high-level reflection group’ and what will be the selection process for that group? Continue reading Is Modernisation Just a New Word for Austerity?
Training offer: EPSO AST3 in Communication
*Update 10.09.2025, this EPSO competition is now closed to new applications.*
Our Training partner Yasemos Europeos, has a special offer with a 20% discount rate for our members. The package contains: Study group for reasoning, MCQ and EUFTE tests for the EPSO competition on AST/157/25 Assistants (AST 3) in Communication.
Continue reading Training offer: EPSO AST3 in Communication
Free Webinar: Competition EPSO AST 3 Assistants (3 fields)
Update 23.07.2025: here are the slides. Update 18.07.2025: here is the recording of today’s conference (the slides in ppt format will follow). Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is offering for free and for all staff, an online free webinar to assist you in preparing for the EPSO competition – AST 3 Assistants (3 fields). You will get tips for the application process and an analysis of the tests. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. The session will be in English.
Continue reading Free Webinar: Competition EPSO AST 3 Assistants (3 fields)
JRC staff policy – high ambitions, ugly realities
Update 07.07.2025: In the meantime, the Head of Unit responsible for sacking the two Contract Agents and previously accused of harassing a number of other colleagues has been proposed for promotion with just two years of seniority in the grade, two years less than the average in that grade. What do we learn from that?
Continue reading JRC staff policy – high ambitions, ugly realities
Brussels Canteens: rising prices, shrinking wages
Price increase confirmed – Generation 2004 calls for support for the most vulnerable. Meal prices in the European Commission’s canteens in Brussels are set to increase by 4.2%, as confirmed by the Head of Unit responsible for the catering in OIB, during the Local Staff Committee Brussels (LSC Brussels) meeting on Tuesday 1 July.
Continue reading Brussels Canteens: rising prices, shrinking wages
