Staff Categories

Free conference : EPSO AD7 Data management & data knowledge (Luxemburg)

Administrators, EPSO, Events, Training Print This Post

*Update 26.11.2025, here are the slides and the recording *Update 19.11.2025: Due to unexpected technical bugs, the conference is posponed to Wednesday 26/11.  Our apologies for inconvenience.  Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos,  is happy to invite  you to a free conference for the competition for AD7 Data management & data knowledge (Luxemburg).  You will get tips and trick on how to fill in the application and you will be able to ask your questions.

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Teleworking for Local Agents: Time for Fairness, Flexibility, and Trust

commuting, EEAS, Equality, Local Agents, Newsletter-2025-10-30, Staff Categories, Working conditions Print This Post

Teleworking is no longer a privilege – it is a modern and effective way of working that supports productivity, motivation, and work-life balance across the European External Action Service (EEAS).  Yet for Local Agents (LAs) working in EU Delegations around the world, the rules on teleworking remain inconsistent, restrictive, and overly-dependent on local interpretations. Only 1 day of working from home is currently available for local agent colleagues. Continue reading Teleworking for Local Agents: Time for Fairness, Flexibility, and Trust →

Large-Scale Review: déjà vu?

Events, Newsletter-2025-10-30, Social Dialogue, Staff Categories, Staff Regulations Reform, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 05.11.2025 we have seen the article suggesting ending the EU civil service and are evaluating its content. We intend to attend the staff event on the large-scale review of the Commission on Friday 21 November, as we encourage you all to do also.*

Original article: We intend to address the issues raised there in our response to the large scae review.* Generation 2004 invites all colleagues to a brainstorming session on the Large-Scale Review – the new reflection exercise launched by the Commission to assess its structure and functioning.  While the official message speaks of modernisation, agility and simplification, many colleagues are sceptical. We have seen in the past – in 2004 and 2014 – how such exercises ended in reforms that weakened staff rights and career prospects (‘perspectives’).

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Contract Agent FAQs

Contract Agents, FAQs, Newsletter-2025-10-30 Print This Post

As promised, please find below a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on Contract Agents (CAs). The questions were harvested to a large extent from our October 2025 CA event (thanks to all who attended!) and from the many, many CA questions received via email. At Generation 2004 we find it frustrating that many discussions on improving CA situations in many different spheres are shut down with ‘well, they knew what they signed up for’. We find that this is most certainly not the case: if it is  difficult even for staff representatives to know exactly which rules apply, how on earth can we expect new arrivals (newbies) or even returners (false newbies) to know? Continue reading Contract Agent FAQs →

Lunchtime event: Contract Agents: key challenges and recent developments

Contract Agents, Events, Newsletter-2025-10-30 Print This Post

*Update 30.10.2025, here’s the promised Contract Agent FAQs.*

*Update 29.10.2025: here is the recording and the slides.

Original article: Generation 2004 is here again to help you to know the rules that apply to you as a Contract Agents (CAs). We want you to make the best decisions you can with the information available. In the hybrid event below we plan to have around 1.5 hours to address your CA questions. We intend to gather all of your questions to make a Contract Agent frequently asked questions (FAQs) for our website. Continue reading Lunchtime event: Contract Agents: key challenges and recent developments →

Training offer: EPSO AST3 in Communication – Exam exercises

Assistants, EPSO, Newsletter-2025-10-07, Staff Categories, Training Print This Post

Our Training partner Yasemos Europeos, has a special  offer with a 10% discount rate for our members. The package contains: self-study exam packages for practising the different tests.  There are 2 package options available:  EXAM 1 + PRE-EXAM session (live online via ZOOM, link will be published in participants training platform profiles) EXAM 1 (only 1 mock exam for practice with NO pre-exam session).
Continue reading Training offer: EPSO AST3 in Communication – Exam exercises →

Internal Competitions 2025: A Missed Promise of Inclusion 

diversity & inclusion, EPSO, Equality, Internal Competitions, Newsletter-2025-10-07, Staff Categories Print This Post

Many of you contacted us about the publication of the second of the promised internal competitions: the specialist AD7/AD9 financial risk management. We agree, we too were disappointed: this was not the new approach for internal competitions announced in February 2025, that of internal competitions being open to colleagues from other function groups (yes, the Parliament’s been doing this for years, but at the Commission it’s new).  Continue reading Internal Competitions 2025: A Missed Promise of Inclusion  →

Reforming Promotion Practices for Fairness and Transparency

EEAS, Professional mobility, Promotions, reclassification, Staff Categories, Working conditions Print This Post

In recent discussions, a pressing issue has reemerged regarding the current promotion/reclassification practices in general and those within the External Action Service (EEAS) in particular. It has again come to light that the existing process poses several challenges, not only for staff members being evaluated, but also for those responsible for evaluating promotions/reclassifications. Continue reading Reforming Promotion Practices for Fairness and Transparency →

Savings gone too far? A need for more and better contract agent advancement 

CA screening, Commission services, Contract Agents, Cost of living Luxembourg, Newsletter-2025-10-07, OIB Print This Post

First a bit of context, Contract Agent (CA) colleagues (3A and 3B together) are now 24.5% of Commission staff, that is, CAs are the second-biggest group of staff (behind the biggest group of all: administrator (AD) officials).  For some time now there are more CAs than assistants (ASTs) (counting both AST officials and AST temporary agents) and yet the CA salary, job security and advancement possibilities in general remain limited in comparison to other categories of staff. Continue reading Savings gone too far? A need for more and better contract agent advancement  →