Staff Categories

The 2021 reclassification appeals season opens Tuesday 22 June, Generation 2004 is here to help

Contract Agents, reclassification

*Please see the frequently asked questions (FAQs) from our promotion appeals conference on how to draft your appeal.*

Every year, the promotion and reclassification procedures, for officials and Contract Agents (CAs) respectively, go through several stages to culminate in formal recognition (or not) for the job performed during the previous years. During the first stage, your DG’s hierarchy put together draft reclassification lists according to the DG quota distribution, and discussed those lists with the staff representation (trade unions and staff associations (OSPs)). This first stage is now over and the DG reclassification lists will be published in Sysper on Tuesday 22 June! Please consult Sysper and check whether you are proposed for reclassification. Continue reading The 2021 reclassification appeals season opens Tuesday 22 June, Generation 2004 is here to help →

Stop the AST/SC exploitation NOW

Assistants, Junior Professionals Programme, Newsletter - 2021-06-16, Pensions, Petition, Secretaries and clerks, Staff Categories, Staff Regulations Reform

*Update 13.10.2025 Point 6 below, internal competitions: there are to be 3 cross-function-group internal competitions which include AST/SCs, we look forward to seeing the eligibility criteria.*

*Update 23.09.2025: It’s now official: 50 AST/SCs are to have the (mis)fortune of doing an AST post without the corresponding AST promotion speed or career potential.  Check the Draft 2026 Commission budget: ’50 posts in the function group AST may be occupied by officials and temporary staff in the AST/SC function group to reflect the gradual phase-in of the AST/SC function group.’ (p. 955, footnote 1). While the Commission as a whole is set to lose 24 posts, the AST function group is to lose 121 (leaving 4398 permanent staff). No other function group is to decrease in size.* Continue reading Stop the AST/SC exploitation NOW →

Local agent employment-conditions reform

EEAS, Local Agents, Newsletter - 2021-05-21, Outside the Union

Here are updates and the review process of the salary-revision decision. Subsequent to the conclusion of the social dialogue for the local agent (LA) employment conditions, which should replace the Framework Rules, all LA colleagues will have until 30 June 2021 to decide whether to sign the package of conditions. If you have any questions or need any assistance, you can contact Generation 2004. Continue reading Local agent employment-conditions reform →

Brexit update: UK-only TA/CA staff: transparency in application of criteria please

Brexit, Contract Agents, Newsletter - 2021-03-26, Temporary Agents

A quick update and reminder of the context: the assurances given to staff with UK-only nationality that they ‘will continue their career with the Commission’ post Brexit (19.1.2021) do not apply to our colleagues with time-limited contracts.  Decisions on their future are being taken using these criteria on a ‘case-by-case assessment’ with results expected now, in March 2021 [1]. Continue reading Brexit update: UK-only TA/CA staff: transparency in application of criteria please →

Certification: you asked, we answer!

Assistants, Certification, Newsletter - 2021-03-04

You asked us (conference, 28.1.2021) how many assistants (ASTs) successfully complete the certification process (no mean feat!) but do not find an administrator (AD) post.[*] This information is not so readily available but we’re good at digging and we asked HR to fill in some blanks and clear up discrepancies.

We count 1097 successful officials (the certifiés/those ’certified’ as apt [1]) in total from all 15 certification procedures to date (2005-2019 [2]) using HR reports for 2015 and 2019, together with administrative notices. HR confirms this count but provides figures which differ slightly from those published (see updated tables below [3]). Continue reading Certification: you asked, we answer! →

2021 Contract Agent Mobility exercise – Please let us know your challenges!

Contract Agents, Outside the Union, Professional mobility

In the 2021 exercise Generation 2004 noted that following the conclusion of the first phase of the mobility exercise, a significant number of Contract Agents (CAs) [1]:

    • did not receive an invitation for an interview from any of the five countries in which they had expressed an interest:
    • did not receive an offer for any of the five countries in which they had expressed an interest.

Continue reading 2021 Contract Agent Mobility exercise – Please let us know your challenges! →

Certified ASTs: an endangered species?

Assistants, Certification, Newsletter - 2021-02-03, Promotions

*20.10.2022–14.12.2022: Evaluation and pre-selection of eligible applications by the DGs/Services for 2022/23 exercise*

Belated congratulations to our 42 colleagues declared certifié in December 2020 *and 44 from 2021* they now finally begin the very last stage in this long and arduous quest, that of finding an AD post, well done and good luck in your search! Continue reading Certified ASTs: an endangered species? →

Generation 2004 is hiring a 50% time Secretary at the European Commission in Brussels

Contract Agents, Vacancy

For our daily work ‘For the many, not the few’ Generation 2004 employs a team of committed and hardworking colleagues.

Generation 2004 is hiring a 50% time secretary for its headquarters in Brussels (depending on future availability this might become 100%). If you are a Contract Agent FG II you can join the team. If you are not eligible but you know someone who is (or who is listed in a valid FG II CAST list or higher) and that you believe could be interested in the job, please feel free to forward this vacancy. Continue reading Generation 2004 is hiring a 50% time Secretary at the European Commission in Brussels →

Local agents update

Local Agents, Newsletter - 2020-12-18, Outside the Union, Staff Regulations Reform, Working conditions

Implementation of the new package for local agents (LAs)

While the administration commits to get the large number of EU Delegation exceptions (‘derogations’) ready for a decision by February 2021, it means the entire package will not be available for LAs to decide until then. In this latest update to this ongoing issue, Generation 2004 urges all LA colleagues to ensure that they fully understand the entire package before they make their decision as it is likely to be irreversible. Continue reading Local agents update →