Secretaries and clerks

Conference: 11.06.2026 reclassification and promotion appeals, Generation 2004 is here to help

***UPDATE: You can find the link to the recording and to the presentation here.***

The 2026 draft reclassification and promotion lists will be published in Sysper on Thursday 11 June. There are now very limited options to influence whether your name is on the final lists when they are published mid-November. We have a lunchtime event planned to explain both what happens next and what those limited options are that are available to you if you find that your name is not on that list (and you believe that it should be). Please prepare for the event and start making notes for a potential appeal.

Thursday 11 June at lunchtime (12.30-13.30 Brussels time)

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Consult Sysper and check whether you are proposed for promotion/reclassification.

1. Your name is on the draft June list

i. Congratulations!!!

ii.Please consider that the June lists are drafts only and that the final promotion/reclassification lists are published in November. There are no guarantees that your name will be on that final list. For those wanting to avoid all risk we advise you to consider waiting until December before changing DG or function group (e.g. certification) or going on unpaid leave/CCP. Also, while no one chooses the timing of their own disciplinary action, please be aware of its damage potential here.

2. Your name is not on the draft June list

i. Check below whether you’re eligible for promotion/reclassification and what the average speed is for you.

 Staff[*] Appraisal Reward possible? Minimum time in grade (‘seniority’) to be eligible Average speed of reward
Officials Yes Promotion 2 years staff regulations Annex I.B and our chart with those percentages converted to years
Temporary agents (2a and 2d) Yes Reclassification (JRC/GROW/RTD only) [**] 2 years Staff Regulations Annex I.B
Temporary agents (2b, 2c, 2e, 2f) Yes no[***] Not applicable (N/A) N/A
Contract Agents 3a Yes reclassification 2 years Page 5-6 of
Commission Decision C(2013) 2529 final
Contract Agents 3b Yes no ≤ 3 years N/A

ii. Consider whether the reason for not including your name on the list might be related not to your performance but to other reasons: having moved team/DG (‘mobility’), having taken parental/maternity leave, a change of line manager, other difficulties or personal conflicts.

iii. Draft an appeal text. The appeal is a misnomer: you are not questioning anyone’s assessment of you, but rather requesting access to the  small amount (5% of the overall  quota) of promotions/reclassifications held back for this purpose. No one will know whether or not you appealed unless you are successful. And if you are successful then you’ve made your manager’s work easier next year since you will already have been promoted/reclassified.

iv. Get someone else to look at your appeal. As usual Generation 2004 can help with reviewing your draft but, due the number of cases and the shortness of the period, we are unable to write it for you or with you. Please register via our online form and we will then contact you to let you know who from our team will work with you and to arrange for a meeting if you prefer to talk to us.

v. submit the appeal via sysper within 5 working days from the date of publication of the proposal lists (in principle late Thursday 18 June, but this is extended for those on leave). So, even if the appeal tab is no longer visible in SYSPER, if you believe this applies to you, please contact HR e.g.

‘Dear colleagues, Please re-activate the appeal button in SYSPER. I would like to file my appeal against my exclusion in the list of proposal for promotion/reclassification [delete one] this year. However, the corresponding tab in Sysper is no longer available. I was unable to use SYSPER due to sick leave/annual leave/etc. [delete as appropriate] and so for me the period of 5 working days has not yet expired. Please advise how to proceed.’

vi. Wait until the final lists are published in mid-November. There is nothing more for you to do. Your appeal will be examined by the committee and may result in your name being added to the list of reclassification proposals. Ultimately however, it is the Appointing Authority that takes the decision to promote members of staff.

The next steps in the 2025 reclassification  and promotion  exercises are:

  • mid-November: publication of final lists in  (check administrative notices  or email
  • December: changes visible in pay slip.

As always, we would love to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us or leave a comment below.

If you appreciate our work, please consider becoming a member of Generation 2004.

For those of you unable to wait, please check 2025 recording  and the 2025 presentation.

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[*] Local agents are promoted via different processes:  here are the rules for delegations (EEAS) and here is an example  for those in EU Representations.

[**] There is a joint committee on reclassification (not promotion) for Temporary Agents (TAs) of JRC/GROW/RTD only. We also see TAs with permanent contracts (yes, mental gymnastics are necessary here: to be permanently temporary) 2a and 2d listed for reclassification.

[***] 16.01.2023 HR response to our questions on TAs: Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS) (Article 15(2)) which states that only the provisions on annual reports [appraisal] from the Staff Regulations  (SR) (Article 43) apply by analogy to TAs. By contrast, there is no such provision concerning  promotion (SR Article 45). This means that, in principle, TAs are not subject to promotion. This principle is confirmed in the case-law of the General Court (e.g. T-366/15 P, paragraph 48).

 

Competitions Under Pressure: Delays, Overload and Structural Challenges

Recent developments in both internal and external competitions highlight growing pressure on the system and raise important questions about its capacity, reliability and fairness. 

While some progress has been made, particularly with the launch of the AD7 internal competition, many of the structural challenges previously identified remain unresolved. At the same time, it is important to underline that AST/SC colleagues still do not have access to AD competitions, meaning that the move towards inclusiveness remains partial and that significant gaps persist. 

Continue reading Competitions Under Pressure: Delays, Overload and Structural Challenges

AST/SC – Forgotten in Delegation while the Commission does its own thing? 

In a recent internal communication on the 2026 Delegation rotation exercise [*], the European Commission announced opportunities for AST and AD staff to take up posts in European External Action Service (EEAS) Delegations around the world. Yet, one function group was (again) clearly overlooked. AST/SC staff are not even mentioned there, you have to dig to find any mention of this function group. Continue reading AST/SC – Forgotten in Delegation while the Commission does its own thing? 

Conference: 12.06.2025 reclassification and promotion appeals, Generation 2004 is here to help

***UPDATE: You can find the link to the recording and to the presentation here.***

The 2025 draft reclassification and promotion lists will be published in Sysper on Thursday 12 June.  There are now very limited options to influence whether your name is on the final lists when they are published mid-November. We have a lunchtime event planned to explain both what happens next and what those limited options are that are available to you if you find that your name is not on that list (and you believe that it should be). Please prepare for the event and start making notes for a potential appeal. Continue reading Conference: 12.06.2025 reclassification and promotion appeals, Generation 2004 is here to help

Assistants (ASTs) FAQs

*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.*

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

Continue reading Assistants (ASTs) FAQs

Secretaries and Clerks (AST/SC) FAQs

*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.*

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

Original article: We will add the presentation from our February 2025 event here and below you’ll find an extended version of a frequently asked questions (FAQs) based on the questions asked there. Continue reading Secretaries and Clerks (AST/SC) FAQs

ASTs and AST/SCs: promised change: conference

*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 ASTs and AST/SCs: promised change: conference

The first staff regulation reform: a new underclass (long read)

Original article: In 2004, Mr. Neil Kinnock who was the Commission’s Vice-President & Commissioner responsible for the Administrative Reform, delivered his masterpiece: The (first) Staff Regulation Reform.  Among the many changes and novelties proposed in the drafts for this ground-breaking reform, was a reduction in the use of Contract Agents (CAs). Incredible, eh? Continue reading The first staff regulation reform: a new underclass (long read)

AST & AST-SC staff: ECA Report Highlights Long-Standing Career Challenges

*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 AST & AST-SC staff: ECA Report Highlights Long-Standing Career Challenges

Time to put an end to the career blockage of AST/SC staff

*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 Time to put an end to the career blockage of AST/SC staff