At the same time as HEALTH has become a top priority on the European agenda, many colleagues have for some years noticed a gradual but significant change in the way preventive healthcare is organised for staff in European institutions. Continue reading Prevention or Cost-Cutting? Growing Concerns About the Future of the Medical Service of the European institutions
Working conditions
Becoming a real Luxembourgish or not – and what would happen to the expatriation allowance?
Acquiring the Luxembourgish nationality can offer numerous benefits and provide a sense of belonging and identity, buy many colleagues are also concerned about the consequences it would have for their expatriation allowance (16%) or foreign residence allowance (4%).
Internal Competition COM/AD/106/2026: Inclusion for Some, Exclusion for Others?
The publication of the new internal competition COM/AD/106/2026 in the field of Competition and Digital policies once again raises serious questions about the coherence of the Commission’s internal competitions strategy and its approach to talent management.
Continue reading Internal Competition COM/AD/106/2026: Inclusion for Some, Exclusion for Others?
Energy Costs: Social Dialogue Opens the Door, But Flexibility Must Come First
Following the joint request submitted by Generation 2004 and U4U, DG HR organised a social dialogue meeting on the impact of the current geopolitical and energy situation on staff. We welcome the fact that DG HR chose to engage directly with staff representatives rather than simply replying in writing.
Continue reading Energy Costs: social dialogue Opens the Door, But Flexibility Must Come First
The Curse and the Spell in our life scenario: Injunctions, Drivers & Workplace Pressure – a conference taking place on 28 April
On 28 April 2026, our 3rd conference on Transactional Analysis and psychological harassment in the workplace about The Curse and the Spell in our life scenario: Injunctions, Drivers & Workplace Pressure (HYBRID) took place, from 12.30 to 14.00.
Please see below the two previous conferences held as part of the same series:
Rising Costs, Real Impact: Time for a Serious Dialogue on Staff Working Conditions
Generation 2004, together with U4U, will formally request the opening of a social dialogue with the administration to assess the growing financial pressures faced by EU staff and to explore possible support measures.
Continue reading Rising Costs, Real Impact: Time for a Serious Dialogue on Staff Working Conditions
Share Your Sad PMO Allowance Story! – Member’s opinion
Are you not getting all the necessary educational allowance information from the other parent? Do you feel that you are being treated unfairly? Generation 2004 would prefer to share more positive stories about the PMO, but sometimes there are shortcomings that need to be pointed out and acted on! We have come across a case where a parent-official was seconded out of the Commission for four years to discover that the other parent-official was collecting monthly PMO educational allowances during that time without disclosing them.
Continue reading Share Your Sad PMO Allowance Story! – Member’s opinion
Games People Play at Work: Understanding Hidden Dynamics in Organisations – a conference organised on 24 March 2026
You can find the presentation of the conference here. The conference took place in EEAS and we had almost 300 participants.
In this session, we explored the concept of psychological games in organisations, based on the work of Eric Berne, founder of Transactional Analysis. Building on the Dramatic Triangle introduced in our previous conference, we analysed how recurring relational patterns can evolve into structured “games” that impact communication, trust, and professional relationships.
Together, we discussed about:
- What psychological games are and why we play them
- The different types of games, and their level of impact
- The hidden payoffs behind these interactions
- How certain games can contribute to escalation, conflict, and even psychological harassment
- Practical ways to identify, interrupt, and exit these games by returning to conscious, responsible communication
This session aimed to provide both insight and practical tools to better navigate complex interpersonal dynamics and foster a healthier professional environment.
The conference was delivered by our colleagues:
- Andreea Madalina Hincu, Hypnotherapist
- Monica Nicolle Dimitriu, Trainer & Executive Coach
When Administrative Rules Shape and Damage a Life: Testimony of a Member
After reading the article on in vitro fertilization (IVF) reimbursement, I feel compelled to share my own experience – one that profoundly altered the course of my life and remains painful even years later.
In 2016, after several years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, my partner and I decided to pursue IVF treatment. At that time, reimbursement required the existence of a formally recognised “pathology.” My request for prior authorisation was refused because no such pathology had been established. Continue reading When Administrative Rules Shape and Damage a Life: Testimony of a Member
The trip to nowhere: How European School trips became a nightmare for parents and teachers
Parents in European School pay overpriced disorganised trips for their kids.
It works as follows: the school organises a trip (for instance, a visit to a museum or to a farm) with pedagogical goals. Most often, the teachers are those arranging all the practical details, choosing the place, the best choices for tickets, the activities and hours…
The file is sent to a travel agency that holds the monopoly so that they buy the tickets and arrange transport and, when needed, accommodation. More often than not, the agency acts slowly so that by the time they buy the whole trip is more expensive than at the time the teachers planned it.
