diversity & inclusion

Internal & External Competitions – Contesting the Results : Conference

diversity & inclusion, EPSO, Equality, Events, Internal Competitions, Newsletter-2025-05-08, Training

*Update 06.10.2025 the court case querying the legality of nationality-specific competitions is ongoing.*

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

Original article: We have received an overwhelming number of complaints from colleagues about serious irregularities in recent internal and external competitions: technical failures of the testing platform, problems with the Single Candidate Portal, and questionable content in the knowledge tests based on non-official sources such as the Draghi Report.
Continue reading Internal & External Competitions – Contesting the Results : Conference →

Upcoming Conference: Challenges in European Schools – 25 March 2025

diversity & inclusion, Education, EEAS, Equality, European Schools, Events, Training

*Upddate 26.03.2025 please check our summary of this event.*

Original article: Are you concerned about the European Schools system and the challenges it presents for families? Join Generation 2004 – EEAS Section on 25 March (12:30–13:30, hybrid format) for an open discussion on key issues, including long commuting times, teacher shortages, high costs, limited language choice, and inadequate psychological support.
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EPSO: When wishful thinking meets reality 

diversity & inclusion, EPSO, Equality, Newsletter-2025-03-26, Vacancy

What at first glance looks like a logical continuation and supplement to the new EPSO competition model is above all one thing: the admission of failure across the board. No matter how rosy the Director General of HR portrays the situation and the new recruitment model, EPSO is not living up to its claim to deliver a better and ultimately faster service and DG HR is now struggling to ensure at least a minimum level of quality in the new recruitment model.  Continue reading EPSO: When wishful thinking meets reality  →

Mobility Paradox: Forced to Move or Stuck in Place?

diversity & inclusion, Equality, Newsletter-2025-02-28, Professional mobility, Promotions, Staff Categories, Working conditions

Changes in tasks and/or working environment’ (‘mobility’) are inevitable in any workplace, and in organisations the size of the Commission and the external action service (EEAS, with over 144 Delegations around the world) these are seldom user-friendly processes. As often happens within the institutions, the term ‘mobility’ itself covers a huge range of diverse exercises with different rules regarding the level of obligation, the frequency and to whom those rules apply. Continue reading Mobility Paradox: Forced to Move or Stuck in Place? →

Protecting Our Children’s Mental Health: Urgent Reforms Needed in European Schools

Childcare, diversity & inclusion, Education, Equality, European Schools, Health, Newsletter-2025-02-28, well-being, Working conditions

The mental health and well-being of children in European Schools (ESS) should be a top priority for the European Schools as well as for the European institutions. Nevertheless, many parents within our community have raised serious concerns about the lack of psychological support, insufficient supervision, and how the system fails to address emotional distress among students. Continue reading Protecting Our Children’s Mental Health: Urgent Reforms Needed in European Schools →

Navigating the rental market: A call for tenant protections and institutional support

Brussels, Commission services, diversity & inclusion, EEAS, Luxembourg, Newsletter-2025-02-12, Professional mobility, Services

Brussels, the heart of the European Union, welcomes thousands of newcomers every year: colleagues arriving to take up positions in the institutions. For many, across all Commission sites[1], securing a place to live is one of the first and most critical challenges they face[2]. However, navigating the complex rental system, understanding legal rights and obligations, and dealing with landlords who may not always act in good faith often turn what should be a straightforward process into a stressful and costly ordeal. Continue reading Navigating the rental market: A call for tenant protections and institutional support →

European Schools: more options, starting with Brussels

Brussels, diversity & inclusion, Education, Equality, European Schools, Newsletter-2025-01-28

The Commission has started a new path to create options for those with children in European Schools (ESS) and, given the structural overcrowding of the four in Brussels, it starts there. In its announcement, the Commission informs of a new agreement allowing children free schooling at the Accredited European School Brussels-Argenteuil in Waterloo, valid from school year 2025/26 onwards in the EN and FR sections.  Continue reading European Schools: more options, starting with Brussels →

Ignored efforts: Unfair outcomes

diversity & inclusion, Equality, Newsletter - 2024-07-16, Promotions, Working conditions

*Update 07.08.2024: answer from HR to our note.  Generation 2004 wrote to DG HR to point out a disparity in treatment faced by colleagues involved in the Selection Boards of Competitions. Those present on these boards represent either the staff representation or our own HR (‘the  administration’) and all of them invest a considerable time and effort.

Continue reading Ignored efforts: Unfair outcomes →