Pensions

Thinking about retirement? Plan well in advance

When approaching retirement, you might want to have less stress and enjoy the remaining workdays. This could involve taking longer breaks, being more flexible and work fewer hours to gradually transit into the new well-deserved lifestyle. You might also want to explore new passions and hobbies, visit old family members, or plan a move back to your home country. There are also colleagues who start a new career outside of the EU institutions, but in any case, it is important to plan your future. 

When you have completed at least 10 years of active service or reached pensionable age, you are entitled to a pension. The key factor is your date of entry into service under the staff regulations, but there can be specific situations affecting retirement rights, for example, changes in status during a career, transfers between EU bodies, previous service that is recognised and invalidity retirement.   Continue reading Thinking about retirement? Plan well in advance →

Conference: tackling even more pension-rights questions

*Update 07.11.2025, thanks to the almost 130 colleagues who attended this event! We have updated the FAQs with your questions! Here’s the presentation and the recording. For the guest speaker presentation please click here to request it.*

Original article: No previous knowledge required! Come along and ask any questions you like! If we don’t already have your question in our FAQs, we’ll add it!

Continue reading Conference: tackling even more pension-rights questions →

Conference: tackling pension-rights questions

*Update 15.05.2025, A big thank you to the colleague who got in touch to say we promised a recording below. Apologies for the oversight, we did indeed state that: sorry! Since we do these events fairly regularly, we don’t record them. The most interesting part is generally the question and answer part and people are more likely to participate and ask questions if they are not recorded doing so. We add all and any new questions or even additional explanations to our pension FAQs and transfer FAQs after each event. Thanks again for the correction!*

Continue reading Conference: tackling pension-rights questions →

10 Postulates for fairness – A better future for Contract Agents

Generation 2004 has been at the forefront of advocating for Contract Agents, consistently pushing for fairer employment conditions, better career prospects, and greater recognition of their contributions. Over the years, we have actively engaged with the administration, raising awareness of the systemic challenges contract agents face: barriers to career advancement, limited access to internal competitions, unfair contractual terms, and restricted mobility within the institution.   Continue reading 10 Postulates for fairness – A better future for Contract Agents →

Good news for Contract and Temporary Agents ! 

As Generation 2004 suggested Contract and Temporary agents will get a positive surprise in their February salary slip. Their unemployment contribution rate will drop down from 0.81% to 0.51%. This applies to EU institutions and bodies.    This is not the result of some mysterious superpower of Generation 2004. Continue reading Good news for Contract and Temporary Agents !  →

Brave new world at the Commission: the day the staff representation was abolished

I wake up and it is just another ordinary day. I prepare breakfast and get my child ready. Then head to the crèche before going to the office.  But to my great surprise, the crèche is closed. Nobody seems to be around. When I finally spot someone I know, I ask what is going on. Maybe a strike? “Not really. Weren’t you informed? Continue reading Brave new world at the Commission: the day the staff representation was abolished →

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) →

General pension FAQs

*Update 07.11.2025, thanks to the almost 130 colleagues who attended o our event! We have updated the FAQs with your questions! Here’s the presentation. For the guest speaker presentation please click here to request it. Also, please check out EULearn pension training.*

*Update 06.11.2025 our intention is for this list to be searchable, hence the repetition of some information. We link also to a recent PMO presentation on pensions.*

Original article: To supplement our frequently asked questions (FAQs) on pension transfers, we add this FAQ for all of the other questions we receive on pensions in general.  Continue reading General pension FAQs →

Transfer of pension rights FAQs

*Update 07.11.2025, thanks to the almost 130 colleagues who attended o our event! We have updated the FAQs with your questions! Here’s the presentation. For the guest speaker presentation please click here to request it. Also, please check out EULearn pension training.*

*Update 06.11.2025 our intention is for this list to be searchable, hence the repetition of some information. We link also to a recent PMO presentation on pensions.*

Original article: The pension scheme of the European Union institutions (PSEUI) is for all institutions and most agencies. Check out our general pension FAQ. Regardless of whether you work in the Parliament, Council or Commission and whether you are an official, a Temporary Agent or a Contract Agent (‘statutory staff‘) you are probably making contributions to the PSEUI.

The exception would be local agents[*] and those not directly employed by the institutions, such as seconded national experts. Continue reading Transfer of pension rights FAQs →