Fuel Today, Food Tomorrow? Why the Current Crisis May Have Longer-Term Consequences

When Generation 2004 and U4U requested social dialogue on rising energy and transport costs, the objective was not only to react to current fuel prices. It was also to raise awareness that the present situation may have broader and longer-lasting consequences for staff and households across Europe. 

 

Continue reading Fuel Today, Food Tomorrow? Why the Current Crisis May Have Longer-Term Consequences

Prevention or Cost-Cutting? Growing Concerns About the Future of the Medical Service of the European institutions

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

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%). 

Continue reading Becoming a real Luxembourgish or not – and what would happen to the expatriation allowance? 

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?

IDOC: a failed due process!

Are you sure that you have never breached staff regulations (SR)? Are you aware of the fact that every breach of Staff Regulations might have an impact on your career within the Institutions? Are you aware of the existence and mission of the Investigation and Disciplinary Office of the Commission (IDOC)? Are you aware that annually an IDOC activity report is published in My Intracomm? 

Continue reading IDOC: a failed due process!

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

New Cognitive Testing in the AD7 Internal Competition: A Reflection on Skills, Fairness and the Future of Recruitment

The introduction of the new SHL Interactive G+ cognitive assessment in the recent AD7 internal competition has sparked significant discussion among colleagues across the European Commission. While cognitive testing is not new in EPSO procedures, this specific format represents a substantial evolution in both methodology and scope. 

Continue reading New Cognitive Testing in the AD7 Internal Competition: A Reflection on Skills, Fairness and the Future of Recruitment

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).

 

Generation 2004 supports the petition in favour of Contract Agents (CA) – our support for the Contract Agents’ Collective

In the recent weeks and days, you might have received via email a petition from the CA collective’. What the ‘CA collective’ is proposing is not new to us. To a large extent, it is a reflection and continuation of the positions that we, as a staff association, have been advocating for over a long period of time and aligned with our postulates for CAs. 

Following the exchange of views with the colleagues involved, we understood their intentions and convictions and consequently we have decided to support the related petition. This position was re-confirmed during the conference organised on 4 May 2026. 

Continue reading Generation 2004 supports the petition in favour of Contract Agents (CA) – our support for the Contract Agents’ Collective