*Update 12.03.2025 refusing a contract renewal [1] is counted as resigning, this is not new, but the information could be made clearer.*
Original article: Your Contract Agent CA3B [2] (or a different non-permanent) contract at the European Commission has ended. Despite your determination to continue contributing to the EU project, you can no longer work directly for the Commission (e.g. you have reached six years [3] as CA3B). You can work for another institution or for the Commission, but on a different contract than CA3B.
For the moment, you find yourself without a job…
Although you meet the criteria and receive the unemployment allowance [4] from the Commission[*], during this period no pension contributions will be paid for you to the EU scheme. While your status might in most Member States allow you to receive contributions to your national pension system, unfortunately these contributions won’t count towards the minimum of 10 years needed [5] to earn EU pension rights…. Worse still, should there be changes to the staff regulations before your re-engagement, you might be subject to more recent, less favorable conditions for pension calculation (this is similar to the Picard case [6])…. We are convinced this is not fair! Indeed, colleagues engaged in the European Commission under non-permanent contacts (i.e. contact agents 3B and temporary agents [7]) face unique challenges regarding their pension entitlements.
Normally, official unemployment in Member States guarantees not only sickness insurance but also pension contributions. It is a practice that recognises the importance of supporting individuals during transitional periods in their careers [8]. We firmly believe that the European Commission should offer similar assurances to the colleagues who are entitled to unemployment allowance paid by the institution, and we have recently contacted the administration [9] in that respect.
Pension contributions are more than just financial payments; they represent years of dedication to the service to result in a European pension in the end. For many, such an entitlement is an ultimate tangible acknowledgment of their commitment to the European project. It is a testament to the hard work and loyalty demonstrated over the years. Ensuring continuous pension contributions during unemployment not only would significantly help in accumulating the required years of pensionable service (i.e. 10 years) but it would also preserve an uninterrupted connection with the institution. Now, we also know that this continuity might matter for pension rights, as highlighted in the Picard court case [6]. Continuously paid pension contributions during unemployment would be therefore a powerful gesture of appreciation from the institution that values its employees, recognises their value, and supports them especially during challenging times.
We understand that in the current context financial considerations drive the decision-making process. However, we propose that the pension contributions during unemployment be of a nominal amount, minimal in value, sufficient to demonstrate the link with the institution without heavily impacting the EU budget. Indeed, recently budget constraints have been a significant reason for rejecting our requests, but we believe the approach suggested above is a balanced one, as respecting financial responsibility.
Generation 2004 strongly advocates for the payment of pension contributions to the pension scheme [10] of the European Union institutions (PSEUI) for all colleagues who have right to the EU unemployment allowance!
As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to contact us [11].
[*] But not if you have refused a contract renewal, which is considered in the same way as having resigned from the post [1].
toolTips('.classtoolTips19','Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (\'Staff Regulations [12] (SR)\') are rules stating:
• fundamental conditions of service
• basic rights, duties and obligations of staff.
The SR have been reformed x 2 (so far):
• 2004 (Kinnock White paper)
• 2014 (Regulation 1023/2013 [13])
For a summary of stated intentions and real outcomes of those two reforms check out: European Court of Auditors, 2019, Special report no 15/2019 [14]: Implementation of the 2014 staff reform package at the Commission – Big savings but not without consequences for staff
'); toolTips('.classtoolTips42','
The pension scheme of the European Union institutions (PSEUI). We’re unable to find a definitive list of all the contributors to the PSEUI scheme but all institutions [15] and most agencies [16] (and here [17]) should be included.
Nevertheless, it is worth checking your previous employer was part of the PSEUI, just in case.
For example the European Investment Bank [18] and the European Central Bank [19] have their own pension funds.
'); toolTips('.classtoolTips47','Trade union or staff association (OSP) [Organisation syndicale et professionnelle]');