*Update 17.04.2024 We continue to pursue a canteen-price-reduction scheme for Brussels, like the long-standing one in Luxembourg. We continue to see very limited progress.*
Original article: The wellbeing of European Commission staff is of paramount importance for Generation 2004. Years after the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the catering service in many Commission premises is far from returning to its pre-pandemic state. We recognise that the hybrid working mode, now a permanent way of working, reduces the number of staff in buildings and as such necessarily impacts the corresponding footfall at canteens and cafeterias. Nevertheless does the food service offered meet the needs of staff?
We invite you to participate in our ‘Canteens and cafeterias – evaluation survey’. With this survey we want to know your opinion on whether the number of canteens and cafeterias that are open is sufficient, whether you consider it to be useful to (re)open such service in the building where you are normally based and whether the canteen/cafeteria services, where still offered, are satisfactory.
We realise that it’s a chicken-and-egg scenario: is the general canteen/cafeteria offer being reduced because fewer people are using those services or are fewer people using those services because the offer is reduced? i.e. there is no longer a canteen available in your building or that canteen is so busy at peak hours that it’s a challenge to find a seat.
Your opinions and inputs are very valuable for us in future negotiations with the administration on the potential further opening of canteens and cafeterias.
Some ongoing changes: for the better?
Since September 2023: LACC colleagues (Luxembourg) have a 10-minute walk to their nearest canteen and those 20 minutes are not working time.
Since July 2023 : ‘cafétéria plus * = sert également des plats chauds‘. It is not clear what this entails and it is not well explained.
Since February 2017: dynamic list of building facilities in Luxembourg and Brussels. Showing the opening hours and services for today only with no mention/symbol for ‘cafeteria +’.
Since when?: Luxembourg has different prices in canteens depending on staff category, does this happen anywhere else? Please let us know!
Check out our Position paper on canteens, cafeterias and water and our evaluation of the vending machine offer at the One.
If you appreciate our work, please consider becoming a member of Generation 2004
As always, if you have questions, please feel free to contact us.
