Brussels, 6 June 2023

Note for the attention of Mr. Johannes Hahn

Commissioner for Budget and Administration

The Common Front called for the mobilisation of staff to gather today at the Berlaymont and to show solidarity with our colleagues working in the Executive Agencies who must be treated with dignity and respect. 

Staff in the Executive Agencies have clearly seen their working conditions deteriorate over the years. They are faced with an increased workload and the management of increasing budgets with fewer staff. At the same time, they have limited opportunities for career development and mobility, and with an increasingly precarious situation.

We have always denounced this flagrant discrimination, which is in contradiction with the basic principles governing the European civil service.

We still regret the absence of any real social dialogue with the Commission services that takes into account the aspirations and needs of the Executive Agencies’ staff. Information meetings with staff which took place over the last few months have led so far to unfruitful discussions. Conversely, the policy of fait accompli has continued to prevail over the last few months.

For instance, the forced relocation of staff of three Executive Agencies – and gradually the other ones – to the North Light (and Pole Star) building in the North district, in a dynamic collaborative space environment for which staff has expressed its dissatisfaction. This process has been conducted in conditions of financial opacity and unpreparedness that causes great concern to staff.

Furthermore, there is a lack of governance in the Executive Agencies, where responsibilities between the different actors – parent DGs, Directors of Executive Agencies and OIB – are not clearly established and makes it difficult to account for the use of European funds, namely for the North Light building procedure, to our budgetary authority, and therefore to European taxpayers.

Staff is also deeply concerned with the restructuring, which is taking place in some Executive Agencies, with, for example, the planned suppression of 90 posts by 2027 in EISMEA alone and the reallocation of 13 posts to DG RTD.

Given the absence of any constructive social dialogue on these issues, we would like to reiterate our demands for:

• More transparency on the building policy and on the choice of the North Light building.
• A genuine global negotiation on working conditions of staff and their essential corollary –  career prospects;
• Full consideration to the legitimate interests and expectations of staff transferred to RTD in terms of status and rights;
• Concrete career prospects for Executive Agency staff, for example by giving them the opportunity to take part in internal competitions;
• An efficient mobility policy and solidarity between Executive Agencies to offset the planned jobs cuts in for example EISMEA

We are confident that, after the large mobilisation of staff, you will appreciate that a   constructive dialogue should take place to discuss these various issues.

We look forward to your support to address staff concerns in a spirit of true cooperation with a view to jointly improve the working conditions and well-being of staff.

C. Sebastiani / R. Trujillo, Alliance

E. Lieber, Generation 2004

N. Mavraganis, USF

G. Vlandas / H. Conefrey, RS- U4U/USHU

Cc:

Ms. M. VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President – Europe fit for the Digital Age, Commissioner for Competition and Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport

Mr. F. TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President – European Green Deal, and Commissioner for Climate Action Policy

Ms. S. KYRIAKIDES, Commissioner – Health and Food Safety

Ms. K. SIMSON, Commissioner – Energy

Ms. A. VALEAN, Commissioner – Transport

Mr. T. BRETON, Commissioner – Internal Market

Mr. V. SINKEVICIUS, Commissioner – Environment, Oceans and Fisheries

Ms J. PETKOVA, Cabinet of President VON DER LEYEN

Ms. G. INGESTAD, Director-General – Human Resources and Security

Mr   C. ROQUES, Deputy Director-General- Human Resources and Security

Mr. M. BECQUET, Director of Office / Head of Department – Office for Infrastructure and Logistics in Brussels

Ms S. BEERNAERTS, Acting Director – Directorate of EACEA

Ms. L. MOREAU, Director – Directorate of ERCEA

Mr. J-D. MALO, Director – Directorate of EISMEA

Ms. M. ZANCHI, Director – Directorate of HaDEA

Mr. M. TACHELET, Director – Directorate of REA

Mr. D. BECKERS, Director – Directorate of CINEA

Parent DGs and Staff of the agencies