Brussels, 08/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - After over two months of consultation with trade unions on a proposal presented on 25 March this year (EUROPE 10106), the Commission is to adopt its formal proposal, on Wednesday 9 June, on amending the staff regulations, which is essential if the European External Action Service (EEAS) is to be created. Like the budgetary proposal (due in mid-June), the proposal amending the staff regulations must be adopted according to co-decision procedure with the European Parliament (unlike the proposal for a decision on the creation and functioning of the service on which the EP has only its opinion to give).
The Commission's proposal on personnel suggests a legal framework and basic principles to be applied to staff of the new European diplomatic service. The Commission above all underlines the principle of equal treatment for all diplomats in terms of work conditions and status, whether they come from the national diplomatic services, the European Commission or the Council secretariat. On the other hand, it does not suggest settling all the details of future staff policy and does not put forward a specific organisation chart for the service - a task that will fall upon High Representative/Commission Vice-President (HR/VP) Catherine Ashton, who is the appointing authority.
The Commission also suggests measures aimed at ensuring that recruitment is spread out evenly from the geographic point of view. Once the decision on the creation of the EEAS takes effect, the whole of the Commission's DG Relex (which will cease to exist) and a large part of the Council secretariat will be transferred to the new service. All the other vacant posts will be open to candidates from national diplomatic services (once the EEAS has reached cruising speed, at least one third of high level diplomats must come from member states). All national diplomats recruited by the EEAS will be employed as temporary staff under the same conditions as officials from the Commission or Council. Temporary agent contracts may be extended beyond the usual six years. Also, officials from the Commission and Council may at any moment return to their institutions of origin without losing any advantages compared to other internal candidates for vacant posts. (H.B./transl.jl)