The twin objectives of cost-cutting and improving human resources, pursued during the 2014 EU staff reforms, have not been met in a balanced way, revealed the European Court of Auditors in a report published on Tuesday 24 September.
While the auditors acknowledged a "considerable" reduction in cost resulting from the implementation of this reform, they highlighted the negative impacts on the staff of the European institutions.
"The HR implications of the cost-saving measures were not without negative consequences for both working conditions and the attractiveness of the EU institutions as an employer", said Pietro Russo, auditor in charge of the report, in a statement.
Better preparation and implementation of reforms could have mitigated some of these negative impacts, according to the auditors.
In their report, they recommend that the European Commission, which employs about half of this staff, establish a workforce management plan; strengthen its monitoring and reporting of human resources issues; and assess needs and potential impact before any further revision of the staff regulations.
The 2014 staff reform package included a 5% reduction in the workforce, a freeze on certain salaries and pensions, and a review of the staff regulations.
To consult the Court of Auditors' report: https://bit.ly/2kQRTKL (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)