Brussels, 16/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - In a letter to the Chairman of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) proposes that the European public service should appear in the future EU Constitution. Given the role that the European public service has played and should continue to play in the building of Europe, the trade union proposes to set out its "basic characteristics and role" in the Constitution. It proposes the following text: 1. According to the instructions of the European Union, the European public service carries out the tasks allowing missions assigned to the EU to be carried out; 2. The European public service acts in the general interest of the EU and of its citizens, in compliance with the principles of competence, independence, permanence and loyalty, in respect of the constitution and of the derived law; 3. The European public service comprises all permanent officials and other agents of the EU institutions. It is open to all EU citizens that gain entry through competitions and selection based on the principles of equal treatment and geographical balance; 4. The Council enacting at qualified majority finalises, on Commission proposal and after consultation with the other institutions interested, the status of European public service.
The federation of trade unions represents several thousand officials and other agents of the European institutions and other international organisations established throughout Europe. It is affiliated to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) through EPSU (European Federation of Public Service Unions) and the Public Services International (PSI).