Brussels, 18/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 16 December, the European Parliament in Strasbourg approved the draft regulation and amendments to modify the system for agents employed by the European Community. This text still needs to be formally endorsed by the Council and is expected to include add-on contracts for Brussels-based MEPs' assistants to the statute of European civil servants.
Following the vote, the rapporteur, Giuseppe Gargani (EPP-ED, Italy) read out a joint political declaration by the EP and Council indicating that the transition to the new system “will not entail an increase of the Parliament budget line…We have reached a good compromise between the right of free choice of the Members and the need for transparency”.
Brussels-based assistants will constitute a specific personnel category that takes into account their specific task of supporting Members in carrying out their duties. The present proposal means assistants' employment contracts will be concluded for a specific period, although all contracts will end automatically at the end of a legislature. Assistants will have similar social benefits to those of EU civil servants. Their salaries will be dependent on their grade. The contracts of, and salary payments to, the assistants will be handled by the Parliament's financial services, but the MEPs will be entirely free in their choice of assistants, the tasks to be assigned to them and the duration of the labour contracts.
New rules also for assistants working in member states. The larger package of measures includes not only a European statute for assistants working in Brussels but also the handling of contracts and payments to assistants working in the member states by qualified and duly recognised payroll organisations in those countries. In addition, the approved text sets out that a maximum of 25% of the parliamentary assistance allowance may be used for services such as research studies or other advisory work.
The aim is to have the new assistants' statute enter into force in July next year, right after the European elections, at the same time as the new statute for Members of the European Parliament. (L.C./transl.rh)