In the context of the European Union (EU), an “official” refers to a permanent member of staff employed by one of the EU institutions or agencies, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, or others.

The term “permanent” refers to the fact that the staff member has an indefinite contract, which can be achieved once the staff member’s employment contract is prolonged for the second time, usually after 6-10 years of working for EU institutions.

Only staff in the categories of an Administrator, Assistant or Contract Agent can become ‘officials’. Neither SNEs, nor Temporary Agents, nor Interims can become officials.

The status of an official is a long-term, typically lifelong commitment, and it comes with certain rights and obligations, including mobility within the EU’s institutions, a commitment to continuous professional development.