Blue Book trainee
A ‘Blue Book trainee’ is a participant in the European Commission traineeship programme. The programme got its name from the “blue book” in which pre-selected candidates’ names were listed in the pre-internet age.
CAST
CAST stands for ‘Contract Agents Selection Tool’. It is a procedure used by EPSO to select job applicants for positions in Function Groups I-IV. Information about Contract Agents salaries | EPSO CAST information
CEFRL
CEFRL stands for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It is also sometimes abbreviated to CEFR or CEF.
College of Commissioners
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, is led by the College of Commissioners. This College is comprised of the President (currently Ursula von der Leyen) and 26 Commissioners, each representing one EU member state. Commissioners are appointed for five-year terms, aligned with the European Parliament’s legislative period. The President of the College assigns specific…
Commission Representation
A ‘Commission Representation’ is a European Commission “embassy” in each of the EU member states. The same institution in a non-EU country is called an ‘EU delegation’ or an ‘EU office’.
Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the European Commission, which is the executive arm of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding EU treaties, and managing the day-to-day business of the EU. The College of Commissioners consists of one Commissioner from each EU member state, including the President and the High…
Community tax
Employees of EU institutions pay a number of taxes and levies. One of these is the income tax that deducts between 8% and 45% from the basic salary. The majority of EU institutions employees pay the lowest amount of tax at 8% as their annual salaries are below ~60000 euros.
Competency-based interview
A competency-based interview is a structured interview process used in EPSO competitions to evaluate candidates’ suitability for a position within EU institutions. This interview technique focuses on a candidate’s past behavior and experiences as indicators of their future performance by assessing specific competencies required for the role.
Consolidated Annual Activity Report (CAAR)
The Consolidated Annual Activity Report also known as the ‘CAAR’ is a comprehensive overview document prepared annually by all EU institutions. It provides a detailed account of their activities, performance, and resource management over the past year. CAARs are usually prepared and published by June of the next year. The primary purpose of the CAAR…
Contract agent
Contract agents, also known as ‘contract staff’, are employees of EU institutions in grades FGI to FGIV. This is a separate category of employees of EU institutions that are usually hired for time-limited contracts of up to six years to address the lack of officials in AD and AST positions and save EU budget funds.
Contract Agents 3a and 3b Contracts
A 3a contract is used mainly by EU Agencies, Executive Agencies and Delegations. Upon decision of management to extend a 3a contract, it will become indefinite after the 2nd extension. Because of this 3a contracts provide greater job security and stability. A 3b contract provides a fixed-term employment for up to six years, and cannot…
Contract renewal
Contract renewal in EU institutions refers to the process by which a temporary or fixed-term contract for a staff member is extended, allowing the individual to continue their employment with the institution for an additional period. This applies to staff in several (but not all) categories, namely, Administrators (AD), Assistants (AST), Contract Agents (CAs), and…
