Archives: Glossary Terms

Early retirement in EU institutions refers to the option available to officials and other staff members to retire before reaching the standard retirement age, which is typically 66. Early retirement can be taken under specific conditions and will result in a permanently reduced pension. Early retirement can be taken from age 58. Early retirement will…

The ‘Education allowance’ is one of the benefits paid to employees of EU institutions if their children do not attend a European School. Parents of children older than 5 years and in regular full-time attendance at fee-charging a) primary school b) secondary school, c) university or a similar educational institution, are entitled to a single…

EPSO is an abbreviation for the ‘European Personnel Selection Office’. EPSO is an entity of the European Commission responsible for recruitment of candidates for jobs in a number of EU institutions. EPSO’s recruitment procedures are also known as ‘EU Concours’.

An EU civil servant is an individual employed by the European Union’s institutions, agencies, or bodies, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and various other entities. Out of all EU institutions staff only Administrators, Assistants and Secretaries and Clerks count as ‘EU civil servants’.

A ‘Commission Delegation’ is a European Union institutions’ embassy in a non-EU country. There are around 140 EU Delegations around the world. A similar institution in an EU Member State is called a ‘European Commission Representation’.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the eurozone, the group of European Union (EU) member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency. The ECB is responsible for managing the monetary policy of the eurozone with the primary objective of maintaining price stability, which is essential for economic growth…

The ‘European Commission’ (‘Commission Européenne’ in French) is the executive arm among the main EU institutions, often likened to an EU “superministry”.

The ‘European Council’ (EUCO) is an institution of the European Union, that is composed of the heads of government (prime ministers) of EU member states, the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission. The European Council defines the general political directions and priorities of the European Union. The European Council…

The European Defence Agency (EDA) is an agency of the European Union that promotes and facilitates integration between member states within the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The EDA was established on 12 July 2004 and is located in Brussels, Belgium.

EEAS is the diplomatic service and foreign and defense “ministry” of the European Union (EU).

The European Institute for Gender Equality is an agency of the European Union that was established to contribute to and strengthen the promotion of gender equality, including gender mainstreaming, in all EU policies and the resulting national policies, and the fight against discrimination based on sex, as well as to raise EU citizens’ awareness of…

The ‘European Parliament’ is the legislative arm among EU institutions and the second largest employer of EU staff, following the European Commission. In 2021 the European Parliament employed 7944 staff members. The European Parliament has offices in Brussels, Belgium, Strasbourg, France, and smaller administrative offices in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. If you are employed by the…