European Parliament Positive Action Programme
The European Parliament Positive Action Programme is a special support action to social groups underrepresented among the institution’s staff – women, persons with disabilities, persons from ethnic and linguistic minorities. Succesful candidates are hired for a year as ‘contract agent’ and the programme can serve as a springboard to longer-term and even permanent employment. Read…
European School
The European Schools are not part of the “EU system” of institutions, however, they are jointly controlled by the European Commission and the EU member states. Sending their their children to a European School (Schola Europaea) is one of the benefits for staff of EU institutions.
European Union agencies
The ‘agencies’ are specialized EU institutions that address a well-defined issue in a particular legal or policy field, but they are not “policy makers” as this function exclusively rests with the European Commission. There are several typologies of EU agencies. “Up-stream” and “downstream” agencies. The first deal with research and other knowledge production activities. The…
Eurostat
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union, in charge of the European Statistical System. It is both a data-collecting institution, but also a statistics standard-setting and harmonization body for EU Member States, European Free Trade Area countries, and EU candidate countries. Contrary to popular perception, Eurostat is not a separate EU institution, but…
Évaluation de la capacité à travailler dans une troisième langue
‘Évaluation de la capacité à travailler dans une troisième langue’ or ‘Ability to work in a third EU language’ is the requirement for EU staff to successfully pass a test in a third EU language at CEFR B2 level before their first promotion or award of an indefinite employment contract, as set down in the…
Executive Director
An Executive Director is the most senior official within an EU agency, entrusted with the overall leadership, management, and operational oversight of the agency. The ED guides the agency towards achieving its strategic objectives and ensuring it adheres to EU regulations and policies. The Executive Director of an EU agency reports to the Management Board…
Expatriation allowance
The European Commission ‘Expatriation allowance’ is one of allowances paid to employees of EU institutions if they had to relocate to the seat of their EU institution from another EU Member State and satisfy some other conditions. Article about the Expatriation allowance.
FGI, FGII, FGIII, FGIV
All grades in which Contract Agents at the European Commission and other EU institutions are placed. FGI is the lower grade for Contract agents while FGIV is the highest grade. Grades FGI and FGII have the lowest professional requirements and are usually reserved for menial and basic administrative tasks. Grades FGIII and FGIV are reserved…
Fonctionnaire
‘Fonctionnaire’ is the French term for an ‘official’ or ‘permanent official’ in the grades of Administrators and Assistants at EU institutions.
Foreign residence allowance
The European Commission ‘Foreign residence allowance’ is one of allowances paid to employees of EU institutions if they had to relocate to the seat of their EU institution from another EU Member State and satisfy some other conditions. It is paid to “expats” who do not qualify for the ‘Expatriation allowance’.
Frontex
‘Frontex’ is the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, a decentralized body of the European Union. Frontex is located in Warsaw, Poland. From an obscure agency established in 2004, currently Frontex is growing rapidly and is on its way to become the largest EU agency by 2027 both in terms of staff numbers and budget.…
Function group
The term ‘Function group’ refers to one of the four categories in which ‘contract agents’ are recruited in EU institutions, namely, FGI, FGII, FGIII, and FGIV.
