📄Civil servant contract types

The different contracts that the European Institutions can offer to their staff

Understanding the different types of contract in the European Institutions jungle is not always easy for candidates who start to search for opportunities.

The

Categories of direct contracts

• Officials (from AD5 to AD16, or from AST1 to AST11, or from AST/SC 1 to AST/SC 6)

  • Permanent staff: work indefinitely on established positions

  • Temporary staff for European Commission or for other EU bodies : work on established positions for a short period

    • Temporary staff under Article 2(a) of the CEOS : the initial contract shall be for a period of up to four years with the possibility of one extension of a maximum of two years.

    • Temporary staff under Article 2(b) of the CEOS : These engagements are allowed only after unsuccessful attempts to fill the position per Staff Regulations, like the classical EPSO selection process for Permanent staff. They can occur if there are no available reserve lists or if they are insufficient. The initial contract duration is based on the expected publication of external competition reserve lists, capped at 4 years. Normally, these recruitments are for up to 3 years. Extending beyond 3 years or a longer initial period requires a selection procedure.

    • Temporary staff under Article 2(c) of the CEOS : The number of Cabinet members and other staff that can be engaged as temporary staff is determined by the Rules governing the composition of the Members' Cabinets. There are no formal selection procedures for the engagement of Cabinet temporary agents.

• Contract Agents for European Commission or for Other EU bodies (from GF-I to GF-IV, GF meaning function group).

  • Contract Agents 3a

    • Can work part-time or full-time in non-established positions.

    • May have their initial contract converted into an indefinite one after renewal.

  • Contract Agents type 3b (also known as "auxiliary contract")

    • Employed by the Commission for short durations, ranging from 3 months to a maximum of 6 years, on non-established positions

• Seconded national experts

It is important to notice that what EPSO calls other contracts are not contract as EU staff, but are closer to IT external consultant contractual agreements. The staff member is working inside the institution premise, but as an employee or interimaire through a private company to which the institution outsourced the work.

External links

Temporary Staff : https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2018-07/commission-decision-temporary-agents-c-2013-9049-en.pdf

Contract Staff : https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=C(2017)6760&lang=en