” “A reform of the personnel of ” “EU institutions is wished by the employees themselves ” “but the Kinnock proposal has aroused hostility. Meanwhile ” “over 800 early retirements are being prepared” “
The “Draft Regulation of the Council modifying the statute of employees of the European Communities and the regime applicable to the other agents of the said Communities”, prepared by the European Commission under the responsibility of vice-president Neil Kinnock (cf. report on the previous page), does not convince those directly concerned, who have expressed numerous perplexities. In the view of Rocco Tanzilli, assistant director general of the General Directorate of personnel and administration, “a reform is inevitable, since the system doesn’t work. At least half the personnel is surplus to requirements. But what’s needed is an intelligent distribution, without lay-offs, to create synergies and avoid the phenomena of corruption”. To improve the situation, Tanzilli suggests two possible scenarios: “The first would consist in adopting a strictly managerial approach, cutting away dead wood and controlling productivity. But that is not always feasible, bearing in mind the enormous political and financial interests at stake. So there is no alternative to the approach adopted by this reform”. However, Tanzilli continues, “I think that Commissioner Kinnock has not gone far enough; this proposal does not attack the real problems of the institutions: problems of efficiency, optimization of resources to prevent wastage, of transparency, of the professional motivation of new staff, of generational solidarity among the personnel. Within any enterprise, public or private, profit or non profit making, to change something you first have to make what already exists work well. That’s an indispensable principle of good economic management. By changing everything from inside, without controls, we risk raising costs, creating a system with a few powerful heads, generating the revolt of permanent staff, and instigating thousands of applications for career transfers”. Maria Paola Sabbatucci, on the staff of the European Parliament for quarter of a century and member of its personnel Committee, also has difficulty in finding positive aspects in the Kinnock reform. “Privileging merit at the expense of length of service is undoubtedly to be welcomed: we’ve been calling for that for years, but the problem is that the concept of merit is not backed up by objective criteria to determine it. The reform, by introducing the instrument of the ‘attestation’ by an employee’s superior in the hierarchy, effectively sanctions a subjective criterion that is clearly arbitrary”. Moreover, in Sabbatucci’s view, “the recommendation of the role of ‘contractual agents’ represents an attack on the independence of the European public function. The enlargement of the Union, in truth, is only a pretext, and not a legitimate justification, for this reform”. Franco Campoli, currently principal administrator in the general directorate of enterprises, has served in the Commission since 1985. He too starts out from the acknowledgement of the need to improve the system, which is no longer keeping pace with the times: “The reform was born following the Santer crisis in 1999 caused by failings in management mainly caused by external personnel. But instead of correcting these abuses, by professionally qualifying and enhancing the role of the statutory personnel, especially the young recently taken on the workforce, the reform says Campoli aims to fetter the employees still further by making them even more dependent on ever more powerful hierarchies; not only will the objectives of obtaining greater responsibility and transparency not be obtained, but the contrary effect of risking a growth of the democratic deficit will be run”. In view of a possible enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 countries, the European Commission, on 20 March, adopted three draft regulations concerning early retirement for over 800 employees: 600 employees of the Commission, 94 of the Council, 100 of the European Parliament and 24 temporary agents of the political groups. The three proposals were approved by the Council of economic and financial ministers of 19 July, under the Danish presidency. The personnel of the Council, of the Commission and of the European Parliament, who have reached the age of 55 and have at least 15 years of service, will be eligible to benefit from early retirement, leaving their posts to employees of the EU’s new member states. G.A.G.
