Language training courses
- If you are a newcomer and would like to learn Italian,
- If you would like to learn English, French or German or just want to practise and improve your fluency,
- If you don't have enough time to attend a 4-hour-a-week language course with the "institutional" training,
- If you simply need a language course that fits your personal needs in order to improve your own skills,
R&D can help you with personalised language lessons, both individually and in group!
Send an email to jrc-rd-ispra@ec.europa.eu and indicate the language you are interested to learn/improve: we will contact you for an appointment to determine your level and to agree on the next steps (length of the course/date and time, etc..).
The teachers are a native speaking language teachers, highly experienced in teaching Italian to foreigners and languages to JRC staff.
R&D day
On Monday 9th October we held our R&D Day at Villa Borghi.
Together with 17 members we went through a deep analysis of R&D's role of staff representation, focusing on our strengths and weaknesses, values and needs. The aim of our event was to define a concrete action-plan and start different activities to improve the dialogue with our members and more in general with all staff.
Does all this stop here? NO! We need your input and suggestions! Only in this way can we be YOUR staff representatives. Tell us what's going on in your institutes, units and offices: we'll do our best to represent you. Please feel free to join our discussion on Yammer or to pass by our office in building 63!
SWALS
At the moment SWALS attending the same class in different language sections don't have access to the same didactical conditions and their number is expected to increase.
We are convinced that the European School in Varese can really make the difference for the attractiveness of the Ispra site and is of fundamental importance for the existence of the JRC. R&D will make sure that attention is kept high on the SWALS issue and will urge for a positive resolution of the problem.
Reform 2013
Hereafter we give an overview of the main elements of the amendment of the Staff Regulations (the so-called “Reform”), which should be implemented on 1st of January 2013.
For the sake of clarity, we remind that:
For the sake of clarity, we remind that:
· The European Commission finalized its proposal of Reform in December 2011.
· The European Parliament has put forward amendments to the Commission proposal in April 2012.
· The Council hasn’t yet communicated its position but should do it during the autumn 2012.
We detail these three steps in the following “Snapshot on the Reform I”, “Snapshot on the Reform II” and “Snapshot on the Reform III”.
Snapshot on the Reform III: Opinion of the Council
As no agreement has been reached in the Council Status Working Group so far, it is expected that the discussions will continue in September, under the Cypriot Presidency.
If the reform of the Staff Regulations will not finalized for end of 2012, it is highly probable that specific dispositions will be adopted for the annual salary adaptation and the special levy.
Snapshot on the Reform II: European Parliament amendments
This is a summary (not exhaustive) of the most important changes to the Commission's proposal. The main amendments adopted by the JURI Committee can be divided into 2 categories:
I. MODIFICATION OF PROVISIONS INTRODUCED IN THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL
Contract Agents
- duration of contract: limiting the maximum duration of Contract Agents (AC3b) to 5 years instead of 6 years as proposed by the Commission.
- internal competition: internal competition may be open to contract staff provided they have worked as contract staff for at least three years for the institution concerned at the closing date for application for the competition.
Annual Trip Home
2,5 days of supplementary leave every year, without any distance calculations (for officials entitled to both the expatriation/foreign residence allowance) + reduction of payment of travel expenses for officials in higher grades.
II. NEW ELEMENTS INTRODUCED
Advancement in step
No automatic advancement in step if the official's performance has been evaluated as unsatisfactory in the last period's report.
Snapshot on the Reform I: main Commission proposals
(see also Myintracomm - blue network or Myintracomm - green network)
Staff cuts
To reduce staff numbers in all categories and in all Institutions, bodies and agencies by 5% by 2018, by not replacing part of the staff leaving the service.
The Method
· To extend the Method for adjusting salaries and pensions to 10 years (compared to 8 years in the initial proposal from June 2011), simplify the process by modifying certain parameters, and introduce a new exception clause to allow the Commission to react appropriately if faced with serious economic crises in the future. To change the correction coefficient calculation, using the July 2012 coefficient as a starting base and update it based on the national inflation.
· To introduce a new solidarity levy (replacing the current special levy) of 6.0% as from 1 January 2013 for the duration of the method.
Retirement and pensions
· To increase the normal retirement age to 65 years.
· To increase the minimum age for early retirement with reduction of acquired pension rights from the current 55 years to 58 years.
Conditions of employment
· To increase the number of minimum weekly working hours for staff in all Institutions, bodies and agencies i.e. to 40 hours per week (from average of from 37.5 hours), while maintaining the statutory maximum of 42 hours per week.
· To include in the Staff Regulations an explicit reference to the current flexible working arrangements and to limit the possibilities for managers to recuperate extra days on a systematic basis.
Annual trip home and service related trips
· To limit the number of leave days granted to staff for their annual trip to their home Member State to a maximum of 3 days, instead of the current maximum of 6 days.
· To introduce a new simplified and modernized method for calculating the distance between the place of employment and the place of origin in the home country. It will have an impact on allowances linked with the annual trip home as well as the trips linked to taking up duty, end of service and transfer.
Careers
· To allow Contract Agents in all function groups in the Institutions to stay for a maximum of 6 years instead of the current 3 years.
· For the AST function group, to establish a closer link between responsibilities and grades - as exists for the two highest AD grades. In the future, AST officials who wish to progress to the AST 10 grade will have to demonstrate, via a selection procedure, that they possess the appropriate level of expertise and qualifications.
· To create a new AST/SEC function group for career path for staff performing secretarial task
· For AST 1 staff recruited after 2004, to introduce the possibility for a limited number of staff to broaden their career prospects, again linked to job responsibilities.
· To allow for corrective measures for certain nationalities, with a view to addressing geographical imbalances.
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