EC Staff Regulations: reform, pay and pension

PURPOSE : to adopt temporary measures concerning the reform of the Staff Regulations. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) 2181/2003 concerning transitional measures to be adopted for the reform of the Staff Regulations, in particular with regard to pay and pension. CONTENT : in the framework of the revision of the current Staff Regulations of officials and Conditions of Employment of other servants of the European Communities, which were originally adopted in 1962, has led to the requirement to phase in certain reform measures: the annual adjustment of pay scales on the basis of the current method, a new special levy and a new pension contribution rate are to take effect as from 1 January 2004, by way of transitional measures, while the revised regulation amending the Staff Regulations is to enter into force on 1 May 2004. A temporary measure regarding remuneration paid by the Communities to staff in active employment, to be known as the 'special levy', shall be applied from 1 January 2004. The rate of the special levy shall be 2,5 %. The base for the special levy shall be the basic salary for the grade and step used to calculate remuneration, minus: - social security and pension contributions and the tax, before the special levy, payable by an official in the same grade and step without dependants and an amount equal to the basic salary of an official in grade D4, step 1. The special levy shall be deducted monthly at source; the proceeds shall be entered as revenue in the general budget of the European Communities. From 1 January 2004, the contribution rate of the Staff Regulations shall be set at 9,25 %. The maximum rate for payments pursuant to Article 42 of the Conditions of Employment of other servants of the European Communities shall be set at 18,5 %. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 16/12/2003. The Regulation shall apply from 8/12/2003 until the date of applicability of the Council Regulation amending the Staff Regulations of officials and the Conditions of Employment of other servants of the European Communities, proposed by the Commission on 18/11/2003, but at the latest until 30/06/2004.�