Reforming the Commission: termination-of-service for officials

The aim of the present proposal is to authorise the termination of the service of 600 officials in the European Commission, 200 being released in 2002, a further 200 in 2003 and the remaining 200 in 2004. Provided that the operation has no net budgetary impact, the savings from these staff cuts (the difference between the cost of full remuneration and that of the redundancy packages) should pay for the recruitment of some 273 new officials in categories A/LA and B. Overall, this amounts to a recovery by the budgetary authority of 327 posts (the difference between 600 redundancies and 273 recruitments). The eventual cost saving will be felt from 2009 onwards. In fact, between 2009 and 2012 the amount of termination allowance payable will tail off as the former officials gradually become eligible to draw their occupational retirement pensions. By about 2012, the savings generated will correspond to the cost of 327 posts recovered by the budgetary authority. �