Staff Regulations of EC officials: amending the Regulations

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the report drafted by Malcolm HARBOUR (EPP-ED, UK) and Manuel MEDINA ORTEGA (PES, E). Parliament adopted the majority of the amendments tabled by the Legal Affairs Committee (please see the summary of 19/02/04) and thus decided that the Regulation shall enter into force on the 1st of May 2004 in order to coincide with the date of accession of the new Member States. Parliament also voted in favour of allowing the institutions to organise internal competitions for each function group on the basis of qualifications or tests. However it was felt that these competitions should only be open to members of the temporary staff of the institution. Parliament should organise an internal competition once every 5 years for each function group, rather than organising at least two internal competitions every 5 years, as proposed. In order to qualify for the competitions, participants will be required to have a minimum of 10 years of service in the role of temporary servants. Although Parliament backed the Commission proposal that the contracts of contract staff may be concluded for a fixed period of at least three months and not more than five years, but may be renewed, the House adopted an amendment specifying that if the cumulative duration of the initial contract and successive renewals exceed five years, any further renewal shall be for an indefinite period.�