92001E2056

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2056/01

by Gianfranco Dell'Alba (TDI) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Commission's decision to discontinue medals for twenty years' service

The Commission would appear to have decided to put an end to the practice of awarding medals to officials after twenty years' service and to replace it with a European civil servant's diploma, to be awarded after twenty-five years' service.

The decision was apparently taken in response to a report produced by the Peer Group, which deemed the awarding of medals after twenty years' service in the European institutions to be a negative priority.

1. Would the Commission state exactly why, in spite of the fact that in its current staff reform proposals it continues to claim that European civil servants are the life blood of the European institutions, it intends to do away with this traditional means of acknowledging the work carried out by officials in these institutions, on the grounds that it is a negative priority?

2. Would the Commission not agree that the European civil service could do without another small but significant gesture of this kind, which is clearly unhelpful and quite frankly incomprehensible?

3. Would the Commission not agree that it would be wise for it to reverse the decision?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 2001)

The award of medals for 20 years of service was originally introduced to mark the first 20 years of the European Institutions and subsequently adopted as a way of recognising the contribution made by officials working in the Institutions.

This year, the Commission will be following its usual custom of awarding 20-year service medals. The awards will be made at Directorates General and services and a reception in honour of all recipients will take place at each Commission location. In Brussels the President of the Commission will attend the occasion.

The Commission recognises the significance of acknowledging good service and has recently proposed a number of measures which will reflect that, not only near the time of retirement, but also during the career of a civil servant.

These proposed measures are currently being discussed with the Staff Representatives in the joint committees for social issues and they will be implemented as soon as a final decision has been reached in 2002.