COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
COM(94) 671 final 
Brussels, 04.01.1995 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
Rebalancing of the Research personnel structure 
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I. Introduction 
On the basis of an agreement of 1973, the Commission made a political commitment 
before the Council to recruit only temporary staff for jobs concerning the research 
budget, although these jobs are really of a permanent nature from a budgetary 
standpoint. 
This commitment was the result of a process which had started at the beginning of the 
1970's, and which had allowed inter alia the integration of personnel in the local 
statute in the capacity of temporary Research staff. 
The number of officials financed from the Research budget, recruited before 1973 or 
transferred since from other sectors of the Commission or of other Institutions, has 
decreased continuously, since there has been no new recruitment of officials on the 
Research budget for about twenty years. 
This situation puts Research activities at a disadvantage with respect to the other 
policies of the Commission whereas, from its treatment in the Single Act, strengthened 
further by the Maastricht treaty, Research acquired the permanence of a basic policy 
of the Community. 
The development of the successive Framework programmes, as well as the 
implementation of the specific programmes envisaged in the 4th RTD Framework 
programme, require an adjustment of the policy as regards Research personnel, and 
in particular: 
- the introduction of a principle of flexibility in the management of staff connected 
with the Research budget, in view of the new policies and tasks entrusted to the 
research sector, and competitiveness to the JRC. 
- the introduction of a policy of partial establishment of temporary agents connected 
with the Research budget so as, on the one hand, to maintain the excellence and 
competence of personnel in the research sector and, on the other hand, to preserve 
a technical and scientific memory, 
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II. The implementation of flexibility 
Flexibility will be ensured by personnel whose number is limited to 25% of the 
manpower authorised for the research budget. 
Increased recourse will be made, in accordance with the applicable rules, to external 
personnel such as visiting scientists, holders of grants, national experts on secondment, 
trainees, as well as to auxiliary staff, and temporary staff within the meaning of article 
2d of the RAA, working under limited-duration contracts, whose cumulative duration 
will not be able to exceed 3 years. These temporary staff will be recruited on the basis 
of a shortened procedure of specific selections mainly for scientific or technical tasks. 
This type of selection excludes any possibility of extension or renewal of contracts 
beyond the maximum 3-year duration. The criteria of classification will be applicable 
to them. 
111. Rebalancing of the structure of Research personnel 
1. Proposed structure 
The constant reduction in the number of officials financed from the Research 
budget, as well as systematic recourse since 1973 to temporary contracts to fill the 
permanent posts of the Research budget, has contributed to a gradual compromising 
of the balance between the various Research personnel. 
The Commission considers that at the present time, a suitable Research personnel 
structure could be as follows: 
a) 25% personnel ensuring flexibility 
b) 35% temporary staff within the meaning of the 2d article of the RAA; 
c) 40% officials; 
These percentages have to apply separately both to the scientific or technical staff 
as well as to the administrative staff, as set out in the lists of the posts paid for 
from Research appropriations appearing in the budget, with the exception of grades 
Al and A2. 
2. Implementation of the rebalancing of the structure of Research personnel 
Establishment will be carried out according to existing availability and in view of 
the plans for increasing staff numbers. 
While taking care, during a transition period, to guarantee an equitable treatment 
to all temporary agents concerned, coming from the various personnel lists, and 
categories of the research budget, the objective is gradually to reach a suitable 
rebalancing of the structure of Research personnel, which should in the long term 
be composed, up to the total of the lists of the posts concerning the Research 
budget, and divided proportionally according to the table of manpower, by 
framework (administrative or scientific/technical) and by category, of 25% 
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personnel ensuring flexibility, 35% temporary staff within the meaning of the 
art.2d. of the RAA, and 40% of officials. 
3. Establishment 
On the basis of the objectives defined above, and in view of the forecast population 
development, the Commission will decide annually on the number of 
establishments planned during the year, broken down by posts, framework 
(administrative or scientific/technical) and category. 
The internal establishment competitions will be organized annually based on 
qualifications and tests, after consulting the Joint Committee (COPAR). 
They will be open to agents having in principle a minimum often years' seniority; 
the practicalities of which can however be adapted by the COPAR for each specific 
category of personnel according to the establishments planned. 
s ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(94) 671 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 01 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-004-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-84786-7 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
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