ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(81)33
Vol.1981/0007

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
I
COM(81)33 final
Brussels,3rdFebruary1981
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TOTHECOUNCIL
concerning themethodofthesurveyconductedforthepurposes
oftheannualadjustmentofdailyallowancesformissions
inCommunitycountries (Article13ofAnnexVIIto
theStaffRegulations ofOfficials)
Ρ!.Λ ΛΛ
COM(81)33final

Commission communication totheCouncilconcerning themethodofthe
surveyconducted ,forthepurposesoftheannualadjustment ofdaily
allowances formissions inCommunity countries
(Article13ofAnnexVIItotheStaffRegulations ofOfficials )
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1WhentheCounciladjusted theallowances on20November 197°
(Regulation (EEC)No271l/78)»theCommission statedthatfor
futureadjustments itwouldcontinue tousethemethoddevised
forthesurveyconducted onthatoccasion inordertohelpproduce
greaterclarityinthearrangements forreimbursing missionexpenses .
Thecriteria usedthenaresetoutbelow:
1.1.1Hotels
Singleroomwithabathinafirst–class(notluxury)hotelfor
gradeA1-A3andLA3officials andinasecond–classhotelfor
officials ofothergrades.
Thefirst–class(notluxury)categorycorresponds toa"topclass"
or"verycomfortable "classification intheMichelin Guide.
Thesecond–classcategory corresponds tothe"goodaverage"
classification intheMichelin Guide(hotelsclassified as"fairly
comfortable "aretoouncomfortable andoftendonothaveenough
roomswithbathroom).
1-1.2Meals
Asimplemeal:soupoftheday
thecheapest maincourse
thecheapest sweet
Afullmeal:amedium-priced starter
redmeatdish
amedium–pricedsweet
acupofcoffee
Thepricesofthesemealsaretakeninthefollowing establishments :
–forgradeA1–A3officials :intherestaurants ofthereference
hotelsandinafewrestaurants equivalent to"fairlycomfortable "
restaurants intheMichelin Guideclassification ;
-forofficials ofothergrades:intherestaurants ofthe
reference hotelsandinafewrestaurants equivalent to"plain
butgood"restaurants intheMichelin Guideclassification .

-2-
1.1.3Sundryexpenses
Thedailyallowance isdivided upinthefollowing way:
A1-A3: Allowance =100/6
Twomeals=90%
Sundryexpenses =10%
Othergrades:Allowance =100%
Hotel+breakfast =50%
Twomeals=45%
Sundryexpenses =5%
Sundryexpenses arecalculated bytakingoneninthofthetotal
costofthetwomainmeals.Theyaresupposed tocoverthecost
offourjourneys bypublictransport andtwolocaltelephone calls.
1.2WhentheCounciladjusted theallowances on18December 1979
(Regulation (EEC)No2955/79)i"tmadeitsagreement subjecttothe
condition thattheCommission revisethemethodhitherto applied
forascertaining thelevelofhotelandrestaurant prices.The
following pointstobetakenintoconsideration weresetoutinthe
reportoftheWorkingPartyontheStaffRegulations (doc.10878/79»
paraII,1b):
"Regardless oftheirposition withregardtothisproposal foran
adjustment ,mostofthedelegations considered thatthehotelsand
restaurants covered bytheCommission surveychargeparticularly
highprices;theyfeelthatthemethodofthepricesurveyshould
berevisedinthelightofthefollowing points:
–thesurveyshouldbebasedprimarily onhotelsandrestaurants
charging lowerprices;
–inthemainplacesofmissiontheinstitutions shouldtryto
conclude agreements withhotelswithregardtothepriceswhich
Community officials onmissionarecharged ;
–inthemainplacesofmission ,therearerestaurants orcanteens
runbytheinstitutions whichchargefairlylowpricesandwhich
areopentoofficials onmission."
1.3Thispapersetsouttheconclusions ofareviewofthecriteria
madeinthelightoftherecommendations oftheWorkingPartyon
theStaffRegulations .
2.PROPOSAL FORAREVISED METHOD
2.1UnderArticle13(6)ofAnnexVIItotheStaffRegulations ,"the
dailysubsistence allowance forofficials onmissionshallbe
considered tocoverallexpenditure incurred trytheofficial....".
Theprocedure forpreparing aproposalforadjustment involves
breaking theallowance downintothemainexpensecomponents in
ordertodetermine byhowmuchpriceshavechanged .Theexpenses
allowedhitherto wereveryreasonable (drinksnotincludedfor
meals),andcertainadditional personal expenses whichmissions
alwaysentailarenottakenintoaccountindetermining thefixed
allowance .

-3-
TheCommission 'sresponse tothepointssetoutat1.2aboveisas
follows :
2.2.1Itisnotpossibletolowerthestandardofthereference hotels:
thepresentcriteria (point1.1.1)alreadyexcludeluxuryhotels
andtakeintoconsideration ,forgradesA1-A3,first–classhotels
("topclass"or"verycomfortable "categories intheMichelinGuide)
and,forothergrades,second-class hotels("goodaverage"categoryintheMichelinGuide).
Alowerstandard wouldmeanthatthereference hotelswouldbetoo
uncomfortable andoftenwouldnothavesufficient roomswitha
bathroom (telephone ,worktable,distancefromplaceofmission).
Thepresentlistofreference hotelswillbereviewed onthebasis
ofclassifications drawnupbythevariousnationaltouristoffices.
2.2.2Since1975 "theCommission hasbeenattempting toconclude agreements
withhotelstosecurereducedpricesforstaffonmission.
Withafewexceptions ,theseattempts haveprovedfruitless for
thefollowing reasons :
-inthecitiesmostfrequently visited bystaffonmission ,hotels
exceptforluxuryones,willnotofferreductions sincetheyare
alreadywellpatronized ;
-anyhotelwhich,exceptionally ,isprepared toofferareduction ,
willrequireanagreement guaranteeing aminimum numberof
overnight stays;theadministration cannotoffersuchguarantees
sincestafftravelling onmissionarefreetochoosetheirhotel
(sectionIIoftheGeneralImplementing Provisions relatingto
Articles 11,12and13ofAnnexVIItotheStaffRegulations );
-intherarecaseswherereductions aregranted onapersonal
basis,acondition isthatthebookingisnotmadethrougha
travelagency.
Conclusions
Therewouldbenopointinhavingagreements withhotelsunlessthe
following conditions werefulfilled :
–grantofexclusive rightstocertainhotels;
–guarantee ofaminimum numberofovernight staysperyear;
–obligation forofficials tostayinthehotelsspecified bythe
Commission ;
–centralization ofbookings bytheadministration .
Theseconditions cannotbefulfilled forreasonsderiving fromtherules(freechoiceofhotelforstafftravelling onmission)and
forreasonsofadministrative infrastructure (staffarenot
available forthiswork).

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2.2.3Ontheotherhand,itwould ,bepossible incertaincasestouse
restaurants charging lowerpricesasreference pointsinthe
survey.
Thenewcriteria wouldbeasfollows :
-priceofameal(withadrinkandcoffee)inarestaurant runby
theinstitutions or,failingthat,inasnackbar;
-priceofalunch(menuofthedayorbusiness lunchwitha
drinkandcoffee)inthereference hotels;
-priceoftwodinners(alacarte–averagepriceswithadrink
andcoffee)inthesamehotels.
Thetotalpriceofthefourmealsdivided bytwogivesthepart
oftheallowance covering twomeals.
2.2.4In"thelightofourexperience ,wewouldsuggestthatthefixed
allotvance coveringallmissionexpenses (Article13(6)of
AnnexVIItotheStaffRegulations )mightbebrokendownas
follows :
Grades A1-A3 Allowance 100%+maximumhotel
price
Twomeals 80io
Breakfast =10$
Sundryexpenses 10$
Allowance =100$
Hotel+breakfast =«55Ί
Twomeals =40$*
Sundryexpenses =5/0Othergrades
2.2.5Thesurveywouldbeconducted xnthecapital andinoneother
majorcityineachMemberState.
*
Tobedetermined afterthesurveys.