WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2522/97 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Grading of newly-recruited Commission officials by group and step
Date: 1997-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, KAKLAMANIS
Subjects: European Commission, European official, appointment of staff, power to appoint, promotion, regulations for civil servants

C 82/100

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 3. 98

The  new  approach  proposed  for  the  5th  framework  programme  is  particularly  well  illustrated  by  the  (cid:145)key
actions(cid:146).  A  contribution  is  needed  from  many  areas  of  technology  in  order  to  achieve  the  objectives  set,  but
without carrying out work on a large scale in all those areas as was the case under the 4th framework programme.

Nevertheless, purely for illustrative purposes, a few examples of areas of research which might be stopped or, on
the contrary, introduced in the context of the 5th framework programme are mentioned below:

› 

raw  materials  prospecting,  systematic  sequencing  of  the  genes  of  model  organisms  (examples  of  areas
stopped or significantly reduced);

›  aircraft  of  the  future,  (cid:145)eco-management(cid:146)  of  products,  polar  research,  (cid:145)city  of  tomorrow/digital  city(cid:146)

(examples of areas introduced or reinforced).

Mechanisms for increasing flexibility will be incorporated in the specific programmes. However, reducing in the
number  of  thematic  programmes  from  fifteen  to  three,  as  proposed  by  the  Commission,  should  make  for
increased flexibility in terms of programme implementation, subject to the limits set in the programme decisions
and in the context of the annual budgetary procedure.

2.
A direct comparison of the funding of research areas between the two framework programmes is difficult
for  the  reasons  given  above.  However,  the  growing  importance  of  themes  related  to  life  sciences  and  the
ecosystem, the significant increase in the fourth activity (improving human potential) and the reduction in the
share of the nuclear programmes can be noted.

(1)  COM(97) 142 final.
(2)  Decision No 1110/94/EC › OJ L 126, 18.5.1994.

(98/C 82/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2522/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(24 July 1997)

Subject: Grading of newly-recruited Commission officials by group and step

Given the lack of transparency regarding the method by which the Commission grades newly-recruited officials
by group and step, will it say:

1.  which criteria are used for grading newly-recruited officials in the Commission?

2.  given  the  vagueness  of  the  rules  governing  conditions  of  service  on  this  matter,  which  documents  or
publications explain in detail how officials are graded by group and step and whether the public and, above
all, those immediately concerned, have free access to these documents?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 September 1997)

The appointing authority  takes its  decision on classification  by  grade  and  step  after  consultation  of the  Joint
Committee on Grading.

This Committee operates in accordance with criteria applicable since October 1983 and adjusted on 7 February
1996.

A copy of the decision on the criteria applicable to classification by grade and step, which is handed out on
request to officials and temporary staff when they take up their duties, is being sent directly to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

The Honourable Member is also being sent a copy of the regulation which makes certain exceptions for nationals
of the new Member States.