Report from the Commission to the Council on the application of Annex X to the Staff Regulations (Council Regulation 3019/87 of 5.10.1987) Year 2001
Date: 2002-07-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European official, employment policy, labour mobility, regulations for civil servants, remuneration of work, servant (EU), third country, working conditions

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 08.07.2002
COM(2002) 366 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL

on the application of Annex X to the Staff Regulations
(Council Regulation 3019/87 of 5.10.1987)
Year 2001

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL

on the application of Annex X to the Staff Regulations
(Council Regulation 3019/87 of 5.10.1987)
2001

INTRODUCTION

In  accordance  with  Article  101a  of  the  Staff  Regulations,  Annex  X  determines,  without
prejudice  to  the  other  provisions  of  the  Staff  Regulations,  the  special  and  exceptional
provisions  applicable  to  officials  of  the  European  Communities  serving  in  non-member
countries.

Article 14 of Annex X requires the Commission to "submit an annual report to the Council on
the application of this Annex and in particular on the  fixing of the rate of the allowance for
living conditions as provided for in Article 10".

Since 1 January 1988, the Commission has prepared eleven reports. They cover the following
periods:  October  1987-December  1988,  1989,  1990-1991,  1992,  1993,  1994,  1995,  1996,
1997-1998, 1999 and 2000.

Reflecting the wishes of the Council, further staff redeployment took place in 2001.

CHAPTER 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE 1: RECRUITMENT

The allocation of posts in the External Service, which stood at 693 (including five 'floaters') at
31 December 2000, was increased by 40 as part of the devolution exercise, giving a total of
733  posts.  At  31  December  2001  636  of  these  were  filled.  A  further  27  vacant  posts  were
redeployed (see Article 2: Mobility) during the year A sizeable proportion (around thirty) of
the  officials  recruited  to  the  40  devolved  posts  took  up  their  duties  in  the  delegations  in
January 2002.

In 2001, there were only two external recruitment procedures (two successful candidates from
competitions (COM/1/12/98 and COM/10/98).

2

ARTICLE 2: MOBILITY

Rotation

The rotation arrangements for 2001 covered 178 officials (175 in 2000) on the list, of whom:

– 

– 

– 

– 

47 moved between delegations

(64 in 2000)

74 moved from a delegation to headquarters

(62 in 2000)

17 terminated their service

40 remained in their posts

(12 in 2000)

(37 in 2000)

The principle of alternate postings in delegations and at headquarters resulted in:

– 

– 

74 moves from a delegation to headquarters

(62 in 2000)

79 moves from headquarters to a delegation

(67 in 2000)

In all, 217 officials moved under the 2001 rotation exercise (compared to 205 in 2000).

Redeployment

Continuing the redeployment exercise for 2001, 4 posts were taken from the 31 approved for
redeployment in 2000 and used to build up the strength in Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco and
Tunisia.

Another 17 posts from that reserve were reassigned as follows: Brazil, Cambodia (2), China
(2),  Croatia,  Côte  d'Ivoire,  India  (2),  Nepal,  Paraguay,  Russia  (3),  Thailand,  Vietnam  and
Washington.

A further redeployment of 10 posts was approved:

from:  Mozambique,  Burkina  Faso,  Cameroon,  Lebanon,  Niger,  Zimbabwe,  Costa  Rica,
Albania and Bosnia, to: Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Malta, Niger, Tunisia and Venezuela.

ARTICLE 3: RETRAINING

In 2001, 53 External Service officials posted back to headquarters to one of the Relex DGs or
departments under the rotation policy were the subject of retraining decisions.

CHAPTER 2: OBLIGATIONS

ARTICLE 4: CARRYING OUT DUTIES AT PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT

Nothing to report.

3

ARTICLE 5: ACCOMMODATION

In 2001, DG Relex continued the policy of providing furnished accommodation for officials
serving outside the Community. References for floor area, number of bedrooms and cost/m²
by country  had been laid down  early in  2000.  In  many cases, however,  they  quickly  turned
out to bear little relation to market conditions. Since late 2001, therefore work has been under
way  to  devise  new  standards  based  on  London's  ECA  (Employment  Conditions  Abroad).
These will be submitted to the CCAM (Advisory Committee on Procurements and Contracts)
for approval in the course of 2002.

CHAPTER 3: WORKING CONDITIONS

ARTICLES 6, 7 AND 9: ANNUAL LEAVE

Further standardisation of these arrangements was achieved in 2000 with regard to:

– 

– 

entitlement,  which  has  been  calculated  since  1998  on  the  basis  of  working  days
instead of calendar days

and  requests  for  carryover  of  leave  from  one  year  to  the  next.  In  line  with
headquarters' recommendations, officials serving abroad have made an effort to use
their entitlement and reduce excessive carryover of leave.

The table below shows a clear fall from 1994/95 to 1999/2001 in carryovers of more than 14
days and in particular of those between 36 and 70 days:

Year

Number of officials
concerned

1994/95
1999/2000
2000/2001

590
639
615

Carryovers of
between 14 and 35
days
180
171
208

Carryovers of
between 36 and 50
days
67
18
24

Carryovers of
between 51 and 70
days
25
8
8

ARTICLES 8 AND 9(2): EXCEPTIONAL GRANTING OF REST LEAVE

Under its regular annual exercise, the Commission decided on 5 February 2001 to grant rest
leave  for  the  year,  by  way  of  exception,  only  for  places  of  employment  where  living
conditions were considered "particularly difficult", on the basis of the parameters used to fix
the living-conditions allowance each year, and for places declared to be in crisis.

Strict application of  the conditions set  out  in Article 8 of Annex X  resulted  in  this  decision
being  taken  for  28  places  of  employment  in  2001  (see  Annex  I),  against  30  in  2000.  For
places in crisis, entitlement is granted in proportion to the actual duration of the crisis.

4

CHAPTER 4: EMOLUMENTS
AND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

SECTION 1: EMOLUMENTS AND FAMILY ALLOWANCES

ARTICLE 10(1) ALLOWANCE FOR LIVING CONDITIONS

On 11 December 2000, the Commission fixed the living-conditions allowance rates for 2001
as shown in the table in Annex II. (The allowances were increased for three postings: South
Korea from 15% to 20%; Japan/Naka from 20% to 25%; Zimbabwe from 10% to 15%, and
lowered for three others: Bosnia-Herzegovina from 25% to 20%, Tanzania from 35% to 25%;
and Vietnam from 35% to 25%).

ARTICLE 10(2) ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCE

Commission  Decisions  allocated  additional  allowances  in  2001  to  officials  in  the  following
posts:

Country

Albania

Algeria

Burundi

Eritrea

FR Yugoslavia-
Pristina (Task Force)
Sierra Leone

Pakistan

Effective from
beginning of
March 1997
June 1997
October 2001
November 1993
December 1993
May 2000
January 2000
July 2001
June 1998
July 1998
April 2000
July 1999

July 1997
August 1998
December 1998
November 1999
May 2000
October 2000
September 2001
February 2002

Crisis level or end

Number of officials
concerned

10%
5%
end
5%
10%
5%
5%
end
10%
5%
End
5%

10%
5%
10%
5%
10%
5%
5%
end

7

3

1

3
20

3

5

ARTICLES 11 AND 12: ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PAYMENT OF REMUNERATION

The  currency  in  which  officials'  remuneration  was  paid  in  2001  breaks  down  as  follows  in
percentage terms:

5

– 

– 

– 

70.5% opted to have their salaries paid in euros under Article 11 of Annex X to the
Staff Regulations;

24.5% requested payment of  part of their  remuneration in local currency.  Of these,
40% asked for the maximum allowed by the internal directives relating to Article 12
of  Annex  X  (80%)  and  the  remainder  opted  for  percentages  varying  between  17%
and  78%.  In  2001,  a  90%  maximum  limit  continued  to  apply  in  Japan  under  the
second  paragraph  of  Article  1  of  the  internal  directives  relating  to  Article  12  of
Annex X to the Staff Regulations;

lastly, under the second paragraph of Article 12 of Annex X, 5% requested payment
of  part  of  their  remuneration  in  a  currency  other  than  that  of  their  place  of
employment  (Russia,  Ukraine  and  Kazakhstan),  on  the  basis  of  the  necessary
supporting documents.

ARTICLE 13: WEIGHTINGS

On  10  September  2001,  the  Council  adopted  Regulation  No  1794/20011  laying  down  the
weightings applicable to the remuneration of officials of the European Communities serving
in third countries from 1 January 2001, and on 12 February 2002, Regulation No 302/20022
laying down the weightings applicable from 1 July 2001.

On  30  November  2001  the  Council  adopted  Regulation  No  2367/20013  to  adjust  the
weightings for officials serving in Naka (Japan), amending:

–  Regulation No 106/2001 laying down the weightings applicable from 1 January 2000, and

–  Regulation No 1794/2001 laying down the weightings applicable from 1 July 2000.

On  26  November  20014  the  Commission  approved  the  decision  adjusting  the  weightings
applicable from 1 February, 1 March, 1 April, 1 May and 1 June 2001.

ARTICLE 15: EDUCATION ALLOWANCE

A  total  of  EUR 2 835  400  was  paid  in  education  allowances  in  the  year  2000/2001.  The
system of paying advances on education allowances to staff incurring particularly high costs
was retained. All the advances granted for the 2000/2001 school year were settled within the
prescribed deadlines.

As in previous years, the relatively high exchange rate for the yen prompted the Commission
to allow the maximum annual reimbursement to be exceeded for the 2000/2001 school year in
the case of officials serving in Japan whose children attended an international school there.

The  combination  of  a  general  increase  in  education  costs  and  the  unfavourable  euro-dollar
exchange  rate  prompted  the  Commission  to  allow  the  maximum  reimbursement  to  be
exceeded in other places of employment too.

1 
2 
3 
4 

OJ L 244, 14.9.2001, p. 1.
OJ L 47, 19.2.2002, p. 4.
OJ L 320, 05.12.2001, p.1.
OJ L 321, 6.12.2001, p. 31.

6

                                                
However,  these  authorisations  were  granted  on  an  exceptional  basis  and  only  for  children
following  a  course  of  education  at  the  place  of  employment  and  attending  an  international
school  offering  the  European  or  international  baccalaureate,  i.e.  the  Lycée  Français,  British
School, Deutsche Schule or American/International School.

As was the case last year, the purpose of enrolling a child at one of these schools should be to
ensure continuity in its schooling. In line with this principle of continuity in education, four
officials undergoing  retraining were  accordingly  also  allowed  to  exceed  the  maximum  limit
during the 2000/2001 school year.

The total amount paid over and above the maximum for the 2000/2001 school year (including
Japan) came to EUR 167 627.

ARTICLE 16: INSTALLATION AND RESETTLEMENT ALLOWANCES

During 2001:

– 

– 

161  installation  allowances  were  paid  to  officials  newly  posted  to  delegations,
including 129 in euros to bank accounts in Belgium and 32 in the local currency of
the place of employment; and

21 resettlement allowances to officials permanently leaving employment, of which 3
in  euros  to  bank  accounts  in  Belgium  and  18  in  the  currency  of  the  country  of
resettlement.

The total amount paid amounted to EUR 2 297 062.95, of which:

– 

– 

EUR 1 347 387.96 was for payments in Belgium and

EUR 949 674.99 for payments in local currency with the weighting applied.

SECTION  2:  RULES  RELATING  TO  REIMBURSEMENT  OF
EXPENSES

ARTICLE  17:  REIMBURSEMENT  OF  EXPENSES  INCURRED  IN  RESPECT  OF  REMOVAL  OF
FURNITURE  AND  ACTUAL  INSTALLATION  ALLOWANCES  FOR  OFFICIALS  NOT  IN
FURNISHED ACCOMMODATION PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTION

This Article was applied just once in 2001.

ARTICLE 18: TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION

184 decisions authorising temporary accommodation were taken in 2001 (compared to 166 in
1997, 187 in 1998, 163 in 1999 and 195 in 2000).

7

ARTICLE 19: STAFF CARS/MILEAGE ALLOWANCE

The  rules  for  the  use  of  private  cars  for  the  purposes  of  work  and  vice  versa  have  applied
since  June  1996.  The  rules  were  reworded  at  the  end  of  1998,  and  the  revised  version
distributed  at  the  beginning  of  1999.  The  mileage  allowance  referred  to  in  Article  19  was
established  in  accordance  with  practice  in  several  Member  States  on  the  basis  of  average
running costs. At present it stands at EUR 0.26 per km (EUR 0.36/km for 4WDs).

ARTICLE 20: TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR REST LEAVE

Travel expenses for rest leave were reimbursed on the basis of the distance between the place
of employment and the place of leave determined by the Commission. Where the place of rest
leave was disregarded, reimbursement could be claimed up to the same amount. Expenditure
in 2001 amounted to EUR 341 649.

ARTICLE  21:  REIMBURSEMENT  OF  THE  COST  OF  TRANSPORTING  PERSONAL  EFFECTS,

REMOVALS AND STORAGE

There were 224 removals in 2001 (247 in 1997, 266 in 1998, 237 in 1999 and 278 in 2000),
under  the  rules  for  the  removal  of  personal  effects  which  were  updated  in  1997  and
implemented at the beginning of 1998.

ARTICLE  23:  REIMBURSEMENT  OF  RENT  WHERE  THE  OFFICIAL  IS  NOT  PROVIDED  WITH

ACCOMMODATION BY THE INSTITUTION

Article 23 currently applies in seven cases (10 in 1999, eight in 2000). In the interests both of
legal  protection  for lessors (who  are  dealing with the  European  Commission, not  individual
diplomats) and of housing policy (maintaining quality housing stock for the medium and long
terms), experience shows that application of Article 23 should be reserved for countries where
the market and legal conditions permit (e.g. Geneva and Washington).

SECTION 3: SOCIAL SECURITY

ARTICLE 24(3): REPATRIATION IN THE EVENT OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR AN EXTREME

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

In  2001,  22  medical  evacuations  were  authorised  by  the  Medical  Service.  Three  of  the  22
cases were settled in 2001 for a total of EUR 26 269. A further four cases from 2000 and one
from  1999  were  settled  in  2000  for  a  total  of  EUR 5 452.  The  SOS  Air  Ambulance  annual
premium cost EUR 11 845 in 2001.

ARTICLE 25: ACCIDENT COVER FOR DEPENDANTS

There were three claims in 2001 under the accident cover for dependants.

8

CHAPTER 6: TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE 27: TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO REMUNERATION

NB.: This article has been obsolete since October 1992.

9

ANNEX I

DETERMINATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO REST LEAVE
(Article 8 of Annex X)
In force from: 1 January 2001

COUNTRY

Albania
Algeria
Angola
Bangladesh
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo (Brazzaville)
Congo (Kinshasa)
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Georgia
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea (Conakry)
Equatorial Guinea
Kazakhstan
Liberia
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria (Abuja)
Nigeria (Lagos)
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Sudan
Togo

PLACE

Rome (Italy)
Paris (France)
Windhoek (Namibia)
Phuket (Thailand)
Mombasa (Kenya)
Libreville (Gabon)
Libreville (Gabon)
Dakar (Senegal)
Antananarivo (Madagascar)
Libreville (Gabon)
Libreville (Gabon)
Mombasa (Kenya)
Mombasa (Kenya)
Vienna (Austria)
Dakar (Senegal)
Dakar (Senegal)
Libreville (Gabon)
Frankfurt (Germany)
Dakar (Senegal)
Casablanca (Morocco)
Libreville (Gabon)
Libreville (Gabon)
Libreville (Gabon)
Darwin (Australia)
Mombasa (Kenya)
Dakar (Senegal)
Mombasa (Kenya)
Libreville (Gabon)

FREQUENCY
3 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
2 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
1 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
3 x 5 days
1 x 5 days

10

ANNEX II

LIST OF POSTS
AND LIVING CONDITIONS ALLOWANCE RATES
(Article 10 of Annex X)
In force from: 1 January 2001 (1.1.2000 for Japan - Naka)

0%

CANADA
CYPRUS
MALTA
NORWAY
SWITZERLAND
USA-NEW YORK
USA-WASHINGTON

20%

FYROM
BOLIVIA
BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA
BULGARIA
FIJI
GABON
LESOTHO
MEXICO
ROMANIA
SOUTH KOREA
SWAZILAND
THAILAND
VANUATU
YUGOSLAVIA
(Belgrade)

15%

SOUTH AFRICA
BOTSWANA
CHILE
CHINA
COSTA RICA
HONG KONG
ISRAEL (TEL AVIV)
JAMAICA :
JAPAN (TOKYO)
JORDAN
LEBANON
NEW CALEDONIA
SENEGAL
SYRIA
TURKEY
ZIMBABWE

10%

NETHERLANDS
ANTILLES
ARGENTINA
AUSTRALIA
BARBADOS
BRAZIL
CROATIA
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
ESTONIA
HUNGARY
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
MOROCCO
MAURITIUS
NAMIBIA
POLAND
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
CZECH REPUBLIC
TRINIDAD &
TOBAGO

TUNISIA
URUGUAY

35%

25%

BELIZE
BENIN
CAPE VERDE
WEST BANK/GAZA

STRIP
COLOMBIA
COTE D'IVOIRE
EGYPT
ERITREA
GAMBIA
GHANA
GUATEMALA
INDIA
JAPAN/NAKA
KENYA
MADAGASCAR
MALAWI
NICARAGUA
PAKISTAN
PERU
PHILIPPINES
RUSSIA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
SRI LANKA
SURINAME
TANZANIA
TONGA
UKRAINE
VENEZUELA
VIETNAM
ZAMBIA

ALBANIA
ALGERIA
ANGOLA
BANGLADESH
BURKINA FASO
BURUNDI
CAMEROON
CENTRAL AFRICAN
REPUBLIC

COMOROS
CONGO

(BRAZZAVILLE)
CONGO (KINSHASA)
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
GEORGIA
GUINEA (CONAKRY)
GUINEA-BISSAU
EQUAT. GUINEA
GUYANA
HAITI
INDONESIA
KAZAKHSTAN
LIBERIA
MALI
MAURITANIA
MOZAMBIQUE
NIGER
NIGERIA (ABUJA)
NIGERIA (LAGOS)
UGANDA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
RWANDA
SÃO TOMÉ AND
PRÍNCIPE

SIERRA LEONE
SUDAN
CHAD
TOGO
VIETNAM
FR YUGOSLAVIA
(Pristina)

11