18 Remuneration and pension adjustments
for EU staff in 2013
| (a)
(35500)
15820/13
+ ADD 1
COM(13) 770
(b)
(35508)
15885/13
+ ADD 1
COM(13) 771
(c)
(35509)
15890/13
COM(13) 772
|
Draft Council Regulation adjusting, from 1 July 2013 the rate of contribution to the pension scheme of officials and other servants of the European Union
Draft Council Regulation adjusting with effect from 1 July 2013 the correction coefficients applied to the remuneration and pensions of officials and other servants of the European Union
Draft Council Regulation laying down the weightings applicable from 1 July 2013 to the remuneration of officials, temporary staff and contract staff of the European Union serving in third countries
|
| Legal base | (a) Article 83a of the Staff Regulations and Annex XII thereto
(b) Articles 63 and 64 of the Staff Regulations and Annex XIII thereto, and Articles 20 (first paragraph), 64, 92 and 132 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants
(c) Article 13(1) of Annex X to the Staff Regulations
|
| Department | HM Treasury
|
| Basis of consideration | Minister's letter of 8 January
|
| Previous Committee Report | HC 83-xxiii (2013-14), chapter 22 (4 December 2013)
|
| Discussion in Council | December 2013
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Cleared (decision reported 4 December 2013)
|
Previous scrutiny
18.1 This Report covers three proposals relating
to EU staff pay and pensions. The details of the document are
set out in our previous Report.[76]
In the conclusion to that Report we said as follows:
"We take note of the Government's intended
approach to voting on these three proposals in the Council, which
we strongly support. Despite the speed with which the Commission
seeks to have them adopted, which we regret, we see no reason
to retain them under scrutiny in the light of the Government's
approach. In so doing, we are aware that there is unlikely to
be a blocking minority to prevent the first two proposals from
being adopted.
"We note, however, that in relation to document
(b) the Minister says that, due to the suspension of the application
of certain provisions in Article 65 of the Staff Regulations in
2013 and 2014, this proposal does not include the annual adjustment
to remuneration and pensions, but is limited to the adjustment
of the correction coefficients and updating the reference date
for the exchange rates. We ask the Minister to explain this further.
In so doing, we ask him for his assessment of the impact of the
Court of Justice's judgment on 19 November on the 2011 annual
adjustment for remuneration and pensions,[77]
which found in favour of the Council, whom the UK and several
other Member States supported. We will be interested to know what
impact he estimates the judgment will have on the EU Budget."
The Minister's letter of 8 January
18.2 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Nicky
Morgan) writes in response to our Report. She says:
"You asked for further clarification on
what was meant by the 'suspension of the application of certain
provisions in Article 65 of the Staff Regulations in 2013 and
2014' for proposal 15885/13. This resulted from the new EU Staff
Regulations, adopted at Council on 10 October 2013, which implemented
a suspension of the adjustment of salaries, allowances and pensions
of EU officials in 2013 and 2014. While the salaries and pensions
were frozen, the correction coefficients and weightings to adjust
for the different cost of living outside Belgium and Luxembourg
were not. As such, the proposal in question only updates the exchange
rate reference date and makes adjustments to account for the different
cost of living for EU officials outside of Belgium and Luxembourg.
"With respect to the Court of Justice's
19 November judgment on the remuneration and pension adjustments
for EU staff in 2011, the Government welcomes this decision. Following
the judgement, the Commission has submitted a revised proposal
for remuneration and pension adjustments for EU staff in 2011.
Further, the Commission has also submitted a revised proposal
for remuneration and pension adjustments for EU staff in 2012.
An Explanatory Memorandum on the revised proposals will be provided,
which will include their financial implications."
Conclusion
18.3 We thank the Minister for clarifying the
outstanding concerns we had.
76 See headnote. Back
77
C63/12, C-66/12, and C-196/12. Back
|
