Temporary Agents

The Agency requires technically qualified staff with specialist knowledge and experience for most of its activities, especially in the areas of specific competence linked to its regulation and strategy. This is also valid for staff working in administration, accounting, audit and informatics etc. since in many cases there will be only one member of staff to cover each specific activity.

The Agency recruits Temporary Agents according to article 2f) of the Conditions of employment of other servants on potentially long-term employment in order to lead, manage and deliver core activities and to safeguard continuous expertise in the specific area/group.

The Agency typically offers Temporary Agents a 4-year contract with the possibility of renewal for a second period of up to 4 years. Any second renewal is for an indefinite period. Temporary Agent posts are classified according to the nature and importance of the duties required in:

• Administrators’ function group (AD): comprises twelve grades from AD 5 to AD 16 corresponding to managerial, conceptual and analytical as well as to linguistic and scientific duties;
• Assistants’ function group (AST): comprises eleven grades from AST 1 to AST 11 corresponding to executive and technical duties;
• Secretaries and clerks’ function group (AST/SC): comprises six grades from AST/SC1 to AST/SC6, corresponding to clerical and secretarial duties.

Recruitment entry grades for Temporary Agents are as follows:

• SC 1 to SC 2 for the AST/SC function group;
• AST 1 to AST 4 for the AST function group;
• AD 5 to AD 8 for the AD function group.

Recruitment at grades AD 9-11, and on an exceptional basis, at grade 12, shall remain within the limits of 20% of recruitments to the function group AD per year (averaged over five years).

Minimum qualifications required for the engagement of Temporary Agents are as follows:

(a)   in function group AST and function group AST/SC:

• a post-secondary education attested by a diploma, or
• a secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education and appropriate professional experience of at least three years, or
• where justified in the interests of the service, professional training or professional experience of an equivalent level.

(b)   in function group AD for grades 5 and 6:

• completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma, or
• where justified in the interests of the service, professional training of an equivalent level.

(c)   in function group AD for grades 7 to 16:

• completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or
• completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years, or
• where justified in the interests of the service, professional training of an equivalent level.

Only diplomas and certificates that have been awarded in EEA Member countries or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member countries shall be taken into consideration.

The minimum number of years of professional experience after the award of the qualification certifying completion of the required level of studies which is an eligibility requirement for any selection procedure is as follows:

Please note that recruitment is done in the first or second step of the grade published, depending on the duration of the acquired professional experience.

Temporary Agents are required to serve a probationary period of nine months.

Salary grid (basic salary in EUR) for Officials and Temporary Agents for each grade and step in function groups AD and AST (applicable from 01 July 2021):

Salary grid (basic salary in EUR) for Officials and Temporary Agents for each grade and step in function group AST/SC (applicable from 01 July 2021):

To this basic salary a weighting factor is to be added of 34,2 % for Copenhagen as from 1 July 2021 to compensate the cost of living in Copenhagen compared to Brussels (to be reviewed annually). The salaries of Temporary Agents are subject to a community tax and solidarity levy deducted at source. They are exempt from national tax. For more information, please see the Protocol on the immunities of the European Union. 

In addition to their basic salary, Temporary Agents may be entitled to various allowances, in particular an expatriation or foreign residence allowance, and family allowances (household allowance, dependent child allowance, education allowance).

Under certain circumstances, in particular where Temporary Agents are obliged to change their place of residence in order to take up employment, the Agency may also cover various expenses incurred on recruitment, notably removal expenses.

The above information on allowances is indicative as entitlements are determined upon recruitment, based on documentary evidence.