Annexes to COM(2002)311 - Activities and Human Resources of the Commission in the Enlarged EU - Main contents
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| dossier | COM(2002)311 - Activities and Human Resources of the Commission in the Enlarged EU. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2002)311  |
| date | June 5, 2002 |
[5] Accord interinstitutionell entre le Parlement européen, le Conseil et la Commission du 6 mai 1999 sur la discipline budgétaire et l'amélioration de la procédure budgétaire.
In Agenda 2000, the amount foreseen in the financial framework under Heading 8 'Enlargement' for administrative expenditure related to the accession of six new Member States was determined in accordance with the corresponding amounts that were withheld at the occasion of the previous enlargement in 1995. The calculation was then based on the normal participation of the new Member States in the Institutions and their staff. Furthermore, the additional need for interpreting and translating services was quantified.
The additional administrative expenditure related to the possible accession of four additional Member States was calculated using the same approach. In practice, the coefficients used were based on the number of votes the new Member States would obtain in the EU decisional process.
This leads to the an indicative 'topping-up' of 612 MEUR in 2006 set out in the Common Financial Framework 2004-2006. The topping-up has been taken as the basis used for determining the maximum number of posts for the Commission (Part A of the budget) compatible with the Financial Perspectives 2000-2006.
The Common Financial Framework 2004-2006 for a Union of 25 Member States implies additional appropriations in Heading 5 that allow the financing of some 2300 additional establishment plan posts (part A of the Budget) [6]. These additional appropriations are thus compatible with a reasonable phasing-in period of additional posts up to 2006. Phasing in of outside personnel will follow the same pattern and appropriations in Part A of the budget corresponding to around 400 FTE would be available. The remaining posts and outside personnel would be phased-in in 2007 and 2008.
[6] The same figure is arrived at following two different approaches. The first one by applying the expected increase in the ceiling of Heading 5 in 2006 (+12% at 1999 prices) to the number of current posts in the Commission establishment plan (including OLAF and OPOCE, but excluding Research). The second one based on the share (31%) of appropriations for Commission staff remuneration (Chapter A-11, including other budget items more closely connected with posts but excluding pensions) as a percentage of total appropriations in Part A of the budget and dividing it by the average cost for an official.
However, the overall needs concerning Heading 5 will have to take into account not only those of the Commission but also the needs of the other Institutions, whose global estimates are not yet fully available. In this regard, the ceiling of Heading 5 in 2006 will have to be re-assessed in light of actual needs to be phased in and of the room of manoeuvre within the overall ceiling of the current financial perspectives
6. human resources needs of the commission in context
6.1. Estimated needs of the Commission and of other Institutions
The Commission estimates compare favourably with the available assessments of other Institutions.
The report prepared by the administrative services of the European Parliament, under the authority of Vice President Mr. Guido Podestà, and approved by the Bureau in early 2001, foresees additional staffing needs of 1240 new posts (+29%). The additional posts ought to be reduced subsequently to 842 (+20%), with posts being released through natural wastage and through early or special retirement measures.
In March 2002, the Council's General Secretariat [7] estimated its additional staffing needs at 674 establishment plan posts (876 including a "reserve for the future"), corresponding to 25% (32% including the reserve) of current staff. These estimates are based on ten new official languages.
[7] Report on the Administrative consequences for the General Secretariat of the Council of the Enlargement of the European Union, prepared by the Task Force on Enlargement, under the Authority of the Deputy Secretary General, 12 March 2002.
In November 2001, the report [8] of the Secretaries General on the evolution of Heading 5 mentioned the following preliminary figures: 608 (+56%) additional posts for the Court of Justice and Tribunal of First Instance; 221 (+56%) additional posts for the Court of Auditors.
[8] Rapport des Secrétaires Généraux concernant l'évolution pluriannuelle de la rubrique 5 et les économies additionnelles potentielles liées à la coopération Inter-Institutionnelle, November 2001.
6.2. Current estimates compared with previous enlargements
The estimated needs are based on a thorough assessment at the level of each individual activity, taking into account in particular the increased complexity of tasks in a Union of up to 25 members. It is nevertheless worth comparing the result with that of the last two enlargements. Although the method used to estimate needs related to the forthcoming enlargement is different from previous ones, the order of magnitude of estimated needs is comparable.
For the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden the Commission requested 864 new posts in the establishment plans in Part A of the budget (excluding OPOCE) of which 314 (36%) for linguistic services and 550 (64%) for all other activities. On average, that corresponds to more or less 290 posts per new Member State, of which 110 posts for linguistic services and 180 for the remaining activities. Some 30% of all new posts were authorised in the first year of accession (1995), the other four annual tranches being phased in over the period 1996-1999 as follows: 22% in 1996; 22% in 1997; 13% in 1998 and 13% in 1999.
In the previous enlargement (Spain and Portugal), 695 additional posts were foreseen (excluding OPOCE), i.e. almost 350 posts per country. Some 300 posts (43%) were for linguistic services and 395 (57%) for the remaining activities. On average, that corresponds to 350 new posts for each new Member State with some 150 and 200 posts for linguistic services and for other tasks, respectively. About 45% of all new posts were authorised in the first year of accession, some 33% in the second year, and the remaining 22% in the third year of accession.
The estimated increase of some 3400 additional posts in the Commission's establishment plans corresponds to an average of 340 posts per new Member State.
7. community policies and related activities affected by enlargement
7.1. Developments by main policy groupings
The analysis by policy groupings shows needs are concentrated on operational policies that are in line with political priorities and will benefit directly the citizens of the enlarged Union.
Special efforts have been made to keep estimated needs for linguistic services to the necessary minimum level that allows compliance with the principle of multi-linguism. With the number of official languages expected to increase at least from 11 to 20, it is no surprise that the estimated increase of human resources for linguistic services is the largest (around 41% compared to the present situation).
Apart from the linguistic services, in relative terms the highest percentage increases compared to the present situation relate to structural actions (+36%), followed by internal policies (+20%) and agriculture and fisheries (+19%). Support and co-ordination services are expected to grow by around 14%, including Cabinets and support for the additional Commissioners. Current activities related to pre-accession will decrease by around (70%) (see chart III and IV).
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7.1.1. Internal Policies
Conception of policy and legislation will be affected by enlargement. A much wider public of stakeholders will have to be consulted on policy initiatives and legislative proposals will have to cater for additional sensitivities.
From the day of accession, the Community acquis will be applicable in new Member States and the whole legislative process will have to evolve and adapt to the new conditions.
The largest impact will be for ensuring compliance with the acquis (law enforcement in short). The systems and procedures will automatically extend to all Member States [9] in domains as diverse and complex as environment and competition. Direct activities of inspections can also be considered as a specific way to operate law enforcement [10].
[9] The number of Member States largely determines the caseload.
[10] E.g. Food and Veterinary Office, Euratom Safeguard Office, Fishery Inspectors
All programmes and actions will be open to new Member States. However, the expected increase of appropriations is relatively contained. Furthermore, some programmes are already open to accession countries, though not always all of them participate and their intensity of participation is lower compared to current Member States.
Estimated needs for Internal Policies stand at 1718 FTE. Considering the array of policies that need to be implemented across 25 Member States and the current level of resources, it represents a relatively modest increase (+20%) of human resources.
7.1.2. Structural and Cohesion Actions
Structural and Cohesion actions are the policies that will have the most immediate impact on the standards of living of citizens in the new Member States. They are expected to contribute to a rapid convergence of their economies towards the Union average. Funds provided under the Structural and cohesion policy have to meet clear community criteria and are also a powerful instrument to implement a whole range of policy priorities of the Union.
According to current legislation, most of the accession countries' regions will be eligible for the support given to less developed regions (objective 1). Appropriations are expected to increase more than in any other area both in relative and absolute terms.
The management system for the programmes is decentralised. This implies that relatively few additional staff will be able to deal with important increases in appropriations and estimated additional needs stand at 325 FTE (+36%).
The assumption is that after accession the remaining candidate countries in the negotiation process will continue to benefit from the ISPA funds. As for current Member States, the estimate is based on a situation of status quo (current level of financial interventions) also after accession. Finally, the relative weight of Cohesion policy compared to Structural policy is expected to grow.
7.1.3. Agriculture and fisheries
The Common Agriculture Policy will have an important role in the enlarged Union. With accession, the growth in EU population employed in agriculture is estimated to be around 55%. Current activities concerning the pre-accession instrument in the field of rural development (SAPARD) will be moved under the umbrella of mainstream agricultural policy.
As in the case of Structural and Cohesion actions, relatively few additional staff will be able to deal with important increases in appropriations thanks to the decentralised system for the management of programmes [11] and estimated additional needs stand at 189 additional FTE (+19%).
[11] Even though the increase in the number of systems to monitor (i.e. the number of Member States) has a clear impact on some specific tasks like clearing of accounts.
7.1.4. Research
Most research programmes are already open to accession countries. In addition, the 6th Framework Program foresees an even larger involvement of candidate countries before enlargement and greater concentration of projects. The evolution of activities and estimated human resources needs for enlargement result in a modest increase of 150 FTE or (+4%). Estimated needs are concentrated in direct Research actions to accompany Community policies [12].
[12] For example with assistance to the Euratom Safeguard Office to develop tracking and accounting systems for fissile material in nuclear deposits.
7.1.5. External Policies
For external relations the impact will be more limited. The main changes concern trade policy and defence measures. Estimated needs stand at around 76 FTE or (+1%).
7.1.6. Pre-accession (including delegations in accession countries, ISPA and SAPARD)
Pre-accession activities relating to the 10 new Member States will progressively decrease until the phasing-out of Phare has been completed. Accordingly, staff in Delegations of the 10 candidate countries and most of the staff at headquarters will be re-deployed or cease activity, with a decrease of 759 FTE from the original level (-70%). Pre-accession instruments will still apply to the remaining candidate countries in the negotiation process.
7.1.7. Linguistic services
The relatively large increase (1582 FTE or +41%) of the linguistic services should not be misinterpreted. The natural tendency would be for a linear growth in line with the number of official languages (+82%). It is only thanks to the deliberate decision of applying best practices and anticipated savings of reforms that needs have been kept at much more modest level.
7.1.8. Support and co-ordination services
As many resources as possible should go on the front line of service delivery to the outside world. However, also support and co-ordination services have an important role to play, as part of a fully-fledged strategy to make enlargement a success [13]. Their adequate staffing is important for the smooth running of operations and estimated needs stand at 619 FTE (+14%).
[13] Activities include stepping up recruitment process, overhauled building policy, reinforced anti-fraud and audit capabilities as well as policy co-ordination in a Union of 25 Member States.
It is also worth stressing that estimates include direct support to private offices of additional Commissioners.
7.2. Developments by main job profiles (métiers)
The future outlook of the Commission puts the stress on the legislative aspects of the work of the Institution, followed by the policy aspects with administrative support that follows the global increase in resources. The linguistic job profile (translation and interpretation) will increase more than any other area to comply with multi-linguism. Finally, the level of human resources devoted to programme management will remain substantially stable.
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7.2.1. Law making, maintenance and enforcement
Law making, maintenance and enforcement represent the work profile whose activity will undergo the most important evolution, after the linguistic one. It is not a complete surprise since one of the key variables to consider in assessing workload in most phases of legislation is the number of Member States. This is particularly relevant for the law enforcement phase. However, according to the tenets of good governance, the number of stakeholders and sensitivities that have to be taken into consideration will also influence the formulation/maintenance phase. Estimated needs stand at 1098 additional FTE (+25%).
7.2.2. Programme management
It is estimated that human resources devoted to programme management will remain by and large stable with enlargement (64 FTE or +1%). This is a somewhat surprising result that requires qualification.
Programme management estimated needs are in fact for some 650 additional FTE. These additional needs for expanding activities are for a large share satisfied through the re-deployment of resources currently working on pre-accession instruments (see Chart VII). Estimated needs may look modest, but it should be recalled that the increase of appropriations for Internal Policies is also modest and that many programmes are already open to accession countries (notably in Research). Reinforcements are thus concentrated for a large part in agriculture/fisheries and in structural actions where programme management is largely decentralised to Member States.
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7.2.3. Policy making
Policy-making will also have an important evolution that reflects the need to include new realities. Policy formulation will gain from taking into account the wealth of positive histories and cultures that the new Member States will bring along. Estimated needs stand at 641 FTE (+8%). Also in this case actual gross reinforcement for expanding activities is more important (around 800 FTE), but will be partly compensated by reductions in pre-accession related activities.
7.2.4. Administrative and budgetary support
Adequate staffing of administrative and budgetary support work profiles, both in operational and support services, is necessary to maintain a coherent and performing whole. Estimated needs stand at 672 FTE (+11%).
7.2.5. Linguistic
As already recalled above (see section 7.1.7.) special efforts have allowed to limit the increase of linguistic work profiles (translation/interpretation/publication) within manageable dimensions. Estimated needs stand at 1425 FTE (+44%).
8. Conclusions
Enlargement constitutes a major challenge for all the Union Institutions. The Commission has carried out a thorough assessment of it activities and the human resources it will need in an enlarged Union. The assessment has been both thoughtful of the challenges ahead and rigorous in its approach by applying best practices across the board, and taking into account possible economies of scale and re-deployments. After the in-depth screening, overall needs amount to 3900 net additional full time equivalent persons. Such a global increase is thus limited to 13% of all existing available human resources and 16% in terms of establishment plan posts. These estimates are based on at least 9 additional official languages. Any additional official language would require 200 additional human resources.
This is a remarkable achievement and compares favourably with all of the relevant indicators for growth of the Union, previous enlargements and available estimates of other Institutions. It is also the strict necessary minimum for the Commission to be able to properly carry out its tasks. The result implies a net increase of around 3400 additional posts in the establishment plans of the Commission (Part A of the budget), of which 2300 new posts to be phased in by 2006. The time profile of the phasing in is compatible with the evolution of the ceiling of Heading 5 of the Financial Perspectives as set out in the common financial framework 2004-2006, and with the Commission's absorption capacity.