SPECIAL RULES FOR THE APPRAISAL OF STAFF WORKING IN THE EXTERNAL SERVICE

Administrative Notice No 18-2004 of 12 March 2004 sets out the amendments made to the rules for the appraisal of staff by the new general provisions for implementing Article 43 of the Staff Regulations, adopted by the Commission on 3 March 2004:

The Commission has also amended the Decision of 27 December 2002 laying down specific rules for the appraisal of staff working in the External Service. These rules take account of the special constraints affecting the External Service: http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/index_fr.html#5

The changes adopted by the Commission on 20 February 2004 apply to the drafting of annual career development reviews for the period ending on 31 December 2003. They concern the following:

• Officials and Article 2(a), 2(c) and 2(d) staff on detachment to the External Service from another Commission department will now be appraised in accordance with Article 6(1) of the general provisions for implementing Article 43 of the Staff Regulations, adopted by the Commission on 3 March 2004. The Directorate-General of origin will remain responsible for drafting reviews, but must ask the External Service to draw up a draft review and organise the formal dialogue: http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/index_fr.html#5
   

• The respective roles of the first and second reporting officers and the countersigning officer have been defined:

• For Category A officials, the first reporting officer is the head of delegation and the second reporting officer is the director responsible for the geographical area in which the delegation is situated or the functional director of the official being appraised. The first reporting officer forwards the self assessment drawn up by the jobholder to the second reporting officer, organises the formal dialogue and writes a draft review, which is then sent to the second reporting officer.
   

• This procedure applies mutatis mutandis to Category B officials who are not heads of administration. However, for these officials, the second reporting officer is the head of unit responsible for the geographical area in which the delegation is situated or the functional head of unit.
   

• When, for a given grade, at least two thirds of the draft career development reviews for which he or she is responsible have been drafted, the second reporting officer verifies, jointly with the first reporting officers, that the appraisal standards have been applied consistently and harmonises the merit points.
   

• After this concertation, the second reporting officer completes the draft review.
   

• Before the reviews are finalised the Director General of RELEX engages in concertation with the Director for Resources of the External Service, who acts as countersigning officer.
   

• After this second concertation, the second reporting officer and the countersigning officer finalise the review.

• The deadline for the completion of all reviews in the External Service is the end of May.
   

• The composition of the Joint Evaluation Committee (JEC) set up specifically for the External Service has been amended:

• The JEC is chaired by a director in a directorate general that does not belong to the RELEX family.
   

• The Committee has six members:

• three staff representatives designated by the Central Staff Committee;

• a director in a RELEX family DG, but not the Director of Resources of the External Service;

• the head of the External Service unit responsible for monitoring the appraisal exercise;

• a director who does not belong to a RELEX family DG.

The Commission Decision of 27 December 2002 also lays down special rules for the appraisal of heads of delegation, Category C staff and Category B staff who are heads of administration as well as special provisions for the promotions exercise. Those provisions continue to apply.