EUROPEAN COMMISSION: BID TO AVOID BEST OFFICIALS TAKING EARLY RETIREMENT.

• Position: Brief Article

Subject to a number of editorial adjustments demanded by its Legal Service, but notwithstanding substantive criticism by the Court of Auditors regarding the budgetary implications of the system (see European Report 2713 for further details), the Council of Ministers has formally endorsed the Regulation permitting the early retirement of 600 Commission officials, 94 Council officials and 100 European Parliament officials, including 24 auxiliary agents from political groups.

The Commission has meanwhile adopted a Decision on the implementation of the Regulation outlining details of the early-retirement plan regarding its own staff. The plan will be applied over three years, concerning two hundred officials by the end of 2002. Officials interested in taking up the...