EU CIVIL SERVANTS : COMMISSION TAKES COUNCIL TO COURT OVER SALARY ADJUSTMENT.

The European Commission decided, on 11 January, to take the Council to court following the latter's decision not to adopt the EU executive's proposed automatic salary adjustment for EU officials based in Brussels for 2011 (+1.7%). There will thus be two parallel court cases. In December 2011, member states made it clear they disagree that the exception clause could not be invoked to freeze salaries and announced they plan to take the EU executive to the Court of Justice of the EU.

The Method', rooted in the EU staff regulations approved by member states in 2004, provides that salary increases or decreases for EU officials are calculated on the evolution of civil service salaries in eight countries representing over 75% of EU GDP and on the cost of living in Brussels. The result this year is that with a cut in purchasing power of 1.8% and an increase of the cost of living of 3.6% in Belgium, the salary adjustment will be +1.7%.

In light of the economic crisis, member states deem this increase...