Working at the European Commission

Since the recent revamping of the website of the European Personnel Selection Office, the body responsible for selecting staff to work for the Institutions of the European Union (European Parliament, the European Council, the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Ombudsman), it is really easier to find information about how to work within the EU.

The Salary of an European Commission Official

Below is the monthly salary grid for European Commission officials which is the same as for Detached National Experts. Community taxes is deducted from the source as for European Commission Contract Agents:

European Commission Officials - Salary Grid

The Salary of a Contract Agent

Below is the monthly salary grid for European Commission Contract Agents:

European Commission Contract Agents - Salary Grid

The Salary of a Interim Staff (Intérimaire)

The monthly salary of a Interim Staff – commonly known as Intérimaires in French – are subject to Belgian taxes and comparatively European Commission paid employees are very low.

What about an European Commissioners?

European Commissioners

In 2004, the annual salary of an individual European Commissioner was EUR 217,280, while a Vice-President earned 241,422 euro as to an article from the BBC.

The President of the European Commission

The super-salary of the President of the European Commission triggered a written question at the European Parliament:

« The President of the Commission, Mr Barroso, receives an annual salary of EUR 300 000, plus EUR 50 000 in allowances to cover accommodation and entertainment costs; moreover, when his term of office comes to an end the Commission will award him a mega-allowance of EUR 190 000 per year for a full three years ».

The Click a Tree initiative

The Click a Tree initiative

The Click a Tree initiative website hosted on Europa.eu is surprisingly well-designed and quite interactive. I really encourage you to have a look and participate online. For instance, there is the possibility for Internet users to upload a picture of planted trees on an interactive map of Europe.

The European Commission goes Viral

So, it seems that the European Commission is really shifting its way to communicate and « reach the European citizen ». Though these viral marketing campaign has probably been prepared with the help of a Brussels-based Internet Marketing Consultancy, one has to acknowledge that these clips are well done!

The Viral Marketing Clips

Below are the two viral marketing clips that have been diffused so far. One must admit that they are quite well done an refreshing.

Indeed, it seems that the DG Information Society and Media has created a Fan Page on Facebook entitled “Sea, Sun and SMS” with the objective of promoting the new regulation about roaming lowering significantly the prices of phone calls and text messages (1 July 2009).

After the successful experience of the European Parliament which campaigned in June to raise awareness on the European Parliament Elections 2009, the European Commission is finally exploring the potentialities of social media – which is as itself and excellent news.

In my opinion of eMarketer, and after having  been scrutinizing the online communication in the EU bubble, this initiative is interesting at least for three reasins:  not only the European Commission is adopting a new communication channel thus reaching a new and possibly broader audience, but the informal discussion that has been set up makes it very singular – knowing that no subcontractor would be involved! For the moment, the Facebook Fan Page has reached about 900 fans and seems to generate positive interactions with its open community of roaming fans. Let’s acknowledge it! The chaps of the web team at the DG INFSO have done a good job. I wish them more and more fans!