Overeenstemming bereikt over statuut voor parlementaire ondersteuning (en)

The Commission welcomes the agreement on a statute for parliamentary assistants reached yesterday evening by the European Parliament and the Council. The new legislation brings parliamentary assistants based in Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg into the regulations for all EU staff, ensuring rigorous and transparent management. This will provide assistants with the same basic rights and obligations as civil servants, while preserving the rights of Members to individually choose their assistants.

Vice-President Siim Kallas commented: "We have worked in record time, adopting the final agreement only eight months after we were asked by Parliament to prepare a proposal. We have demonstrated that we can change things quickly when there is a clear need, a clear request and clear political will across the institutions."

Vice-President Margot Wallström added : "I am glad that we have been able to agree this so quickly. It was simply unacceptable that parliamentary assistants did not have the transparent regime enjoyed by all other staff employed by the EU. This gives them a more secure position while preserving the freedom of Members of the Parliament to select their assistants. This can only benefit Parliament as a whole."

Background

The Commission prepared this proposal in response to a request of the European Parliament to the Commission by letter of President PÃ-TTERING to President BARROSO of 9 April this year. It is the third attempt in ten years that the Commission has taken the initiative to address the issue of a Statute for parliamentary assistants, but the previous proposals were not adopted by the other institutions.