Employment conditions

• Support functions (FG II and FG III) in administration and operational units (e.g. secretaries and assistants).
• Operational and administrative posts (FG IV) (e.g. experts in administration and in operational units).

Contract agents are typically offered a four-year contract with the possibility of renewal. For projects with limited duration and budgets, the EEA may recruit contract agents for a limited period and/or with a non-renewable contract.

Temporary agent contracts are typically offered as a four-year contract with the possibility of renewal. These posts are classified into three function groups, depending on the kind of duties:

• Administrative function group (AD) related to managerial, conceptual and analytical work. Linguistic and scientific duties are also included.
• Assistants function group (AST) and Secretaries and clerks function group (AST/SC) relate to technical, excecutive and clerical duties.

Seconded national expert (SNE) contracts are open to civil servants from national, regional or local public administration or an International Governmental Organisation (IGO) who temporarily work for the Agency and assist in carrying out the duties assigned to them under the work programme, or a description of duties agreed upon at the time of application.

SNEs remain in the service of their initial employer throughout the period of secondment and continue to be paid by that employer. They typically begin with a one-year term, which can be renewed up to four years.

Seconded National Experts at the Agency are governed by the rules as laid down in Commission Decision C (­2008)­68­66 that apply by analogy.

Calls for expression of interest for Seconded National Experts are distributed to the Agency’s Management Board members that propose candidates to the Agency after which an evaluation procedure is carried out in order to identify the most suitable candidates for the vacant positions.

See also: Rules on secondment of national experts to the Commission  C (2008)­68­66

The EEA offers competitive salaries, based on a basic salary scale for each contract type, function group and grade (ref. Staff categories). The basis for working conditions, salary and allowances is detailed in the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

Allowances and benefits are added to the basic salary, depending on an individual’s situation. Staff pay a European tax which is deducted from the salary at source. Deductions are also made for sickness and accident insurance, pensions, and unemployment insurance. Salaries are exempt from national income tax. The basic salary is adjusted with a local weighting (known as a correction coefficient) to align it with the cost of living in Denmark compared to Brussels.

EEA staff are covered by the EU employee private insurance scheme offering a worldwide medical insurance. Family members can also be covered under certain conditions.

Staff members are part of the EU employee pension scheme, which gives access to pension rights after 10 years of contribution. Contributions made for shorter periods are transferred to individual private pension schemes. Staff are entitled to pension cover that includes invalidity if they are no longer able to work, and survivors' pensions are paid to family members and dependents.

EEA offers fitness, yoga and mindfulness classes to its staff. All staff also benefit from a yearly annual preventive health check enterily covered by the EEA.