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In Delegations, expatriate contracts are offered health coverage through the Joint Sickness Insurance (JSIS). While the coverage for most health costs under this scheme is generous in comparison to national schemes it looks complicated at times. JSIS does not always cover all costs incurred due to various reasons. In addition to the supplementary health coverage for colleagues working in Delegations, there are also commercially offered complementary health insurance schemes t

The Administration is proposing a new Decision, establishing the function groups, job profiles and language requirements for Local Agents. Despite being presented as a technical update, USHU has examined it carefully and we believe you need to know what it could mean in practice.

If you work in an EU Delegation as expatriate staff, you now need a valid Personal Security Clearance (PSC) as it has become a formal requirement for serving in Delegations. In practice, this rule applies across staff categories assigned abroad, and the institutions link it to their responsibility to protect people, assets and sensitive information in often complex security environments.

USHU together with like-minded trade unions - U4U, USB EEAS and PLUS - has submitted a joint set of detailed proposals to the European Commission and the EEAS for the reform of the four critical Local Agent Decisions now under review:

Effective prevention and confrontation of harassment therefore require not only a clear EU-wide policy, but also accessible reporting channels, strong confidentiality safeguards, protection against retaliation, appropriate support for victims and witnesses, and procedures that are genuinely accessible to all categories of staff serving in EU Delegations

The reclassification quota rose from 340 in 2023 to 500 in 2024, an increase of 160 posts secured in large part through trade union pressure, including from USHU. This momentum must now be consolidated for 2026 and beyond,

The Local Agents’ Teleworking Decision is in the adoption circuit — formalising, at last, the right to one day of teleworking a week. It is a milestone worth marking.

Local Agents are regularly referred to as the “backbone” of EU Delegations. They deserve support and respect — not to be pressured into signing settlement documents at close of business on the same day they receive them.

The LA Medical scheme held total assets of €44.5 million as of 31 December 2025 — up from €41 million a year earlier and €37.5 million at end-2023. Of the current total, €40 million is in the DG BUDG-managed investment portfolio and €4.8 million in a liquidity account for short-term reimbursements.

The movement of Contract Agents (CAs) from HQ to EU DEL and between EU DEL (known as “mobility” for CAs) can be enriching or demotivating depending on a number of factors, including the nature of the work, individual preferences and most importantly how the CA mobility process is managed.

Your Provident Fund: over €124 million in investments and buffers Now is the time to strengthen your collective and individual rights!

In our local context, the 2021 exercise established a direct comparison between EU Local Agents of grades II and III and GIZ personnel of band 3. This means that Administrative and Finance Assistants (grade II) and EU Secretaries (grade III) are assessed against one band 3 of GIZ.

LA SALARY REVIEW: SEVEN YEARS OVERDUE — USHU DEMANDS ACTION

USHU has joined other trade unions in supporting a strike-warning given its serious concerns regarding the rationale and the implementation of the modernisation of the EU Delegation Network.

During the global health crisis of 2020–2022, staff across all categories in EU Delegations ensured business continuity under immense pressure. Their unwavering commitment proved that flexible working arrangements—especially telework—are not only viable, but also invaluable in times of crisis.

Posts for Officials will be reduced in EU DEL, posts for Contract Agents will not be increased and Local Agents will be dismissed – this will be the reality on the ground as both the EEAS and the Commission struggle to cut costs

RS USHU/U4U requests the initiation of a Social Dialogue process to meaningfully discuss the modernisation of the EU DEL Network Subject:...

The joint EEAS/Commission proposal will create a 3–tier system over the next five years with changes to commence as of 2026 and subject to further changes once the next MFF is known:

While first dismissed as a fashionable trend among HR professionals, 360° evaluations are now more widespread and have become a tool to prov

EU Delegations are the main conduit for the European Union’s external policies. They are only as strong as their staff who need to be upskil