Contract Agent Reclassification: The Gaps Behind the Progress

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Stéphane Sourdin, Michael Steffens and Alessandro Liamine

What the Current System Overlooks

Beyond the well-known criticism of the former points-based system (abandoned in 2013 in favour of the GIPs, C(2013)2529), one structural problem deserves to be raised more directly this year: the change of contract types. A colleague who moves from a CA3b to a CA3a contract, without any break in service or real change of duties, can see their seniority wiped out and be reclassified at the lowest recruitment grade of their new function group. The salary loss can approach €1,000 per month. This penalises internal mobility, working against the stated goal of retaining talent. In addition, CA3b agents, for their part, remain simply excluded from the reclassification mechanism altogether, a blind spot USHU intends to push more firmly.

A Collective Mobilisation Gaining Ground

This is no longer an isolated concern. The Collective of Contract Staff, backed by several trade unions including USHU, gathered close to 4,000 signatures behind a petition calling for genuine social dialogue on HR policy for contract staff. A joint resolution was sent in May 2026 to the Director-General for HR and to the Central Staff Committee, putting CA reclassification and career prospects squarely on the agenda.

Figures: Real Progress, Still Not Enough

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, while ensuring DGs do not use exceptional requests to bypass colleagues who have already reached the average seniority for their grade. The Joint Committee on Reclassification (JARC) remains the key corrective instrument, but its 5% quota cannot substitute for structural reform.

What USHU Is Calling For in 2026

USHU maintains and reinforces its demands:

• A revision of the seniority-loss rules applied when changing contract or function group, to end the penalty on internal mobility.

• Structured social dialogue on the CA3B status and on the maximum duration of non-permanent contracts.

• A certification procedure allowing experienced CAs to access AST/AD grades.

• Wider and clearer access to internal competitions for CAs, whose preselection procedures still fall short of fully reflecting their qualifications and experience.

• A Special Senior Expert Programme (SSEP), valuing internal expertise over systematic recourse to external profiles.

Our Practical Advice

For your appeal: submit it through Sysper within the deadline set out in the administrative notice (5 working days from the publication of the draft lists), so check the notice as soon as the lists appear.

Remember that an appeal is not a challenge to your manager's assessment: it is a request for access to the separate quota reserved for this purpose, and no one will know you appealed unless it succeeds. Where possible, ask a trusted colleague to read your draft before you submit it, as a second pair of eyes matters on a five-day deadline. There are three elements that matter the most and should be addressed in your appeal:

·       the appraisal reports since the last reclassification or, failing that, since recruitment;

·       the use of languages;

·       the level of responsibilities exercised

You should address these three elements in particular and point out any additional responsibilities you have taken on since your last reclassification. If you use more than one language to conduct business do mention this in your appeal. You can also provide highlights from your appraisal reports, although the JARC Committee members are provided access to them.

USHU representatives remain available if you have questions about the process." Also, remember: the JARC Committee has limited time to decide. So, a clear, short, factual file carries more weight than a long one.

USHU will continue to pursue these issues firmly, on its own and in coordination with other Trade Unions whenever the interests of CAs require it.