Rules governing career mobility of officials employed in Parliament’s secretariat

- having regard to the Staff Regulations of officials of the European Union (hereinafter ‘the Staff Regulations’) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants laid down by Council Regulation (EC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 and, in particular Articles 7(1) and 29(1) thereof, - having regard to Rule 25(6) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, - having regard to its decision of 20 January 2025 tasking the Secretary-General with the preparation of a revision of the mobility policy, - having regard to the proposal from the Secretary-General;

(1) a proactive approach to managing and facilitating internal staff movement contributes to foster employee engagement and to ensure talent retention and optimal use of human resources, by enabling the right person with the right skills to transition into the right role at the right time. (2) a modern internal mobility policy should enable officials to acquire new skills, develop their adaptability and increase their knowledge of the Institution. (3) mobility between Directorates-General can enhance institutional knowledge and enable the European Parliament to foster the exchange of experiences among its DirectoratesGeneral. (4) the benefits of mobility between Directorates-General can only be achieved through close cooperation and exchange between all the Directorates-General. (5) a modern internal mobility policy should encourage and support career development as a tool to motivate staff, foster their personal and professional growth and reward merit. (6) a modern internal mobility policy should align to both the requirements of Parliament’s services and the personal aspirations and competences of the staff members involved. (7) a modern internal mobility policy should enable the appropriate level of flexibility to take into outmost account Parliament’s needs and priorities and to ensure that the necessary expertise and institutional experience are maintained and available. (8) where internal mobility results in a change of the place of employment, the personal circumstances of the official concerned may exceptionally require specific arrangements. In particular, situations involving serious illness or disability affecting the official, their spouse, recognised partner or dependent child, or situations linked to legally binding shared custody of a minor, may justify that career-mobility is specifically adapted to the circumstances of the official concerned. (9) the Legal Service was consulted and delivered an opinion on 10 October 2025. (10) the Data Protection Officer was consulted and delivered an opinion on 23 October 2025. (11) the Committee on Equal Opportunities and Diversity was consulted and delivered an opinion on 29 October 2025. (12) the Staff Committee was consulted and delivered an opinion on 24 November 2025.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

1. This Decision lays down the rules governing internal career mobility of officials employed in the Parliament’s Secretariat. 2. This Decision shall apply to officials in the function groups for administrators (AD), assistants (AST) and secretaries and clerks (AST/SC). 3. This Decision shall not apply to officials holding a specific job profile, as defined in Article 2(3) of this Decision. 4. This Decision shall not apply to officials who have reached the age of 60 or completed 30 years of service as officials before acquiring the status of “official in career mobility” as defined in Article 2(4). However, such officials may request the application of the Decision. Officials who request the application of the Decision cannot opt out.

For the purposes of this Decision: (1) ‘career mobility’ means a change of assignment by appointment or transfer to a post decided by the competent Appointing Authority and involving either:
a) a change of administrative entity, or b) a change of function group, or c) a change of job profile by acquiring coordination and managerial responsibilities as, for instance Assistant Team coordinator, Team coordinator, Head of service, Head of unit or equivalent job profiles.

(2) ‘administrative entity’ means Directorates-General, Directorates, units and services. (3) ‘specific job profile’ means a job type which requires a high level of special qualification, technical expertise or subsequent professional experience such that mobility would be contrary to the interest of the Institution. The specific job profiles are listed in a decision of the Secretary-General adopted in accordance with Article 5 of this Decision. (4) ‘official in career mobility’ means an official who has been on a post for six calendar years following the year of assignment. (5) ‘career mobility rate’ means the proportion of officials in career mobility who have changed their assignment in a given calendar year, relative to the total number of officials in career mobility for the same function group during the same calendar year.

1. Officials in career mobility are automatically considered for a change of assignment within the career mobility planning referred to in Article 4 of this Decision. 2. Officials in career mobility shall proactively explore possibilities for a change of assignment. 3. A change of assignment shall be decided by the Appointing Authority within three years of acquiring the status of “official in career mobility” at the latest. When such a decision is taken on the basis of Article 7 of the Staff Regulations, the Appointing Authority shall hear the official concerned beforehand. After a change of assignment, in order for the change to be considered as career mobility, the official concerned cannot be reassigned in the previous assignment for a period of at least 12 months. 4. An official returning to work after a maternity leave or an absence exceeding six months due to:
a) a period of full time sick leave, b) a parental leave, or c) a family leave within the meaning of Article 42b of the Staff Regulations,

may request to the Director-General for Personnel the postponement of the acquisition of the status of ‘official in career mobility’ for a period of one year, renewable only once, provided that the status would otherwise be acquired within 12 months of returning to work. By analogy, an official in career mobility may request suspension of the status upon resumption of duties following an absence referred to in the first subparagraph. 5. Acquisition of the status of ‘official in career mobility’ may be suspended by decision of the Secretary-General for a period of one year, renewable only once, where the unique expertise of the official concerned is essential to the functioning of the service for the performance of a specific task in the interest of the service.

1. The Directorate-General for Personnel shall foster cooperation and coordinate and facilitate career mobility among Directorates-General, including through the introduction and management of structural support measures. 2. Each Directorate-General shall manage a three-year career mobility planning to facilitate the changes of assignment for officials in career mobility within their Directorate-General, in close cooperation with the Directorate-General for Personnel, and ensure that changes of assignment are spread as evenly as possible over the three-year planning period.

1. The Secretary-General shall adopt the list of specific job profiles referred to in Article 2(3) of this Decision for each function group, based on the proposals of the DirectorateGeneral for Personnel and after consulting the Joint Mobility Committee referred to in Article 12 of this Decision. 2. The list of specific job profiles adopted by the Secretary-General shall be the subject of a communication to all staff. 3. The list of specific job profiles can be updated upon a duly substantiated request from a Director-General to the Secretary-General, in accordance with the procedure laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article. The updated list of specific job profiles shall be the subject of a communication to all staff and it shall enter into force on 1 January of the year following the update.

1. The Secretary-General may decide to implement a job rotation exercise for a particular function group, in accordance with Article 7 of the Staff Regulations, if the career mobility rate falls below the threshold of 25% of all officials in career mobility within this function group for two consecutive years. 2. The Directorate-General for Personnel shall coordinate the organisation of the job rotation referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, after consulting the Joint Mobility Committee and in accordance with the procedure established in the implementing measures referred to in Article 12. All officials in career mobility belonging to the function group for which a job rotation is organised shall participate in it.

The Central Career Guidance and Counselling Service in the Directorate-General for Personnel (SCOP) shall oversee and coordinate career guidance and counselling within the Parliament’s Secretariat and provide professional support to officials in planning their career transition and professional development within Parliament’s Secretariat.

1. As from the 6th year on a post, the official shall attend a career consultation with a career guidance and counselling officer to discuss career opportunities and prepare the next change of assignment, including exploring appropriate learning paths. 2. Learning opportunities identified during the career talk may be recorded in a specific field for professional development in the official’s appraisal report.

1. In early January each year, a list of Directors-General and Directors who have reached seven years on their posts shall be communicated to the Bureau. 2. The Bureau may decide whether a change of assignment is suitable, based on the interest of the Institution.

1. In particular cases, justified by the interest of the Institution, the Secretary-General may adopt a specific multiannual career mobility scheme to ensure adequate career mobility for a particular category of officials. 2. The Legal Service shall ensure internal mobility of officials assigned to posts within the Legal Service.

Where career mobility entails a change of place of employment, the Secretary-General may, upon a reasoned request from the official concerned, decide on a career-mobility arrangement specifically adapted to the official’s circumstances in the following cases:
a) the official in career mobility, their spouse, recognised partner or dependent child suffers from a serious illness or disability recognised by the Parliament; b) the official in career mobility is a separated or divorced parent of a minor in legally binding shared custody.

1. A Joint Mobility Committee, consisting of three representatives of the Appointing Authority - the Head of the HR Strategy and Insight unit and the Head of the Learning and Development unit in the Directorate-General for Personnel, as well as an official in the AST or AST/SC function group - and of three representatives of the Staff Committee, one each from the AD, AST and AST/SC categories, shall be set up to advise the Appointing Authority on the implementation of the career mobility policy. One member of the Committee on Equal Opportunities and Diversity shall attend the meetings as an observer. The Joint Mobility Committee shall be chaired by the Director-General of Personnel. 2. The Joint Mobility Committee may forward to the Secretary-General any opinion or recommendation concerning career mobility which it deems appropriate. It shall receive all the information that it requires in order to carry out its tasks. 3. The Joint Mobility Committee shall also be required to propose to the Secretary-General any changes to this Decision required in the light of the experience acquired regarding career mobility. 4. The decision laying down the Joint Mobility Committee’s operating procedures shall be adopted by the Secretary-General, on a proposal from the Joint Mobility Committee.

The Secretary-General shall draw up the procedures and measures for the implementation of this Decision, including flanking and support measures to facilitate career mobility, measures to encourage mobility between Directorates-General and transitional measures, if needed, after consulting the Joint Mobility Committee.

This Decision shall repeal and replace the Bureau Decision of 15 January 2018 governing staff mobility.

This Decision shall enter into force on 1 January 2026.