Position the FFPE EUROCONTROL from consultation meetings held on 14 June 2021, 21 September 2021, and 25 October 2021 concerning the Amendments to the GCE and other rules to reflect the increase in managerial autonomy for Director of the Maastricht Centre deriving from the changes to the Agency Statute and the Amended Maastricht Agreement

FFPE-EUROCONTROL reasons for abstention

1. The EUROCONTROL Director General (DG) acknowledges that the changes proposed to the Admin reform and to the General Conditions of Employment (GCE) at the Maastricht Centre (MUAC) (also known as Autonomy) and the NM Package are interlinked. Directors acknowledged that “Every change to the Maastricht Centre (MUAC) GCE will affect NM and vice versa”.
2. FFPE-EUROCONTROL, abstained from approval because the texts presented for the Admin reform, the GCE (Autonomy) and the NM Package are inconsistent, the English and French versions are desynchronised.  Only the statutory text can legally be used as the reference for change and this has not been done consistently.
3. The DG and the Director Maastricht Centre (MUAC) have not addressed comments from the Social Partners regarding GCE (Autonomy).
4. GCE (Autonomy) is unlikely to reduce the working silos of the Agency.
5. A request from the Member States for the GCE (Autonomy), its rationale and its urgency is unseen.
6. The GCE (Autonomy) text is circulated to Member States. [1]
7. FFPE-EUROCONTROL cannot approve the changes proposed to the GCE (Autonomy) before the consequences of it and other change initiatives such as the Admin reform are modelled. FFPE-EUROCONTROL suggests a concerted review the proposed changes.
8. The DG agreed to clarify the overall rationale, and make available the Financial data requested. The Director General undertook to provide for each proposal:
   1. A justification
   2. A CBA
   3. Explanation of the Flexibility required
   4. Definition of what he intends to achieve
   5. The process for how will the Admin reform [and is component parts] will be negotiated.
   6. Quantification of savings required.

[1] Belgium will not ratify the current proposal for GCE (Autonomy) until the end of 2021. If Belgium does ratify the GCE (Autonomy) text, 4 weeks post ratification, tacit approval will be assumed for all Member States.