Article 24

The Agency shall assist any official, in particular in proceedings against any person perpetrating threats, insulting or defamatory acts or utterances or any attack to person or property to which he or a member of his family is subjected by reason of his position and duties.

It shall compensate the official for damage suffered in such cases, in so far as the official did not either intentionally or through grave negligence cause the damage and has been unable to obtain compensation from the person who did cause it.

The Agency shall facilitate such further training and instruction for staff as is compatible with the proper functioning of the services and is in accordance with their own interests. Such training and instruction shall be taken into account for purposes of promotion progression in their careers.

Article 24a

Officials shall be entitled to exercise the right of association; they may in particular be members of trade unions or staff associations of European officials.

Article 25

Officials may submit requests to the Director General in respect of matters relating to these Staff Regulations.

Any decision relating to a specific individual which is taken under these Staff Regulations shall at once be communicated in writing to the official concerned. Any decision adversely affecting an official shall state the grounds on which it is based. Specific decisions regarding appointment, establishment, promotion, career progression, transfer, determination of administrative status and termination of service of an official shall be published by the Agency.

The publication shall be accessible to all staff for an appropriate period of time.

Article 26

The personal file of an official shall contain:

a) all documents concerning his administrative status all reports relating to his ability, efficiency and conduct; 21 Staff Regulations

b) any comments by the official on such documents.

Documents shall be registered, numbered and filed in serial order; the documents referred to in subparagraph a) may not be used or cited by the Agency against an official unless they were communicated to him before they were filed.

The communication of any document to an official shall be evidenced by his signing it or, failing that, shall be effected by registered letter to the last address communicated by the official.

An official’s personal file shall contain no reference to his political, trade union, philosophical or religious activities and views, or to his racial or ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

The precedent paragraph shall not however prohibit the insertion in the file of administrative acts and documents known to the official which are necessary for the application of these Staff Regulations. There shall be only one personal file for each official.

An official shall have the right, even after leaving the service, to acquaint himself with all the documents in his file and to take copies of them.

The personal file shall be confidential and may be consulted only in the offices of the Agency or on a secure electronic medium. It shall, however, be forwarded to a Tribunal called upon to decide in a law-suit between the official and the Agency.

Article 26a

Officials shall have the right to acquaint themselves with their medical files, in accordance with arrangements to be laid down by the Director General.