Staff angered by team changes

Date: 20/02/1997

By Rory Watsonand Ivo Ilic Gabara

PROPOSALS for an internal reorganisation of a key European Commission department handling single market legislation have prompted an unprecedented protest from the staff involved.

The officials concerned have sent a three-page letter to their ultimate superior, Director-General John Mogg, complaining at the lack of consultation over plans to split their 28-strong team into two separate units.

And, in a move breaking with established practice of trying to resolve such disagreements within the confines of the directorate-general involved, the unhappy officials have sent copies of the letter to all 20 Commissioners and the six staff unions.

Efforts are now under way to try to defuse the protest. Mogg has written personally to each official setting out in full the reasons for the reorganisation and assuring them of the importance of good working relations.

After a more conciliatory staff meeting earlier this week, wider consultations are now in train to prepare for the internal changes.

The unit at the centre of the dispute plays a crucial role in the Commission's drive to complete the single market. It is responsible for drafting legislation, ensuring its implementation and following up individual complaints concerning public procurement.

Supporters of the strategy to split the unit into two parallel departments, each with its own head, argue that the change is inevitable because of the volume of work involved. They maintain that the existing unit - now one of the largest in the Commission - has reached such a size that the division of its responsibilities is necessary to increase efficiency.

Under the reorganisation plans, one unit would handle the application of public procurement rules for northern EU member states and the other for southern countries.

But opponents of the shake-up in the Directorate-General for the internal market (DGXV) maintain that the north/south division would “risk giving the impression of an unequal application of the rules, thus reinforcing the criticisms already being raised against the Commission that it controls the southern member states more heavily and strictly through the control related to the use of Community financing”.

They also suggest that the planned division could jeopardise the uniform application of Community law.

Although the restructuring plans were discussed with the head and deputy-head of the existing department, many of those involved are unhappy that the consultation did not go wider.

In their widely circulated letter, they point out: “The presentation of the planned structure as a fait accompli without any previous consultation with the persons involved has certainly not increased our motivation.”

With Commission President Jacques Santer now campaigning to ensure that completion of the internal market coincides with the planned introduction of the euro on 1 January 1999, the work of DGXV - particularly in policing EU public procurement rules - has taken on even greater importance in the institution's overall work programme.

Although those responsible are hopeful that the tensions will be successfully defused, the incident has highlighted potential problems facing the Commission in future plans to reorganise its departments to take account of changing Union priorities.