Kinnock warns against delay in hiring staff

Date: 02/10/03

By Martin Banks

THE accession of ten new countries next May will bring a 66% rise in the number of member states, a 20% increase in the Union's population and an 82% rise in working languages.

“The Commission will handle these very diverse and substantive demands with just 13% more staff,” says Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock. The EU executive has already recruited 500 temporary staff to prepare for enlargement, mostly in the field of languages, agricultural and regional policy.

But Kinnock says it is “essential” that 780 of the 3,400 staff from new member states, that the Commission proposes to employ over a five-year period up to 2008, are hired next year.

Failure to do so, he says, will have a “major and very negative” impact on the Commission's ability to cope with the expansion of the Union.

“In making our proposal, we are not seeking to grab posts but simply being realistic about what has to be done”.

Kinnock was responding to a move by member states to reduce the number of new enlargement-related posts by 272, a move he brands “unwelcome” and “unrealistic”.

He adds: “The Commission has shown great care and deliberation in calculating needs and the minimum necessary number has been proposed.”

Kinnock accepts that some enlargement-related tasks will only be felt over a period of time, but adds: “In other essential areas, like the linguistic services, structural funds and Common Agricultural Policy, the increased workload will be felt immediately.”

He also criticizes proposed cuts to staffing levels in the Commission's delegation offices, saying this too will have a negative impact on the enlargement process.

Neil Kinnock, European Commission Vice-President, argues that with the accession of ten new Member States in May 2004, it is essential there are no delays in hiring the necessary staff to prepare for enlargement, mostly in the field of languages, agricultural and regional policy.