Commission HR for the test: Staff Regulations, function groups and HR strategy

Which text, and which version

The Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS) were laid down by Regulation No 31 (EEC), 11 (EAEC) of 1962 and have been amended many times since. Today Parliament and the Council lay them down by regulations under the ordinary legislative procedure, after consulting the other institutions concerned (Article 336 TFEU).

All quotations on this page come from the consolidated text dated 1 January 2026. It is the version that was in force on 29 May 2026, and the Publications Office lists no later consolidation (checked 26 October 2026), so the same text applies at the AD7, AD5, AST3, AD6 and AST2 cut-offs. A consolidated text is a documentation tool; only the Official Journal is authentic, as the consolidation itself notes.

Function groups: Article 5

Identical conditions of recruitment and career apply to all officials in the same function group (Article 5(5)). Officials are recruited only at grades SC 1 to SC 2, AST 1 to AST 4 or AD 5 to AD 8, subject to Article 29(2) and the exceptions in Article 31(3) (Article 31(2)).

The establishment plan: Article 6

The establishment plan appended to each institution's section of the budget shows the number of posts in each grade and function group (Article 6(1)). It is built so that vacancies at each grade on 1 January match the officials in the grade below a year earlier, multiplied by the promotion rates in Annex I, Section B, applied on a five-year average from 1 January 2014 (Article 6(2)).

Temporary staff under CEOS Article 2(a) and (b) fill posts in that list of posts. Contract staff are, by definition, 'not assigned to a post included in the list of posts' (CEOS Article 3a(1)).

Recruitment: Articles 27 and 29

The second paragraph lets each institution adopt appropriate measures where it observes a significant imbalance between nationalities that objective criteria do not justify. Those measures must never lead to recruitment criteria other than merit.

Article 29(1) sets the order in which the appointing authority fills a vacant post:

1. Transfer, appointment under Article 45a (AST to AD certification), or promotion within the institution.
2. Requests for transfer from officials of the same grade in other institutions.
3. Lists of suitable candidates from competitions.
4. An internal competition, open only to officials and temporary staff as defined in CEOS Article 2, or an open competition. Annex III lays down the procedure.

The 2014 wording keeps 'the principle that the vast majority of officials are to be recruited on the basis of open competitions'. Only in exceptional cases may an internal competition also be opened to contract staff under CEOS Articles 3a and 3b, with the restrictions in CEOS Article 82(7). A different procedure may be used for Directors-General (AD 16 or AD 15) and Directors (AD 15 or AD 14) (Article 29(2)).

Promotion: Article 45

• Comparative merits take account in particular of the officials' reports, their use of languages other than their main one, and the level of responsibilities exercised (Article 45(1)).
• Before their first promotion after recruitment, officials must show the ability to work in a third language (Article 45(2)).
• An AST official may move to function group AD from grade AST 5 through a training programme and examination (Article 45a). These appointments may not exceed 20% of the AD appointments made each year (Article 45a(4)).

Temporary and contract staff: CEOS Articles 2, 3a, 3b and 80

Temporary staff (CEOS Article 2) fill posts in the list of posts appended to the budget, either posts classified as temporary or permanent posts filled temporarily, among other cases, such as staff assisting a Treaty office-holder or a political group. Contract staff (Article 3a) are not assigned to a post in that list. They do manual or administrative support tasks in an institution, or work in agencies, Representations, Delegations and other entities. Contract staff for auxiliary tasks (Article 3b) do other duties without a post, or replace certain officials or temporary staff who are temporarily unable to work.

In agencies, other entities, Representations and Delegations, the Commission reports each year on whether contract staff stay within 75% of all employees (Article 3a(2)).

The HR strategy, C(2022) 2229

'A new Human Resources Strategy for the Commission', C(2022) 2229 final, is dated 5 April 2022. It sets three strategic priorities, supported by a fourth, cross-cutting one:

1. Attractiveness: an inclusive, sustainable, collaborative and flexible workplace, and staff well-being.
2. Selection and recruitment: faster, modern and more flexible procedures, in close cooperation with EPSO.
3. Career prospects: flexible and rewarding careers, mobility and performance management.
4. Supporting the change (cross-cutting): review and simplification of HR processes.

The Commission's HR strategy page words the same four as an attractive workplace, faster and more agile selection and recruitment, a flexible and meaningful career for all staff, and streamlined HR services.

Geographical balance: Decision C(2025) 7357

On 6 November 2025 the Commission adopted Decision C(2025) 7357 on the general provisions for implementing Article 27 of the Staff Regulations and Article 12(1) of the CEOS. It gives the Commission more tools in selection and recruitment for under-represented nationalities, while keeping merit-based recruitment. The Commission's HR strategy page states that '15 of 27 nationalities are underrepresented among Commission staff' (page read 26 October 2026; it gives no date for the figure). The decision predates every 2026 cut-off.

Staff numbers, by bulletin and cut-off

The Commission staff page says 'Around 33,000 permanent and contract employees work in the Commission'. Exact counts come from the quarterly HR Statistical Bulletin. Each bulletin prints the date its data were refreshed, which shows the latest figure available before each cut-off.

The staff page does not show when each bulletin went online, and the April bulletin was refreshed only nine days before the estimated AD5 cut-off. A question set for AD5 or AST3 is therefore safest at 'around 33,000'.

Commissioners are not staff: the Code of Conduct

Members of the Commission are not officials, and the Staff Regulations do not govern them. Their rules are in the Code of Conduct for the Members of the European Commission, a Commission Decision of 31 January 2018 (OJ C 65, 21.2.2018). For example, former Members give at least two months' notice of a professional activity they plan in the two years after leaving office; for a former President the period is three years (Article 11). An Independent Ethical Committee of three members advises the Commission (Article 12). For how the College itself decides, see how the Commission takes decisions.

How it is tested

The Commission's guidance to candidates names the Commission's governance, including its budget and human resources, as one of the three content areas (the guidance states this in its AD7 version). Expect exact counts (grades, years, percentages), the order of steps in Article 29, and the line between officials, temporary staff, contract staff and Members. In our analysis, the wrong options are usually the right figure from the neighbouring group: AD's 12 grades offered for AST, or contract staff placed in the establishment plan.

Worked example 1 (our own)

How many grades does function group AST comprise under Article 5(2) of the Staff Regulations? A. Six. B. Eleven. C. Twelve. D. Sixteen.

Answer: B. Staff Regulations, Article 5(2). A is AST/SC and C is AD.

Worked example 2 (our own)

Under Article 80 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants, which grades make up contract staff function group III? A. 1 to 3. B. 4 to 7. C. 8 to 12. D. 13 to 18.

Answer: C. CEOS, Article 80(2). A is group I, B group II and D group IV.

The free 30-question test draws from all three areas, with Commission or open-competition rules, AD or AST timing, and English, French or German. For the AST2 competition, see COM/AST/112/2026; for the Commission's role, see its powers under Article 17 TEU, and look up terms such as 'establishment plan' in the glossary.