On 26 April 2021, the Bureau of the European Parliament took a decision to grant an allowance to officials and other servants of the European Parliament assigned to Luxembourg whose remuneration is below the Luxembourg minimum social wage.
It should be noted that, unlike the Commission’s approach, the basis for comparison with the minimum social wage of a skilled worker is the gross treatment of the staff member. On the other hand, as the Court of Justice does, the gross treatment of the official is increased by any expatriation or foreign residence allowance received.
This can create discrimination because two staff members whose situations are similar in every respect except for the place of recruitment (e.g. Malta for one and Luxembourg for the other) would then receive the same net treatment. Or the Staff Regulations clearly provide for an expatriation allowance to compensate (and make more attractive) the fact that the staff member coming from Malta has had to leave his family, friends and customs.
The full text of the decision of the Bureau of the EP (in French)
It should also be noted that the Court of Auditors reclassifies contract agents immediately after recruitment to a level of the salary scale at least equal to that of qualified workers in the Grand Duchy. This approach seems to us, the USL, to be the most in line with the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (RAA).