STAFF REGULATIONS

Part I: General Provisions

Article 1 – Scope. 1

Article 2 – Hierarchical authority. 1

Article 3 – Non-discrimination.. 1

Article 4 – Grades and categories. 2

Article 5 – Numbers. 2

Article 6 – Staff participation.. 2

Article 7 – General Meeting of Staff. 2

Article 8 – Staff Committee. 2

Article 9 – Joint Committee. 2

Article 10 – Functions performed in connection with staff representation.. 3

Article 1 – Scope[1]

1.         These Regulations shall apply to any person who has been appointed in accordance with the conditions laid down in them as a staff member (hereinafter referred to as “staff members” or “staff”) of the Council of Europe (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”).

2.         Staff members shall be appointed either to a post in the Table of Posts or to a position.

3.         The conditions of employment of the different categories of temporary staff members shall be laid down by the Secretary General in a General Rule, which shall stipulate which provisions of these Regulations shall be applicable to them.

Article 2 – Hierarchical authority[2]

Staff members of the Council shall be under the authority of the Secretary General and answerable to him or her. Hierarchical superiors in the Secretariat shall exercise their authority in the name of the Secretary General.

Article 3 – Non-discrimination[3]

1.         Staff members shall be entitled to equal treatment under the Staff Regulations without direct or indirect discrimination, in particular on grounds of racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, nationality, disability, age, marital or parental status, sex or sexual orientation, and political, philosophical or religious opinions.

2.         The principle of equal treatment and non-discrimination shall not prevent the Secretary General from maintaining or adopting, in the context of a predetermined policy, measures conferring specific advantages in order to promote full and effective equality and equal opportunities for everyone, provided that there is an objective and reasonable justification for those measures.

Article 4 – Grades and categories[4]

1.         Each post or position shall carry a grade.

2.         The different grades shall be divided among four categories, in accordance with the system in force in all the Co-ordinated Organisations:

a.         category A, comprising staff engaged in professional and/or managerial duties;

b.         category L, comprising staff engaged in interpretation and translation duties;

c.         category B, comprising:

i.          staff engaged in administrative and/or team-supervisory duties;

ii.          staff engaged in support duties;

d.         category C, comprising staff engaged in technical, manual or service duties.

Article 5 – Numbers[5]

The total number of staff members appointed to posts and the number in each grade shall not be in excess of the figures indicated in the Table of Posts (see Appendix III to these Regulations) save where exceptions are authorised by the Committee of Ministers.

Article 6 – Staff participation

Staff members shall be entitled to express their views, in particular in the bodies provided for in these Regulations, on any measures in application of these Regulations or amendments to them and on any other measures relating to the conditions of employment of staff members. They shall co-operate through their representatives in the running of the committees set up by these Regulations and the appended regulations and rules.

Article 7 – General Meeting of Staff

Members of staff shall be entitled to attend the General Meeting of Staff, whose attributions and functioning are described in Appendix I hereto.

Article 8 – Staff Committee

1.         The Staff Committee shall represent the general interests of the staff.

2.         It shall be elected by the members of staff in accordance with the provisions of Appendix I to these Regulations which also determines its membership and attributions.

Article 9 – Joint Committee

With a view to facilitating co-operation between the Administration and the staff on matters of a general nature concerning the staff, there shall be set up a Joint Committee whose attributions and mode of operation are laid down in Appendix I to these Regulations. The Secretary General shall appoint the Chair of the Joint Committee. The other members and their substitutes shall be appointed in equal numbers by the Secretary General and the Staff Committee.

Article 10 – Functions performed in connection with staff representation

The functions performed by staff members on the committees and boards dealing with staff matters set up under these Regulations and appended regulations and rules shall be deemed to be part of the services they render to the Council. No staff member shall suffer prejudice as a result of performing such functions.