Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-05-04-Speech-1-229"

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"en.20090504.25.1-229"2
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"Mr President, first of all, I would like to stress that the Commission has acted in good faith, strictly respecting all relevant legal rules in the process. We have never been seeking a conflict with the Ombudsman, and even less so with the European Parliament. Our opinion was that our position would be recognised by the Ombudsman. Our starting point is that, over the years, the working conditions for (AICs) have been increasingly aligned to the rules of the Staff Regulations. Since 2000, freelance interpreters have been linked to the Staff Regulations, after the decision of the Council of Ministers that they can pay Community tax instead of national taxes on their income from the European institutions. And then, from 2004 on, they have been covered by Article 90 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants, which is why they are now called AICs. The age limit of 65 years is a rule of the Staff Regulations that covers all categories of personnel working for the institutions, be they officials, temporary, contract or auxiliary staff, as well as parliamentary assistants, following the recent adoption of a new regulation in this respect. This rule was applied to AICs by the Commission, as well as Parliament, between 2000 and 2004. Following a decision of the Court of First Instance in 2004 stating that not to recruit AICs over the age of 65 constitutes discrimination, the institutions suspended the application of the rule. However, following an appeal against the decision, the Court declared it null and void. Consequently the Commission returned to its previous practice. As there is no longer a Court decision in the matter, our reading is that the previous line applies and that the Commission has to apply the rules deriving from the Council regulation of the year 2000 and stop recruiting at the age of 65, exactly as for other staff. The freedom of the interpretation services of the institutions to recruit AICs according to their needs is a cornerstone of efficient delivery of conference interpretation. This makes it possible to have most regular and predictable demand covered by staff interpreters, whilst fluctuating demand and peak situations are catered for by recruiting AICs. This tried and tested system has made it possible for the institutions to satisfy requests for interpretation according to demand, including making a success of the latest enlargements while keeping costs under strict control. This approach also supports an active policy of training of young conference interpreters. Finally, I would like to welcome the very positive contacts between Parliament and the Commission in this matter, and I would especially like to thank Vice-President Martínez Martínez for his valuable contacts with my colleague Commissioner Orban in a previous phase."@en1
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"agents interprètes de conference"1
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