Mandate:   -   Regulation concerning the Co-ordination System

   -   Appendix to the OECD Council Decision adopted at its 690th session [C(88)117/FINAL]

   -   Revised by the OECD Council Decision [C(2004)6 and CORR1] adopted at its 1081st session, on 30 March 2004 [C/M(2004)7, Item 107]

 

 

 

Decision of the Council [C(2004)6 and CORR1]

 

“THE COUNCIL

 

   a)   noted documents C(2004)6 & CORR1, and the 154th Report on the Co-ordinating Committee on Remuneration [CCR/R(2004)2];

   b)   reaffirmed the final authority of Member States of the Co-ordinating Committee on Remuneration to issue recommendations on remuneration issues, including those on the remuneration adjustment method;

   c)   requested that the CCR examines, as a matter of urgency, alternatives to the current remuneration adjustment method, in order to more closely reflect the real trends in salaries in the national civil services of the reference countries;

   d)   adopted the revised Regulations concerning the co-ordination system set out in Annex 1 of the 154th Report. These Regulations shall come into force when adopted in identical terms by the Councils of the six Co-ordinated Organisations;

   e)   subjected its adoption of these Regulations to the reservation that the mandate of the concertation group established pursuant to Article 7, paragraph a) shall cease to be in effect on 31 December 2007 unless the Council agrees to its continuation in force;

   f)   invited the Secretary-General to communicate this decision to the other Co-ordinated Organisations, as well as to the Committees of the system of co-ordination, with the understanding that the Revised Regulations would have only provisional effect pending acceptance of the reservation set out in paragraph e) by the other Co-ordinated Organisations, either expressly or tacitly within twelve months from notification, and that, in the event any other co-ordinated Organisation objected to the reservation within that period, the Regulations dated 1 July 1991 would once again be in effect.”

 

Extract from document [C(2004)6]

 

ANNEX I

 

REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE CO-ORDINATION SYSTEM

 

“The following Regulations update those which came into effect on 1 July 1991.

For several decades, a co-ordinated system of remuneration has been maintained by a group of international organisations [North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), European Space Agency (ESA), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Council of Europe, Western European Union (WEU) and the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)]. These Co-ordinated Organisations at present have more than 50 member States, 11 000 staff members, and 4 000 pensioners. The Co-ordinating Committee on Remuneration (CCR) was established with a role of making recommendations on remuneration, allowances and pensions to the Councils of the Co-ordinated Organisations. The CCR works in conjunction with the Committee of Representatives of the Secretaries/Directors-General (CRSG) and the Committee of Staff Representatives (CRP). The legal and organisational basis for co-ordination is set out in the Regulations below.

 

Article 1

 

Scope of Co-ordination

 

(a) The object of the co-ordination system is to provide recommendations to the Governing bodies of the Co‑ordinated Organisations, in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations, concerning:

   (i)   Basic salary scales, and the method of their adjustment, for all categories of staff and for all countries where there are active staff or recipients of a pension;

   (ii)   Pension Scheme Rules;

   (iii)   The object, the amount and the method of adjustment of:

– expatriation allowance

– household allowance

– installation allowance

– dependent person’s allowance

– daily subsistence allowance

– kilometric allowance

– expatriated child’s allowance

– education allowance

– handicapped child’s allowance.

 

(b) According to the procedure referred to in Article 6, recommendations to the Governing bodies are made by the Co-ordinating Committee on Remuneration (CCR), to the extent possible in conjunction with the Committee of Representatives of Secretaries/Directors-General (CRSG) and after consultation with the Committee of Staff Representatives (CRP). Where divergent conditions exist in different Co-ordinated Organisations, recommendations on allowances may take the form of frameworks applicable to all the Organisations, within which each Organisation shall have the flexibility to adopt implementing provisions to meet its specific needs. The CCR shall be kept informed of these provisions.

 

(c) According to the procedure referred to in Article 6, the CCR shall give its advisory opinion on any question falling within its mandate asked by the Governing body of any Co‑ordinated Organisation.

 

Article 2

 

Co-ordinating Committee on Remuneration (CCR)

 

(a) Each member State of one of the Co‑ordinated Organisations may nominate one representative to the CCR who may be assisted by alternate delegates and advisers.

(b) The CCR shall elect its Chairperson by consensus for a three year mandate extendible on a yearly basis, after consultation with the CRSG and after being informed of the views of the CRP.

(c) The Chairperson of the CCR shall act as the impartial Chairperson of the whole co-ordination process and shall look after its harmonious, rapid and efficient functioning.

(d) The Chairperson shall be assisted by one Vice-Chairperson elected annually by the CCR.

(e) The CCR may designate one of its members to act as its spokesperson.

 

Article 3

 

Committee of Representatives of the Secretaries/Directors-General (CRSG)

 

(a) The Secretary/Director-General of each Co‑ordinated Organisation shall appoint one representative to the CRSG who may be assisted by alternate delegates and advisers.

(b) The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the CRSG shall be designated according to the procedures established by the CRSG.

(c) The Chairperson of the CRSG shall act as its spokesperson.

(d) The Secretaries/Directors-General may meet as the Committee of Secretaries/Directors-General (CSG).

(e) The CRP shall be given the prior possibility to outline to the CRSG any subjects related to remuneration policy which they consider should be raised at the sessions of the CSG.

 

Article 4

 

The Committee of Staff Representatives (CRP)

 

(a) The representative statutory body of the staff of each Co‑ordinated Organisation and the Association of Pensioned Staff of the Co-ordinated Organisations and of their Dependants (AAPOCAD) may appoint one delegate to the CRP as well as the alternate delegates and advisers who may accompany him/her.

(b) The Chairperson of the CRP shall act as its spokesperson. He/she may be assisted by a Vice-Chairperson.

 

Article 5

 

Proposals and work programme

 

(a) The CCR shall adopt a detailed work programme, the draft of which is drawn up by its Chairperson in consultation with the CRSG and the CRP, of all items to be discussed in the next calendar year. This approved work programme shall include the timetable for considering all items mentioned therein. The Secretaries/Directors-General shall submit, each with his/her own comments if appropriate, the CCR work programme to the Governing body of each Co‑ordinated Organisation for information and possible suggestions.

(b) The CRSG, after consultation with the CRP, may make proposals relating to matters which fall within the competence of the CCR as defined in Article 1 above, and present them to the CCR accompanied by any comments and views of the CRP.

(c) Any member of the CCR may make proposals to the CCR. After appropriate consultations, the Chairperson of the CCR shall decide which proposals have broad support amongst member States and therefore shall be brought forward for discussion in the joint meetings.

 

Article 6

 

Recommendations and advisory opinions

 

(a) Recommendations, in the form of reports, shall be made by the CCR by consensus and, to the extent possible, in conjunction with the CRSG. The CRP shall be consulted on the draft reports with a view to considering its position.

(b) If no agreement can be reached between the CCR and the CRSG after two meetings following the submission of the proposal, the CCR will issue a report which will reflect the reasons for disagreement and set out dissenting opinions of the CRSG and comments of the CRP. However, discussions concerning the remuneration adjustment method may take longer and could require three meetings.

(c) If no agreement can be reached among the CCR delegates after two meetings following the submission of the proposal, the Chairperson of the CCR shall draft a report in which he/she shall set out the positions that have the largest support of the CCR. Dissenting opinions of CCR delegates as well as the opinion of the CRSG and comments of the CRP shall be set out in the body of the report.

(d) Proposals by the CRSG which are considered non-controversial by the Chairperson of the CCR may be submitted to the CCR through a written procedure. In this case, recommendations shall be considered as accepted by the CCR if no objection has been brought to the attention of the Chairperson of the CCR. Normally any such objection should be brought to his/her attention within three weeks of the notification of the recommendations to the members of the CCR, or before such other deadline as may be set by the Chairperson of the CCR which should be not less than five working days.

(e) Advisory opinions of the CCR shall be made by consensus after consultation of the CRSG and the CRP representatives from the Organisation(s) concerned. In case the subject in question is specifically related to one or more Organisations, the CCR delegations whose country is not a member of the Organisation(s) concerned will exercise due restraint in discussions on the adoption of the opinion. If no agreement can be reached among the CCR delegations after two meetings following submission of the request for an opinion, the Chairperson of the CCR shall draft a report in which he/she shall set out the advisory opinion which has the largest support in the CCR. Dissenting opinions provided in writing shall be annexed to the report.

 

Article 7

 

Concertation group and formal and informal sessions

 

(a) The CCR, CRSG and CRP shall establish a concertation group which will be held as needed, in a flexible manner, either as a preparatory step to open discussion, or as a final attempt to achieve a meeting of minds among the Committees. The concertation group shall be limited to two representatives of each Committee. It shall be chaired by the Chairperson of the CCR. The representatives of the Committees will be expected to take into due account the positions of all their members during discussions in the concertation group.

(b) The CCR, the CRSG and the CRP may meet together, separately or any two together in formal or informal sessions. The Chairperson of the CCR shall act as Chairperson whenever the CCR meets with the CRSG or with the CRP.

 

Article 8

 

Notification and implementation

 

(a) The Chairperson of the CCR shall notify the Secretaries/Directors-General of all reports, recommendations and advisory opinions. The Secretaries/Directors-General shall transmit these reports, recommendations or advisory opinions, to the Governing body of their Organisations, as soon as possible.

(b) The Governing body of each Co‑ordinated Organisation shall decide on the reports, recommendations and advisory opinions made to it by the CCR.

(c) The Secretary/Director-General of each Organisation shall be responsible for the implementation of the decisions.

 

Article 9

 

Members and Observers

 

(a) The Governing bodies of the Co‑ordinated Organisations may, after having sought the advice of the CCR, accept unanimously that other international organisations participate in the system of co-ordination as members or observers.

(b) An international organisation may only become a member of the co-ordination system upon approval by its Governing body of the decisions concerning co-ordination then in force.

(c) When an international organisation has been admitted to participate in the system of co-ordination as an observer, the agenda, minutes and documents of the CCR, CRSG and CRP shall be provided respectively to its member countries, Secretary or Director-General and representative statutory body of its staff. Their representatives shall attend as observers the meetings of the CCR, CRSG and CRP.

(d) The Governing body of any Co‑ordinated Organisation may decide to terminate the application of these Regulations to that Organisation by giving one calendar year’s notice to that effect. It will transmit such a decision to the other Co‑ordinated Organisations. In such instance, these Regulations will remain applicable as far as the other Co‑ordinated Organisations are concerned.

 

Article 10

 

Entry into force

 

These Regulations shall enter into force when approved by the Governing bodies of the six Co‑ordinated Organisations. On such date, the Regulations concerning the co-ordination system dated 1 July 1991 shall be replaced by the present Regulations. After three years of operation of the system, these Regulations may be reviewed by the Governing bodies of the Co‑ordinated Organisations.”