The Executive Committee and Bureau rely on the work of a number of Commissions and Committees in order to carry out its mission and mandate. Each of these groups of delegates has the task of studying all the subjects dealt with by the Staff Association. They are, in general, think tanks and sources of proposals and even participate in certain areas of management.
The internal commission on matters relating to the conditions of employment of CERN members of the personnel (both MPE and MPA) (hereinafter referred to as the “Personnel”) is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) with the following terms of reference:
Mission
The mission of the Employment Conditions Commission is to:
- examine questions relating to the conditions of employment and, in particular, the social and financial conditions of the Personnel, submitted to it by the bodies of the Association;
- examine the Management’s proposals, which have an impact on the conditions of employment and, in particular, the social and financial conditions of the Personnel, and to give an opinion or draw up a proposal aimed at improving the Management’s proposal;
- propose any improvements in the conditions of employment, in the interest of the Personnel and of the Organization.
Scope of activities
In order to fulfil its mission, the Employment Conditions Commission shall:
- examine the cases, proposals and questions submitted to it;
- document best practices in the Member States and in other organisations in order to answer thoroughly to questions submitted to it, to improve the proposals under examination or to substantiate its own proposals.
Reporting
The Employment Conditions Commission shall present its work to the Council, together with any proposal that requires discussion, directions or approval of the Council. Where necessary, the Commission may report to the Executive Committee prior to reporting to the Council.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the Employment Conditions Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- may, with the agreement of the Executive Committee and/or the Council, engage the services of experts;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinators
The internal commission on External Relations is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”), with the following terms of reference:
Mission
Under the direction of the Executive Committee, the mission of the External Relations Commission is to:
- initiate and maintain formal or informal institutional contacts between the Association and groups having a similar purpose, established within other International Organisations or in CERN Member States or those states which have relations with the Association;
- prepare or review all official communications for external relations and submit them for approval to the President or the Vice-President of the Association.
Scope of activities
In order to fulfil its mission, the External Relations Commission shall:
- strive to be informed of and to communicate on any and all matters related to the conditions of employment of international civil servants (or persons with a similar status) for the purpose of anticipating the deterioration of our conditions of employment or further developing them (improvements and setbacks);
- participate in conferences, discussion forums and other meetings organised by our partners and analyse the information obtained.
Reporting
The External Relations Commission shall present its work to the Council, together with any proposal that requires discussion, directions or approval of the Council. Where necessary, the Commission may report to the Executive Committee prior to reporting to the Council.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the External Relations Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- shall have, at its disposal, a budget to participate in conferences, forums and other external meetings;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinator
The internal commission in charge of issues related to occupational health and safety, and environmental protection is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) with the following terms of reference:
Mission
The mission of the Health and Safety Commission is to examine issues related to occupational health and safety, and environmental protection, which are of interest to the Association.
Scope of activities
In order to fulfil its mission, the Health and Safety Commission shall:
- examine questions relating to the interpretation to be given to a normative text of CERN in terms of occupational health and safety, and environmental protection;
- examine, at the request of a body of the Association, or the Association itself, any document or case that requires an opinion on aspects related to occupational health and safety, and environmental protection;
- prepare, together with the representatives appointed by the Association, the meetings of CERN bodies related to occupational health and safety, and environmental protection.
Reporting
The Health and Safety Commission shall present its work to the Council, together with any proposal that requires discussion, directions or approval of the Council. Where necessary, the Commission may report to the Executive Committee prior to reporting to the Council.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the Health and Safety Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- may, with the agreement of the Executive Committee and/or the Council, engage the services of experts;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinator
The internal commission in charge of preparing and/or implementing actions related to information, events and mobilisation, and training of delegates, is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) with the following terms of reference:
Mission
The mission of the In-Form-Action Commission is to:
- set up any necessary means to keep the CERN personnel (hereinafter referred to as the “Personnel”) and, more broadly, the CERN community, informed through all the communication channels made available;
- prepare and implement, following a decision of the Executive Committee or the Council, actions and events with the purpose of informing and bringing together the Personnel and mobilising it, especially in times of crisis;
- assist the Executive Committee in the implementation of training courses for the delegates in order to enable them to fulfil their mission within the Association.
Scope of activities
In order to fulfil its mission, the In-Form-Action Commission shall:
- strive to stay informed of ongoing affairs, as well as messages and actions that the Association, via the Executive Committee or the Council, wishes to convey to the Personnel and to the CERN community;
- manage notice boards and posters of the Association on the CERN site;
- organise various events and meetings planned by the Executive Committee or the Council;
- manage all aspects relating to the commercial and entertainment activities of the Association and, in particular, business partnerships;
- help identify the training needs of delegates, together with the Executive Committee, which is in charge of developing a training programme.
Reporting
The In-Form-Action Commission shall present its work to the Council, together with any proposal that requires discussion, directions or approval of the Council. Where necessary, the Commission may report to the Executive Committee prior to reporting to the Council.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the In-Form-Action Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- may, with the agreement of the Executive Committee and/or the Council, engage the services of experts, for instance for developing tools to facilitate communication with the colleagues;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinator
The internal commission on Legal Matters (LEG) is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) with the following terms of reference:
Mission
The mission of the Legal Matters Commission is to:
- examine legal questions submitted to it by the bodies of the Association;
- examine normative texts and draft texts, which are of interest to the Association;
- provide assistance in the legal action decided upon or supported by the Association; and
- examine any legal issues the Commission considers should be referred to it.
Scope of Activities
In order to fulfil its mission, the Legal Commission shall, respectively:
- examine questions relating to the interpretation to be given to a normative text that is internal to the Association or to CERN, or to the legality of a decision or a draft decision of a body of the Association or CERN, or to the conduct of debates or work within a body of the Association;
- review (e.g. revise, amend, comment) the Staff Rules and Regulations, Administrative or Operational Circulars and any related subsidiary or interpretative texts; the CERN Pension Fund Rules and Regulations and any related subsidiary or interpretative texts; the Statutes of the Association and its subsidiary texts, and draft decisions of the bodies of the Association (especially draft resolutions submitted to the Council pursuant to Article V.5.6 of the Statutes of the Association); external texts with legal content or scope that are of interest to the Association.
Beyond the purely legal examination of the texts, their comprehensibility, coherence, accessibility or applicability shall also be examined; - examine any document or file requiring a legal opinion at the request of a body of the Association;
- examine of its own accord any legal question, which may be of interest to the Association, CERN or the external partners of the Association.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the Legal Matters Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- may seek external legal assistance, and has a budget at its disposal to this end;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinator
The internal commission on matters relating to the internal and external communication of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Association with the following terms of reference:
Mission
Under the direction of the Executive Committee, the mission of the Media-Com Commission is to:
- establish, implement and review the Association’s communication plan, and submit the plan for validation to the Executive Committee and for approval to the Council;
- prepare and write articles and other messages of the Association, and submit them for approval and publication to the members of the Bureau.
Scope of activities
In order to fulfil its mission, the Media-Com Commission shall:
- develop, implement and revise the communication plan, especially by means of
- defining the objectives of the plan,
- identifying the target audiences,
- establishing communication channels and the communication strategy,
- determining the most appropriate means and tools of communication for achieving the objectives,
- evaluating the results of the implementation of the communication plan, and making necessary adjustments;
- develop, set up and maintain platforms and tools selected and used by the Association for communication purposes;
- strive to be informed of current affairs in order to prepare communications for publication and ensuring, in particular, the drafting of articles and other publications in the Echo newsletter, the website of the Association and/or other communication channels available.
Reporting
The Media-Com Commission shall present its work to the Council, together with any proposal that requires discussion, directions or approval of the Council. Where necessary, the Commission may report to the Executive Committee prior to reporting to the Council.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the Media-Com Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- may, with the agreement of the Executive Committee and/or the Council, engage the services of experts;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinators
The internal commission on matters relating to the CERN Pension Fund is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) with the following terms of reference:
Mission
The mission of the Pension Commission is to examine all questions relating to “the financial consequences of old-age and disability”, covered by “an old-age and disability insurance scheme through a pension fund” (Article S IV 2.01 of the Staff Rules and Regulations).
Scope of activities
In order to fulfil its mission, the Pension Commission shall:
- analyse all data and proposals originating from internal bodies and entities of the CERN Pension Fund (PFGB, PFIC, ATC, and other formally established entities), or entities external to the Pension Fund, and form an opinion and/or draw up proposals in the interest of the Fund and of its beneficiaries. This shall include, among other things:
- reviewing data from the Investment Committee (PFIC) ;
- analysing the annual and triennial actuarial reviews monitored by the Actuarial and Technical Committee (ATC);
- preparing meetings of the bodies and entities of the Pension Fund;
- ensure that the positions of the Association are known and defended by the representatives of the Association and GAC-EPA, who are on bodies and entities of the Pension Fund;
- ensure compliance with the procedures and rules laid down by the Pension Fund.
Reporting
The Pension Commission shall present its work to the Council, together with any proposal that requires discussion, directions or approval of the Council. Where necessary, the Commission may report to the Executive Committee prior to reporting to the Council.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the Pension Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- may, with the agreement of the Executive Committee and/or the Council, engage the services of experts;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinator
The internal commission on issues relating to social security is constituted by the Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) based on Article V.6.2 of the Statutes of the Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) with the following terms of reference:
Mission
The mission of the Social Security Commission is to:
- monitor the evolution of the CERN Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS), as well as the evolution of other social protection systems, excluding pension systems. Regarding CHIS, the Association aims, among other things, to maintain balance within CHIS and to improve the benefits, a position defended by our representatives on the CERN Health Insurance Scheme Board (CHIS Board);
- examine any question relating to the social security coverage of CHIS beneficiaries, as well as any other question relating to social security, such as unemployment insurance and family allowances. Questions relating to pensions shall be discussed in the Pension Commission.
Scope of activities
In order to fulfil its mission in the area of health insurance, the Social Security Commission shall:
- consider solutions to problems encountered in the day-to-day management of the health insurance scheme, reported to it by our representatives on the CHIS Board or through any other medium;
- explore the best practices in the Member States in order to propose improvements to the CERN health insurance system and to stay on par with positive developments across the Member States;
- examine any improvements aimed at integrating the notion of balance and cost compliance, in line with the principles of mutuality and solidarity among the members of the scheme, and in the interest of offering an optimal coverage to the insured;
- analyse the biannual statistics provided by the CHIS Scheme Manager;
- analyse the triennial actuarial reviews monitored by the CHIS Board;
- strive to ensure compliance with the applicable procedures and the rules issued by the CHIS Board.
In order to fulfil its mission in areas related to social security systems other than pension and health insurance systems, the Social Security Commission shall:
- examine the issues, proposals, and questions submitted to it;
- document the best practices in the Member States in order to propose improvements to these systems in the interest of the Personnel and the Organization.
Rapport
The Social Security Commission shall present its work to the Council, together with any proposal that requires discussion, directions or approval of the Council. Where necessary, the Commission may report to the Executive Committee prior to reporting to the Council.
Means
In order to fulfil its mission, the Social Security Commission:
- shall be composed of one or two coordinators and members, who are all from the Council and appointed by it; in accordance with Article V.5.7 of the Statutes of the Association, members may also be appointed by the Council from among the members of the Association;
- shall receive, to the extent possible, logistical support from the Secretariat of the Association for document management, as well as the establishment and maintenance of tools and databases;
- may collaborate with other internal commissions and bodies of the Association to carry out its mission;
- may, with the agreement of the Executive Committee and/or the Council, engage the services of experts;
- may provide its members with training related to its mission.
Coordinator
