Eurocrats are bureaucrats in the European civil service, selected by the European Personnel Selection Office rather than elected by constituents. They are organized into departments headed by commissioners known as Directorates-General. Eurocrats are required to speak at least two European languages, work 24/7, and are taxed as employees of the EU. The derogatory term stems from the fact that many departments vie for limited funding, causing budget cuts and policy changes. The European Civil Service was established in the early 1980s, and the system was largely influenced by Germany, Italy, and France.
A Eurocrat is someone who works as a bureaucrat in the European civil service in the European Union (EU). In general, the term is considered a derogatory statement for high-ranking government officials who are selected by the European Personnel Selection Office rather than constituency-elected. Eurocrats are divided into several departments headed by commissioners known as Directorates-General. A major criticism that has led to the adoption of the terminology is the fact that many of the departments overlap and vie for limited amounts of funding, causing many in Europe to suffer the consequences of budget cuts and policy changes.
The bureaucracy in Europe is delineated with a series of degrees, each of which defines the position of the Eurocrat. Within the different departments, people are considered an assistant (AST) or an administrator (AD). Those with the AD rank are the policy makers, while all those with the AST rank are responsible for implementing policy: providing secretarial duties, driving vehicles or sending messages. Furthermore, several levels, ranging from five to 16, have been established to define Eurocrat’s ranking within the organisation. For example, an AD5 is the lowest-ranking administrator, while the head of department holds a rank of AD16.
Anyone working as a Eurocrat is required to fit within the parameters set by EU policies. Qualified candidates must speak at least two European languages, mainly English, French or German. Must be available to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not to exceed 37.5 working hours per week. Eurocrats are considered employees of the EU, rather than an individual nation, so they are taxed accordingly. Interestingly, the prevailing nationality to be represented by Eurocrats is the nation of Belgium, rather than the larger countries.
The European Civil Service was established in the early 1980s, kickstarting the development of the Eurocrat system. In the early days, the system was largely influenced by Germany and Italy; however, France had the greatest amount of power. Much of the derogatory terminology comes from French President Jacques Delors’ chief of staff, Pascal Lamy. According to documents of the time, Lamy was able to consolidate his power with different departments and commissioners to such an extent that many feared retaliation from his office if his policy was not enforced. He’s even gotten the nickname “Beast of the Berlaymont” in some quarters.
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