The European Commission paid Peter Strohschneider almost EUR 150 000, almost a 1000 per day, for conducting a alleged strategical dialog on the future of agriculture. "The wage was determined on the basis of the professor's experience and the difficulties of the task," the EC spokespersons defended on Thursday.
For 154 days, a German prof. specialising in the past of the mediate Ages received 149,963 euros and 66 cents. Its regular rate was so somewhat over EUR 973.
This is almost 2 thirds more than the rate allocated to the peculiar advisers of the European Commissioners (this is simply a maximum of EUR 594 22 cents). This is not illegal, due to the fact that according to the rules of procedure, the rate of advisors may be raised in “duely justified, exceptional cases”. This one's up to maximum.
Peter Strohschneider, employed by Ursula von der Leyen to lead a “strategic dialog on the future of agriculture” besides received the highest possible category of administrative position, i.e. so-called. grade AD16.
The European Commission's Head of Agriculture strategical dialog initiative was first mentioned during her message on the state of the Union in September 2023. At the time, farmers protested against Green Deal across the EU. Then the name of a German scientist was to appear on the wallpaper.
Although Brussels oruares say that Strohschneider's employment was an exclusive decision by the Ober Commissioner, as he explained during the Thursday briefing in Brussels, the spokesperson for KE Balazs Ujvari had to be approved by the College of Commissioners. – Special advisers are proposing commissioners. The proposed candidatures shall be forwarded to the staff department, which shall examine the candidates, including the impact of their employment on the institution's budget. The final candidacy returns to the college, which appoints a consultant – said the spokesman.
Strohschneider was officially appointed a consultant on March 5 of that year, then his wage was set. – The consultant's remuneration shall be calculated on the basis of the number of working days he spends working on the project, multiplied by the gross regular rate. Taxes and insurance costs must be deducted from this amount – explained the spokesperson of the KE Ariana Podesta on Thursday. As she added, erstwhile setting a rate for prof. EC, she took into account his experience and the delicate nature of the task he was assigned. – This was an highly hard task involving many sides of the dialogue – said Podesta.
However, the first gathering on the agricultural dialog was held before Strohschneider was officially appointed to the post in March; he himself started working on 7 February, a period earlier. – It does not substance whether these earnings began to be counted from February or March, crucial that they included the maximum duration of the project, which was determined for 154 working days – commented Podesta.
Individual Commissioners or the full EU institutions may appoint peculiar advisers for a limited period of time; they are not always paid.
The EC president presently employs 5 peculiar advisers. In addition to Strohschneider there is besides Sir Peter Piot, a doctor of British-Belgian origin, who advises the EC Head of wellness Policy in the context of the alleged Covid-19 pandemic and another phenomena presented by the Union as a threat. According to the media, Piot's earnings for the 58-day task implemented between April and November of this year are to be akin to those of the German professor. Piot advised VdL as early as 2020, but then his wage was not made public.
Source: PAP (Jovita Kivnik Pargana), PCh24.pl
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