Key facts
- The European Commission's confidential counsellor team has received 960 reports since its establishment in fall 2024.
- These reports concern harassment, alleged toxic management, and long working hours.
- The counsellors do not have the mandate to investigate or legally qualify conduct as harassment.
- Formal complaints must be filed with the Investigation and Disciplinary Office (IDOC) or the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
- Around 14,000 staff have attended anti-harassment policy presentations, and 2,400 managers have completed mandatory training.
The European Commission's dedicated team for handling staff harassment complaints has received nearly 1,000 reports since its inception in the fall of 2024. These figures, revealed by POLITICO, highlight concerns among staff regarding long working hours, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and instances of toxic management.
Despite the high volume of reports, the chief confidential counsellor and her team of 40 advisors are not legally empowered to launch investigations or formally classify conduct as harassment. Instead, staff must pursue formal complaints through the Investigation and Disciplinary Office (IDOC) or the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which handle approximately 20 to 25 formal complaints annually.
The Commission stated that increased awareness, fostered by 14,000 staff attending anti-harassment policy presentations and 2,400 managers completing mandatory training over the past two years, has contributed to the high number of reports to the counsellor service. A spokesperson emphasized the institution's commitment to being a respectful workplace, referencing a review initiated by President Ursula von der Leyen. However, this review's scope explicitly excludes anti-harassment policy recommendations.