Catering at the office (canteens, cafeterias and vending machines) is very important to colleagues even now that we frequently telework and there is therefore the possibility to eat at home or outside (restaurant). Several aspects should be considered: the need of a catering service, the catering model in the Commission in Luxembourg, the food quality and price, the social role of catering and finally the current and future offer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The need of a catering service\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There is no clear legal obligation from our employer to provide for catering at the office. There is nonetheless a long-standing catering offer, a dedicated budget as well as a dedicated responsible service (the Office of Infrastructures of Luxembourg \u2013 OIL).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The catering model of the Commission in Luxembourg\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The catering service is mainly managed directly by OIL (canteens and cafeterias are managed by Staff mostly employed by OIL) and to a certain extent indirectly (external contracting, vending machines and some additional interim personnel for canteens and cafeterias).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The CPGRC (Comit\u00e9 Paritaire de Gestion des Restaurants et Cafetarias) is the dedicated Joint Committee that advises the Institution on the catering implementation, including the relevant budget and its limitations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The food quality and price\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The main costs of the catering are the food and the staff costs. Most of the catering staff are hired by OIL under contracts governed by Luxembourgish law (local staff). They benefit from a relatively better salary evolution (indexation) than Officials, Temporary and Contract Agents Staff.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 2019, the Administration and the Staff representation agreed on a method for food price revision including a formula to guide the catering prices evolution. That formula is linked to indicators pertaining to food and staff costs. The method provides for that increase in prices is capped by the evolution of our salaries. This method was applied several times (see our references hereunder).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The approval of the method by the staff representatives was accompanied by an explicit request to improve the quality and the quantity of the dishes. No systematic improvements were however noticed in the offered meals (varies depending on buildings).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The social role of catering\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It's twofold. First the catering teams are colleagues and as members of staff, they deserve all our attention. Secondly, colleagues gather at coffee or lunch time, and so they create or reinforce a social bound and effective team building. It even enables to solve problems efficiently. With the generalized teleworking these benefits tend to diminish.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The current and the future offer\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Commission staff in Luxembourg is spread over several buildings. Up to 2019, each building had its own canteen and\/or cafeterias and they all had vending machines.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Following the COVID crisis and the generalized teleworking, less and less colleagues use the canteens and cafeteria. Consequently, the availability of canteens and cafeterias has changed too (some closed, others downsized).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In some buildings, colleagues are obliged to commute to other buildings or to eat outside which involves loss of time and often higher prices. Besides, this potentially reduces the social interaction benefits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When the JMOII will be available, most Commission services will move there. Then, staff will be hosted in two or three buildings (including the Post Mercier). The Foyer, which also offers catering services, may disappear.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The weekly menus as well as the prices and the allergens are available on <\/span>MyIntraComm<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Conclusion\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Catering at the office is not a legal obligation. However, it is not a luxury because it impacts on our portfolio, on our health and the quality of our work. Catering is a key element in our Institution social policy. That policy concerns all colleagues including our OIL colleagues.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Disclaimer<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We always try to provide you with the latest information. However, the fast evolution of the situation does not always allow us to timely update this page content. The references hereunder (leaflets and news) might provide you with additional information. However, if you need to have a quick update don't hesitate to contact us: <\/span>REP-PERS-OSP-USF-LUXEMBOURG@ec.europa.eu<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n OTHER USEFUL LINKS:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n RELATED LEAFTLETS:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n RELATED NEWS:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n