Starting in April, approximately 66,000 employees with European institutions will receive their seventh pay rise in just three years.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will see the biggest increase of her monthly salary to €34,800, up by €2,700, according to German newspaper Bild 0n March 24.
The lowest basic salary for EU institutions’ staff will rise from €3,361 at the start of 2024 to €3,645. At the highest pay grade, it will go up from €23,262 to €25,229.
Commissioners will see their salaries increasing by €2,200 to around €28,400 per month.
While EU officials typically receive annual salary adjustments indexed to inflation, on July 1, recent high inflation has led to more frequent and significant wage increases.
Ironically, the EC opposes automatic wage indexation in member states including Belgium, arguing that it raises labour costs and fuels wage-price spirals.
The EU included a moderation clause, limiting the salary increase to 2 per cent initially, with the remainder applied nine months later.
Wages for EU officials were based on the Joint Index, which tracks changes in the cost of living for EU staff in Belgium and Luxembourg.
It is based on the spending patterns of employees working in these two countries. To calculate it, Belgium’s inflation was measured using the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), while Luxembourg’s was measured using the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), following official EU rules.
Inflation rocketed in 2022, due to the economic consequences of the reactions to the Covid-pandemic, reaching 11.5 per cent in the EU and 10.6 per cent in the Euro area.
It then sharply dropped. In February 2025, inflation stood at 2.7 in the EU and 2.3 in the euro area.
Some EU officials also receivee severance pay. When Charles Michel stepped down as president of the European Council in September last year, he received a “transitional allowance” of around €260,000, leading to widespread criticism.
Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, is facing heat in Holland as he is accused of planning to “campaign on the European taxpayers’ dime” when he steps down. https://t.co/M11UpGHIoM
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 18, 2023
