1. Payment of “avances” by bank transfer

This system will apply, initially, only to interpreters based in the Euro zone. The Administration has said it could be extended to those outside the Euro zone at a later stage. The bank charges for the transfer will be paid for by the Commission.

There will be a clear indication of the nature of the transfer, showing whether it is payment of fees or reimbursement of expenses.

The first transfer (of per diems and transport costs, on day one of the contract if the ticket has been shown to the payments service by 15.00) can be made to a bank account in Belgium. Your Professional Delegation can not furnish details of bank charges in all Euro zone countries. In order to make an informed decision you are advised to make your own comparison of charges. On making some enquiries of Belgian banks, your Delegation has been informed, for instance, that a bank transfer from one account to another with the same bank means the money is on the second account the same day, that inter-bank transfers mean it is available sometimes on day two but certainly on day three, that there is no customer charge per transaction for payments by credit card on an account in Belgium, and that “La Poste” charges no annual amount for holding a current account.

If you do not wish to be paid your expenses by this new system, you must advise your own payments officer in SCIC accordingly. Alphabetical order of surnames is what determines who your payments officer is :

You are reminded that the deadline for declining the system is 15/04/2002, and that you must do so in writing, by letter, e-mail or fax. If you wish to avail of the new system, you need do nothing, for the moment. Even if you do not decline to use it, you may still occasionally, if justified, apply to be paid in cash.

2. Electronic statements

Since Oct. 2001 payment reports and statements have been available electronically via the web calendar, though the system has not been satisfactory, as detailed statements were not available until 15/3/2002. This has now been rectified. The idea was to cut down on paper use (AICs can save reports and statements, filing them electronically and printing out as and when necessary), and to make them available much faster (they are available by this means as soon as the payment is made). Now that the system is finally delivering, the Professional Delegation will advise the Admin. that it should inform everyone of this, and ask who does not wish to avail of this system, as it had been agreed that those who wished could instead receive the paper-based versions.

For reimbursement of travel expenses, payment of travel allowance and per diems, please consult the summary record of our meeting with the Admin. on 21/2/2002. If you have any questions, please feel free to consult your Professional Delegation:

Yves Cherbut
Veerle Duflou
Maire Ennis
Garbine Sanz Las Heras
Isabella Romanini
Dirk Vannot