Action brought on 20 February 2017 — Alba Aguilera and Others v EEAS

(Case T-119/17)

Language of the case: French

Parties

Applicants: Ruben Alba Aguilera and 28 other applicants (Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia) (represented by: S. Orlandi and T. Martin, lawyers)

Defendant: European External Action Service (EEAS)

Form of order sought

Declare and rule that:

The contested decision is annulled, insofar as it reduces, with effect from 1 January 2016, the amount of the allowance for living conditions for staff posted to Ethiopia from 30% to 25%;

The EEAS is ordered to make a lump-sum payment to the applicants, the amount of which shall be determined ex aequo et bono by the General Court, in respect of the non-pecuniary harm suffered;

The EEAS is ordered to pay the costs.

Pleas in law and main arguments

The present action concerns the lawfulness of the EEAS’s decision to reduce the allowance for living conditions (ALC) granted to members of the temporary staff of the EU in the Ethiopia delegation from 30% to 25%.

In support of the action, the applicant relies on three pleas in law.

1.    The first plea in law alleges infringement of the obligation to adopt the GIP of Annex X to the Staff Regulations.

2.    The second plea in law alleges infringement of Article 10 of Annex X to the Staff Regulations, insofar as the method used by the EEAS to set the amount of the ALC in a particular place of employment takes account of the principle of ‘regional coherence’.

3.    The third plea in law alleges the multiple manifest errors of assessment which therefore render the contested decision unlawful.

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