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(1) It is for the Council to determine the salaries, allowances and pensions of EU high-level public office holders (‘public office holders’), including the President of the European Council , the President and members of the Commission , the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , the Presidents, Judges, Advocates-General and Registrars of the Court of Justice of the European Union , the President and members of the Court of Auditors , and the Secretary-General of the Council , together with any payment to be made instead of remuneration.

(2) It is appropriate that the emoluments and other benefits of public office holders reflect their high responsibilities, and therefore such emoluments and other benefits may differ from those referred to in the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (‘Staff Regulations’).

(3) Some adjustments to the current emoluments and other benefits of public office holders are nonetheless appropriate in order to reflect the institutional developments in the Union and to modernise the structure of emoluments, in particular by reflecting, where necessary, the amendments introduced by Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1023/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘Staff Regulations’). In light of the reforms to the Staff Regulations, several amendments need to be made to Regulation No 422/67/EEC, No 5/67/Euratom. Similarly, Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 2290/77 also needs to be updated to take account of reforms to the Staff Regulations. In light of the number of substantial modifications to both Regulations (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 2290/77 and Regulation No 422/67/EEC, No 5/67/Euratom, regulating emoluments of various public office holders, it is appropriate, in the interests of clarity, transparency and good legislative practice, to merge the two Regulations.

(4) With a view to safeguarding a balance between EU staff members and public office holders, as regards emoluments, it is appropriate to include measures to align the treatment of public office holders with that of EU staff members in situations where the latter have benefited from a modernised structure of emoluments, such as with regard to automatic updates of allowances and to the possibility of joining the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme, including after termination of a mandate.

(5) Furthermore, it is appropriate to adjust the annual pension accrual rate and to align the pensionable age with the amendments to the Staff Regulations and the applicable accrual rate to be determined with reference to the Staff Regulations, to ensure automatic adjustment with regard to future amendments to the Staff Regulations.

(6) Other amendments should ensure that the duration of the entitlement of former public office holders to the monthly transitional allowance should correspond directly to the period of service. However, this duration should not be less than 6 months and no more than 2 years, on the understanding that the purpose of the transitional allowance for public office holders is to ensure, for a limited period directly following their term of office, a certain level of financial security until their next paid employment with a similar level of remuneration, or other source of income such as their pension.

(7) It is also appropriate to align the allowances and reimbursement of costs due upon taking up duties and when ceasing to hold office with those paid to officials and other servants under the Staff Regulations, while providing for some flexibility when it is necessary, in particular in the case of the reimbursement of removal costs that takes into account the representative functions of public office holders.

(8) It is necessary to bring into line the conditions for sickness insurance cover for current and former public office holders by aligning them with the conditions of insurance cover applicable to officials and other servants under Articles 72 and 73 of the Staff Regulations.

(9) For the same reasons, since the rules established by this Regulation should replace those laid down in Regulation No 422/67/EEC, No 5/67/Euratom, Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 2290/77, and Decisions 2009/909/EU, 2009/910/EU, and 2009/912/EU with the exception of Article 5 thereof, those acts should be repealed without prejudice to their continuing application to all public office holders to whom one or more of those acts apply and whose mandates are ongoing on, or have ended before, the date of entry into force of this Regulation,