The proposal for a regulation seeks to introduce special and temporary measures applicable to the recruitment of officials of the European Communities, as a result of the accession of Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The measures in question are designed to provide for certain temporary derogations from the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities. These derogations are limited in the following three ways:
- they apply up to the limits set for posts provided for to this effect by the budgetary authorities;
- they only cover a reduced number of provisions (publication of vacant posts, identical recruitment conditions, appointments to be made irrespective of nationality, ban on the reservation of posts for nationals of a given country, phases in the recruitment procedure, appointments to basic grades);
- their duration is limited to 31.12.1999.
Vacant posts are to be adequately advertised both inside and outside the Community institutions. Appointments to grades A3, A4, A5, LA3, LA4, LA 5, B1, B2, B3 and C1, as well as to grades A6, A7, A8, LA6, LA7, LA8, B4, B5, C2 to C5 and D1 to D4 shall be made after a competition based on qualification and/or tests organized in accordance with Annex III to the Staff Regulations.

Parliament approved the Commission's proposal subject to the three amendments it had introduced. The aims of these amendments were:
- to recall that the Commission had undertaken to present a proposal for a regulation instituting special measures for the retirement of officials and temporary staff members of the European Communities and that Parliament was calling for the immediate introduction of such a proposal for a regulation for its own personnel,
- to reduce the period of application of the proposed measures from 31 December 1999 to 31 December 1997. The Commission rejected this amendment,
- to make it compulsory for appointments to grades A6, A7, A8, LA6, LA7, LA8, B4, B5, C2 to C5 and D1 to D4 to be based on competition. The Commission rejected this amendment.

The proposal for a regulation has been modified by the Commission following the amendments submitted by Parliament. These amendments cover two aspects:
- the introduction of a new recital establishing the Commission's undertaking to present a proposal for a regulation instituting special measures for the retirement of those officials and institution staff members wishing to vacate their posts;
- the organization of competition based on qualification and tests for all grades up to and including A3, in accordance with Annex III to the Staff Regulations.