30.10.2010

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 296/25

---

Call for applications regarding Commission Decision 2009/986/EU establishing the group of experts for technical advice on the School Fruit Scheme

2010/C 296/13

1.   Background

By Commission Decision 2009/986/EU (1), the Commission set up the group of experts for technical advice on the School Fruit Scheme, hereinafter referred to as ‘the group’.

The group's task shall be to assist the Commission:

(a)	with the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the School Fruit Scheme(SFS) established by Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 (2), as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 13/2009 (3), by providing it with expert advice;

(b)	with the elaboration of the report referred to in Article 184(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007.

The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to the application of the SFS.

The Commission is therefore calling for applications with a view to appointing the members of the group and establishing the relevant pool list.

2.   Features of the group

2.1.   Composition

The group should be composed of scientists and other experts with competences related to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SFS and should deliver independent, excellent and transparent technical advice to the Commission.

It shall consist of 10 members appointed by the Commission from specialists with expertise in nutrition, epidemiology, public health and health promotion, monitoring and evaluation of the SFS, with a suitable background, who have responded to the present call for applications and have been selected accordingly.

Its composition shall reflect an adequate geographical balance within the EU.

The Commission will also establish the pool list of candidates that could not be appointed as permanent members although they were considered suitable for a position in the group in the course of the selection procedure. A maximum of 30 experts will be selected for the pool list.

The pool list can be used to appoint replacements for members of the group.

2.2.   Term of the appointment

Members of the group are appointed for a three-year renewable term of office and may not serve for more than three consecutive mandates. They shall remain in office until such time as they are replaced in accordance with article 4(6) of Decision 2009/986/EU or their term of office ends.

The composition of the group and of the pool list may be reviewed every three years.

2.3.   Independence and confidentiality

The members of the group shall be appointed in a personal capacity and shall advise the Commission independently of any outside influence.

Members shall each year sign an undertaking to act in the public interest and a declaration indicating the absence or existence of any interest which may undermine their objectivity. They shall also declare at each meeting any specific interest which may be considered prejudicial to their independence in relation to the items on the agenda.

They shall also respect the conditions of confidentiality mentioned in Article 5(3) of Decision 2009/986/EU.

2.4.   Transparency

The names of members appointed in a personal capacity in the group and those included in the pool list shall be published on the Internet site of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and in the Register of Expert Groups.

The members’ name will be collected, processed and published in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (4).

2.5.   Attendance at meetings

Applicants should be prepared to attend meetings systematically, to contribute actively to discussions in the group, to examine documents and to act as ‘chairs’ or ‘vice-chairs’ (and/or ‘rapporteurs’ on ad hoc basis).

The group shall normally meet on Commission premises in accordance with the procedures and schedule established by it.

The Commission shall reimburse travel and, where appropriate, subsistence expenses for members and experts in connection with the group’s activities in accordance with the Commission’s applicable rules on the compensation of external experts.

No remuneration shall be paid for services rendered under Decision 2009/986/EU.

Meeting expenses shall be reimbursed within the limits of the annual budget allocated by the responsible Commission services.

Most of the working documents will be in English and meetings will normally be conducted in English, with possible interpretation in several EU official languages.

Applicants should take into account that meetings generally involve preparatory work.

3.   Application procedure

Interested individuals are required to submit their application to the European Commission.

An application will be deemed admissible only if it includes the following documents, sent at the latest by the deadline referred to in chapter 7 of this call:

1.	covering letter (see Annex 1) in particular explaining the applicants motives for answering this call;

2.	selection form (see Annex 2) where applicants must describe their professional experience and expertise as against the criteria listed in this call;

3.	self-assessment form (see Annex 3);

4.	privacy statements concerning the register of expert groups and the call for applications and group activities and organisation of meetings (see Annex 4a and 4b);

5.	declaration of commitment (see Annex 5);

6.	declaration of interests and of conduct (see Annex 6);

7.	declaration concerning confidentiality (see Annex 7);

8.

a curriculum vitae (CV), preferably not exceeding three pages and in one of the three working languages of the Commission (English, French, German), where applicants must document their professional experience and expertise in full. The CV should also contain information required in this call under Chapter 4. The requirements, Section A. Eligibility criteria, point (1), (2) and (3), in particular: university diploma, number of years of experience and nationality, as explained below. All CVs should be submitted in the European format (see Annex 8): http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/vernav/Europass+Documents/Europass+CV.csp

9.	check list for applications (see Annex 9);

All the documents listed above should be duly filled in, legible, signed and numbered sequentially. They will also be accessible from the European School Fruit Scheme website http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/fruitveg/sfs/index_en.htm in PDF and WORD format in order to allow them to be downloaded, filled in and signed.

All the documents listed above will be used in the selection procedure.

Each application must be completed in one of the official languages of the European Union, clearly indicating the applicant’s nationality and including the necessary documentation listed above.

However, applications in English would facilitate the evaluation procedure. If another language is used, it would be desirable to include a summary of the CV in English.

Supporting documents (e.g. publications) may be requested at a later stage.

4.   The requirements

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

A.   Eligibility criteria

1.

University level of education corresponding to a complete cycle of studies attested by a diploma of minimum three years, in areas including at least one of the following categories from (a) to (j): (a) Human nutrition/Public health nutrition (b) Epidemiology, in particular nutrition (c) Large scale programmes or interventions (d) Health education and Health promotion (e) Programme/Policy assessment and evaluation (f) Food policy (g) Public Health or Health Policy, specifically Health impact assessment/Health impact modelling (h) Consumer research/Market research (i) Behavioural sciences, i.e. psychology (j) Social sciences, i.e. anthropology

2.

A total period of at least 5 years, at the date of submitting the application, of technical and/or scientific professional experience in one, or preferably more, of the categories referred to in points (a) to (j) under this chapter Section A. Eligibility criteria (1), since obtaining the diploma mentioned above under point 1.

3.	Applicants must be nationals of a Member State of the European Union, at the date of publication of this call.

4.	Applicants must complete the Declaration of interests and of conduct included in the application in an extensive, accurate and complete manner.

5.	Applicants must present all the documentations referred to in point 1 to 9 of Chapter 3. Application procedure.

B.   Selection criteria

The Commission will take the following criteria into account when assessing applications:

—	proven technical and/or scientific excellence and experience in one, or preferably, more categories referred to in points (a) to (j) under this chapter Section A. Eligibility criteria (1), specifically relating to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of School Fruit Schemes;

—	experience of working with legislation, policy and standards in the field of fruit and vegetables at national and/or international level;

—	proven technical and/or scientific excellence in one or, preferably, more categories referred to in points (a) to (j) under this chapter Section A. Eligibility criteria (1);

—	extent of experience in terms of working in different geographical regions and settings;

—	experience of working with systematic monitoring and evaluation of large scale programmes or interventions, preferably in the areas of nutrition, epidemiology, school-based programmes;

—	ability to analyse complex information and dossiers, and to prepare draft technical/scientific reports, preferably in the field of nutrition, epidemiology, public health and health promotion, behavioural or social sciences;

—	experience in peer-reviewing technical/scientific work and publications, preferably in the field of nutrition, epidemiology, public health and health promotion, behavioural or social sciences;

—	professional experience in a multidisciplinary environment, preferably in an international context, and language skills;

—	organisational/managerial skills, in particular in participating, chairing and organising working groups, and/or experience of project management related to technical/scientific matters;

—	good knowledge of the English language.

Applicants should be willing to work with electronic methods for the management and exchange of documents.

5.   Selection procedure

The selection procedure will consist of four stages:

1.	verifying the admissibility and eligibility criteria;

2.	assessing applications against the selection criteria;

3.	establishing a list of most suitable applicants;

4.	appointing members of the group and establishing the pool list.

The selection board will be composed of representatives of Commission services responsible for policy and legislation in various sectors in connection with the activities concerned by this call. Two representative from Directorates-General Education and Culture (DG EAC), Health and Consumers (DG SANCO), Research (DG RTD) and Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) will be nominated by their respective Directors-General as members of the selection board. DG AGRI will also provide the secretarial support.

After the verification of the admissibility and eligibility criteria each application will be assessed individually against the selection criteria by at least two members of the selection board.

The selection board will establish a list of most suitable applicants who fulfil the criteria for membership of the group and for listing in the pool.

In its selection process, the Commission will also consider:

—	the need to strike a balance within the group of experts in terms of applicants’ representativeness, gender and geographical origin (5),

—	the applicant’s experience and technical/scientific background,

—	the applicant’s independence (potential conflicts of interest),

—	that members of the group should collectively cover the widest possible range of disciplines.

Overall the group and the relevant pool list will reflect the categories from (a) to (j) referred to in this call in Chapter 4 Section A. Eligibility criteria (1). For each of these 10 categories a maximum number of 4 applicants will be selected.

6.   Appointment of the members

The Commission will appoint the members of the group and establish the pool list from the list of applicants resulting from the selection process and that will have confirmed their availability to work in the group or to be included in the pool list.

7.   Submission of applications and closing date

Applications must be submitted not later than Monday 29 November 2010 by 17.00 Brussels local time, by registered post (date as postmarked) to the following address: European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Unit C.2. — Olive oil, Horticultural product, Rue de la Loi 130, 7/23, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË.

The Commission reserves the right to disregard any application received after this date.

Email or hand delivered applications will not be accepted.

The envelopes must specify:

Expert group for technical advice on the School Fruit Scheme — call for applications

All candidates applying to this call for applications will be informed of the outcome of the selection process.

For any further information please contact the functional mailbox:

agri-hort-schoolfruit@ec.europa.eu

Note:

In the event of any inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and any other language versions of this publication, the English language version shall prevail.

---

(1)  OJ L 338, 19.12.2009, p. 99.

(2)  OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1.

(3)  OJ L 5, 9.1.2009, p. 1.

(4)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

(5)  Commission Decision of 19 June 2000 relating to gender balance within the committees and expert groups established by it (OJ L 154, 27.6.2000, p. 34).

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---