5.7.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 156/1

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NOTICE TO READERS

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5.7.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 156/3

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NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2006/C 156 A/01)

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following open competitions, based on qualifications and tests, to constitute a reserve of:

EPSO/AD/48/06 HEADS OF UNIT  (1) (AD9) of Czech citizenship

EPSO/AD/49/06 HEADS OF UNIT  (1) (AD9) of Lithuanian citizenship

CONTENTS

A.	DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

B.	SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF THE COMPETITION

C.	HOW TO APPLY

D.	GENERAL INFORMATION

ANNEX:

Requests for review — Appeal procedures — Complaints to the European Ombudsman

A.   DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

The purpose of competitions EPSO/AD/48/06 and EPSO/AD/49/06 is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill the post of Head of Unit (AD9) of Czech citizenship for the Information Office of the European Parliament in Prague and the post of Head of Unit (AD9) of Lithuanian citizenship for the Information Office of the European Parliament in Vilnius.

These duties require good communication skills, the capacity for contacts with a wide range of political, economic and social circles, and the ability to lead a team and manage a budget.

This post will involve travelling, notably to Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Brussels.

Place of employment:

EPSO/AD/48/06 — Prague

EPSO/AD/49/06 — Vilnius

or, after a minimum period of three years, any other place of activity of the European Parliament.

Recruitment to this post is foreseen for a maximum period of seven years, at the end of which the post will be re-opened conforming to the Rule concerning mobility dated 16 December 1998.

Number of successful candidates, per competition, to be included on the reserve list: four

I.   Duties

Duties will include the following:

Information/communication:

(a)	informing the press and the public of the positions adopted by the European Parliament;

(b)	formulating, organising and implementing an annual information and communication action programme on the role and activities of the European Parliament;

(c)	planning, organising and implementing communication activities targeting citizens, opinion multipliers and civil society;

(d)	stimulating public debate on European integration and providing information for the general public on the role, powers and activities of the European Parliament;

(e)	organising seminars and public appearances.

Supervision/management:

(f)	leading, supervising, motivating and coordinating a team of staff with a view to optimising the use of human resources and providing a quality service;

(g)	ensuring sound budgetary and financial management of all the Information Office's operations in accordance with current rules;

(h)	providing support for the bodies of the European Parliament when carrying out activities in your Member State (visits by the President, meetings or visits by parliamentary committees, etc.);

(i)	providing support for Members of the European Parliament in your Member State;

(j)	monitoring political trends and public opinion in your Member State and ensuring the rapid transmission of regular information to Parliament's Secretariat on any events likely to be of interest to the European Parliament.

The European institutions attach particular importance to the ability to grasp varied and often complex issues, to react swiftly to changing circumstances and to communicate effectively. Recruits are therefore expected to show initiative and imagination and must be highly motivated. They must also be able to work frequently under pressure, both independently and as part of a team, and to fit into a multicultural and multilingual working environment. Finally, they must be prepared to upgrade their professional skills throughout their career.

II.   ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

These competitions are open to candidates who, on the closing date for electronic registration and submission of applications (5 September 2006), satisfy the following requirements.

A.   General conditions

You must:

—	be a citizen of the Czech Republic or Lithuania,

—	be entitled to full rights as a citizen,

—	have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you by the laws on military service,

—	meet the character requirements for the duties involved.

B.   Specific conditions

1.    Qualifications

You must have successfully completed a full course of university education lasting at least four years and obtained a degree in a field relevant to the duties concerned.

The selection board will allow for differences between education systems. For examples of the minimum qualifications required, see the tables annexed to the Guide for Applicants (2)(on the EPSO website) for each category. Note that these are examples only — more stringent requirements may be set in any given notice of competition.

2.   Professional experience

Since obtaining the degree required for admission to the competition, you must have gained at least 10 years' professional experience relevant to the duties concerned, of which three must have been in a management position.

3.   Knowledge of languages

You must have a thorough knowledge of Czech or Lithuanian and a satisfactory knowledge of at least one other official language of the European Union; for operational reasons, a good knowledge of English or French is required. The selection board will take into account your knowledge of any other official languages of the European Union, particularly at the oral tests.

All details relating to knowledge of languages must be indicated on the application form. After the closing date for registration, you may not change the languages in which you have specified that you wish to take the tests.

This notice of competition is being published solely in English, French and German.

To ensure that all communication between candidates and the secretariat of the selection board is clearly understood on both sides, the invitations to the various tests and the correspondence between the secretariat and candidates will be in English and French.

B.   SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF THE COMPETITION

I.   ADMISSION TO THE COMPETITION

The competition is based on qualifications and tests.

(a)	The appointing authority will draw up a list of candidates who submitted their applications as required (see Part C) and satisfy the general conditions set out at A.II and will send it to the selection board together with the candidates' files.

(b)	Candidates will accordingly be eliminated automatically if they: — send in their application after the closing date, as proven by the postmark; — fail to sign their application form; — do not use or duly complete the application form; and/or — do not meet the general conditions for admission.

(c)

Once it has established the criteria for assessing and evaluating the qualifications of candidates admitted to the competition (see B.II), the selection board will examine all the applications and draw up a list of candidates who meet the specific conditions set out at A.II. It will base its decision exclusively on the information given on the application form and backed up by supporting documents.

Candidates who do not meet the specific conditions set out at A.II. or have not provided the relevant supporting documents by the due date will be eliminated at this stage.

A curriculum vitae will not be regarded as a supporting document.

You will be informed if your application has been rejected, via your EPSO profile, after the closing date for applications (5 September 2006).

II.   EVALUATION OF QUALIFICATIONS

On the basis of candidates' applications and in accordance with the provisions laid down in C.2 regarding full applications, the selection board will evaluate the qualifications of candidates admitted to the competition on the basis of the pre‐established criteria (see (c) above) and will draw up a list, for each competition, of the 16 best candidates , who will be invited to sit the written tests.

The evaluation will be marked out of 30.

Candidates will be informed, via their EPSO profile, whether or not they have been admitted to the written tests.

III.   Written tests

(a)	A test in Czech or Lithuanian aimed to assess your ability to analyse and summarise and to draft a press release drawing on a case study. Time allowed: one hour The test will be marked out of 30 (pass mark: 15).

(b)

An essay paper in English or French (language chosen by the candidate) based on a case study (maximum 30 pages) to ascertain capacity for management (e.g. knowledge of the rules and regulations applicable to the Community institutions, notably in the field of personnel and finance, and administrative management skills). Time allowed: two hours The test will be marked out of 40 (pass mark: 20).

The eight best candidates who, for each competition, have obtained the highest overall score in the qualification evaluation and in the written tests and have obtained a pass mark in all the tests will be invited to sit the oral tests.

Candidates will be informed, via their EPSO profile, whether or not they have been admitted to the oral tests.

IV.   ORAL TESTS

(a)

Interview with the selection board to enable it to assess, taking into account all the information given in your application, your knowledge of current affairs, particularly in relation to the European Union, and your ability to express yourself and communicate with others. The interview is also designed to assess ability to perform management tasks within the multicultural environment of the European Union institutions. Your knowledge of languages, as indicated in your application, will also be tested. Time allowed: one hour The test will be marked out of 50 (pass mark: 25).

(b)	Group discussion to enable the selection board to assess adaptability, negotiating and decision-making skills, and performance in a group. The selection board will determine the duration of this test on the basis of the composition of the groups. The test will be marked out of 30 (pass mark: 15).

V.   DATE OF THE TESTS

The written tests will be held simultaneously for all candidates at one or more centres in the European Union.

The date and venue of the tests will be decided by the European Parliament and cannot be changed at the candidates' request. You will be notified of the date and venue when you receive your invitation to the tests.

VI.   RESERVE LISTS

The reserve lists will contain the names of the four best candidates by competition, in order of merit, who have obtained the highest overall score and a pass mark in each test for which one is specified.

The reserve lists, together with their expiry date, will be published (3) in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO website (4).

C.   How to apply

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you fulfil all the eligibility criteria (see A.II), particularly as regards the type of degree and the professional experience required).

Please also refer to the Guide for Applicants, which can be found on the EPSO website (4). It contains detailed instructions to help you submit your application correctly.

Your application will be rejected if, by the closing date, you have not:

—	applied online, and

—	sent the full paper application by registered post.

The closing date for online registration and for sending the application is 5 September 2006. Online registration will not be possible after 12 noon (Brussels time) on that day.

1.   Creating an EPSO profile/online registration

Before registering, you should carefully check whether you fulfil all the eligibility criteria.

If you want to apply, you must register via the Internet by going to the EPSO website (4) and following the instructions there concerning the various stages of the procedure.

It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time. We strongly advise you not to wait until the last few days before applying, since heavy Internet traffic or a problem with the Internet connection could lead to the online registration being terminated before you complete it, thereby obliging you to repeat the whole process. Once the deadline for the submission of registrations has passed, you will not be able to register.

On completion of your online registration, you will receive on screen a registration number which you must note — this is your reference number that will be used in all matters concerning your application. Receipt of this number means that the registration process is finished; it is confirmation that we have registered the data you entered.

If you do not receive a number, your application has not been registered!

Please note that you must have an e-mail address. This will be used to identify you. The information you have to enter in your registration includes your choice of languages (see A.II.3), and details of the qualifications required for admission to the competition (title, name of issuing establishment and date obtained).

Once you have applied online, you should print out the electronic registration form and attach it to your application form.

Once registered, you can use the EPSO website (4)(click on ‘Ongoing competitions’) to follow the progress of the competition.

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may request — preferably by fax — a paper version of the form  (5) , which you should fill in, sign and return by registered mail, postmarked no later than the closing date for registration. All subsequent communication between EPSO and you will be by post.

You must enclose with your registration form a certificate attesting your disability, issued by a recognised body. You should also set out on a separate sheet of paper any special arrangements you think are needed to make it easier for you to take part in the tests.

2.   Sending the full paper application by registered post

In addition to registering online, you must print out and complete the application form on the EPSO website (4) and send it postmarked no later than 5 September 2006.

Documents to enclose with the application form

Your application must give full details of your citizenship, studies, training and professional experience. You should also enclose with your application the following documents:

—	copy of the online registration form duly completed,

—	a detailed curriculum vitae,

—	copy of a document proving your citizenship (e.g. your passport, etc),

—	copy of degree/attestation of successful completion of studies,

—	copy of evidence of professional experience clearly indicating the starting and finishing dates and the exact nature of the duties carried out,

—	numbered index of the above documents (all documents must be accompanied by a translation in English, French or German, which you may do yourself).

You should send only uncertified photocopies of the above documents.

When completing your application form, you may not refer to any previous applications or other documents enclosed with such applications. None of the documents submitted with your application will be returned.

Signing and sending the form

It is your responsibility to make sure that your application form, duly completed, SIGNED and accompanied by all the supporting documents, is sent by 5 September 2006 (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending) by registered post to the following address:

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Competition Unit — Konrad Adenauer Building, Office 3E008

Open competition EPSO/AD/../06 (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

L-2929 Luxembourg

You will automatically be disqualified if:

—	you have not completed your online registration on time,

—	you have not posted your paper application on time,

—	you have not completed and/or signed the application form (original signature required),

—	you do not meet all the eligibility criteria,

—	you have not sent all the supporting documents before the closing date.

3.   Invitations

Details of when and where you must attend the written and oral tests will be available only on the EPSO website (4). You can access it by entering the user name and password you specified when registering online. You are responsible for updating any change, via your EPSO profile, in your postal or e-mail address.

It is also your responsibility to keep track of the progress of the competition by consulting your EPSO profile, ensuring that for each stage you can access the information relevant to your application. If you find that you cannot do this, it is your responsibility to notify EPSO immediately by e-mail (6).

If possible, you will be asked to sit the written tests at the test centre which is considered closest to the address given at the time of your online registration. For organisational reasons you will not be able to switch to another venue unless you can prove that you have changed residence and have informed EPSO of this via e-mail  (6) at least three weeks before the date scheduled for the written tests.

If, at any stage in the procedure, it is established that the information on your online registration form or official application form is incorrect, you will be disqualified from the competition.

To facilitate the administrative work, you are asked to GIVE YOUR FULL NAME AS PROVIDED ON YOUR APPLICATION AND TO QUOTE THE NUMBER OF THE COMPETITION AND THE REFERENCE NUMBER YOU RECEIVED WHEN YOUR ONLINE REGISTRATION WAS ACCEPTED, IN ALL CORRESPONDENCE.

D.   GENERAL INFORMATION

1.   Equal opportunities

The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without distinction on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

2.   Selection board

A selection board is appointed for each competition. It is made up of representatives of the administration and of the institutions' staff committee. The names of its members will be published on the EPSO website (4) approximately two weeks before the tests.

You are strictly forbidden to make any contact with the members of the selection board, either directly or indirectly. It is up to the selection board to decide whether candidates infringing this rule are to be disqualified.

The European Parliament is responsible for all communication with candidates until the competition is completed.

3.   Approximate timetable

Depending on the total number of candidates, the competition will take approximately nine months from start to finish, beginning on the closing date for online registration and ending with the announcement of the results.

Full details are available on the EPSO website (4).

4.   Requests from candidates for access to information concerning them

Candidates involved in selection procedures have a special right of access to certain information concerning them directly and individually, subject to the conditions described below. EPSO may accordingly provide candidates who so request with supplementary information relating to their participation in the competition. Candidates should send any requests for information in writing to EPSO within a month of being notified of their results in the competition. EPSO will reply within a month of receiving the request. Requests will be dealt with in such a manner as to take account of the secret nature of the proceedings of selection boards provided for by the Staff Regulations (Annex III, Article 6) and to conform to the rules on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. Examples of the type of information which may be supplied are given in the Guide for Applicants (see section III.2).

5.   Requests for review — Appeal procedures — Complaints to the European Ombudsman

See Annex.

6.   Recruitment

If you are placed on the reserve list, you will be eligible for appointment as a probationary official, as and when required by the European institutions.

If you are placed on the reserve list and offered a post, you will subsequently be asked to produce the originals of all the requisite documents of which you have sent photocopies, such as degree, certificates and statements of employment.

Recruitment will depend on posts and funds becoming available.

In view of the nature of the post, candidates on the reserve list may be offered a temporary contract; in this case, their names will remain on the reserve list.

Article 29(1)(b) of the Staff Regulations refers to the possibility for officials to request a transfer to another institution or agency. However, in the interests of the service, during their first three years of service newly recruited officials may be transferred only in exceptional and duly justified cases. Any such transfer is subject to the agreement of both the institution or agency that originally recruited the official and the institution or agency that received the transfer request.

7.   Retirement scheme

You should note that the retirement age for staff is laid down in the Staff Regulations as follows:

—	either automatically at the age of 65 years;

—	or, at the official's own request, at the age of 63 years or where the official is between 55 and 63 years of age and satisfies the requirements for the immediate payment of a pension;

—	exceptionally, at the official's own request and where it is considered to be in the interest of the service, at not later than the age of 67.

8.   Grade

The reserve pool for Heads of Unit is for grade AD9.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2006:

grade AD9, first step: EUR 6 426,94

10.   Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, the European Parliament will ensure that candidates' personal data are processed as required by 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. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data (Official Journal of the European Union L  8 of 12 January 2001).

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(1)  The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without distinction on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

(2)  http://europa.eu/epso/on-line-applications/guide_en.htm

(3)  Successful candidates may explicitly ask for their names not to be published.

(4)  http://europa.eu/epso

(5)  Write to EPSO — Info-recruitment — 80 Avenue de Cortenbergh 4/17 — B-1049 Brussels — Fax : + 32 2295 74 88

(6)  E-mail address: EPSO-AD-..-06@europarl.europa.eu (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

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