25.10.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 250/1

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NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION

EPSO/AD/100/07

(2007/C 848 A/01)

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following admission tests and open competition, based on tests, to constitute a reserve from which to recruit

LINGUISTIC ADMINISTRATORS  (1) (AD5)

HAVING ENGLISH AS THEIR MAIN LANGUAGE

IN THE FIELD OF TRANSLATION

CONTENTS

I.	DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY

DUTIES

ELIGIBILITY

II.	ADMISSION TESTS

TEST PROCEDURES

III.	OPEN COMPETITION

TEST PROCEDURES

IV.	HOW TO APPLY

V.	GENERAL INFORMATION

ANNEX:

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

I.   DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY

Open competition EPSO/AD/100/07 is being held to recruit linguistic administrators (AD5) in the field of translation who have English as their main language.

The purpose of this competition is to draw up a reserve list from which to fill vacant posts in the Institutions of the European Union.

This competition includes two options. The European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions will only recruit from Option 2.

Option 1 Candidates with the following as their first and second compulsory source languages: French and German

Option 2 Candidates with: — first compulsory source language: French or German; and — second compulsory source language, one of the following: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish

Number of successful candidates:

Option 1	30
Option 2	40

A.   NATURE OF DUTIES

The institutions are seeking to recruit highly qualified university graduates with a degree in languages and/or in subjects such as law, economics, auditing and finance, natural sciences, political and social sciences and technology who are capable of adapting throughout their career. Successful applicants will have to be able to translate texts into their main language from at least two languages. The texts are of a mainly political, legal, economic, financial, scientific or technical in nature, are frequently demanding and encompass all the spheres of activity of the European Union. This work requires candidates to be fully conversant with computers and office technology.

Your ‘main language’ is your mother tongue or a language of which you have an equivalent command.

The European Union institutions place particular importance on the ability of applicants to grasp problems of all kinds, often complex in nature, to react rapidly to changing circumstances and to communicate effectively. You will have to show initiative and imagination and be highly motivated. You should be able to work frequently under pressure, both on your own and in a team, and adjust to a multicultural working environment. You will also be expected to develop your professional skills throughout your career.

B.   ELIGIBILITY

(a)   General conditions

You must:

—	be a citizen of a Member State of the European Union;

—	enjoy full rights as a citizen;

—	have fulfilled any military service obligations imposed on you by law;

—	meet the character requirements for the duties involved.

The competition notice does not set any age limit, but please note the information under V.7 concerning retirement age.

(b)   Specific conditions

1.   Qualifications

You must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma.

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 (http://europa.eu/epso/on-line-applications/guide_en.htm) for each category. Note that these are examples only — more stringent requirements may be set in the competition notice.

2.   Professional experience

No professional experience is required.

3.   Languages

Option 1

You must satisfy the following three conditions:

(a)	main language (language 1) perfect command of English

(b)	first compulsory source language (language 2)) thorough knowledge of French or German (you may choose either of these)

(c)	second compulsory source language (language 3) thorough knowledge of French or German (must be different from language 2)

Option 2

You must satisfy the following three conditions:

(a)	main language (language 1) perfect command of English

(b)	first compulsory source language (language 2) thorough knowledge of French or German (you may choose either of these)

(c)	second compulsory source language (language 3) a thorough knowledge of another language from among the following: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish or Swedish.

Optional test(s)

Knowledge of other official EU languages is an advantage and may be assessed if you pass the competition.

Depending on the needs of the institutions, optional tests may be organised by EPSO once the reserve list has been drawn up.

You must specify the language you choose for the admission tests (language 2) and the language you choose for the competition tests in your online registration. This choice may not be changed after the deadline for online registration (28 November 2007).

You may send any questions to EPSO by e-mail (EPSO-AD-100-07@ec.europa.eu), but please check first that the information you want is not in the competition notice, the Guide for Applicants or the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso).

II.   ADMISSION TESTS

The appointing authority will admit those candidates to the admission tests whose online registration shows that they meet the general and specific requirements in I.B. on the closing date for online registration (28 November 2007):

TEST PROCEDURES

EPSO will organise computer-based admission tests for all these candidates. The tests will be held in the European Union in one or more centres specialised in this type of test, depending on availability.

You will be informed of the procedure for attending these tests via your EPSO profile.

You will take the admission tests in the first compulsory source language (language 2) you chose when registering online.

(a)	A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your knowledge of the European Union, its institutions and its policies. This test will be marked out of 10 (pass mark: 5)

(b)	A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your verbal and numerical reasoning skills. This test will be marked out of 20 (pass mark: 10)

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

For all the admission tests,

Option 1 The candidates with the 115 highest aggregate marks (2) in the admission tests and a pass mark in each will be invited to submit a full application for admission to the open competition.

Option 2 The candidates with the 150 highest aggregate marks (2) in the admission tests and a pass mark in each will be invited to submit a full application for admission to the open competition.

III.   OPEN COMPETITION

The appointing authority will draw up a list of the candidates who meet the general conditions set out at I.B.(a) above and send it to the chair of the selection board together with their application files.

You will be admitted to the written tests by the selection board if you are among the candidates with the highest aggregate marks (2) (see table above) in the admission tests (a) and (b) and a pass mark in each and meet the specific conditions set out at I.B.(b).

TEST PROCEDURES

1.   Written tests — marking

(a)	Translation into English, using a non-electronic dictionary, of a general text approximately 45 lines long relating to the activities of the European Union, in your first compulsory source language (language 2). This test will be marked out of 40 (pass mark: 20) Time allowed: 2 hours.

(b)	Translation into English, using a non-electronic dictionary, of a general text approximately 45 lines long relating to the activities of the European Union, in your second compulsory source language (language 3). This test will be marked out of 40 (pass mark: 20) Time allowed: 2 hours.

If you fail one of these written tests the other will not be marked.

These written tests will be held simultaneously at one or more centres in the European Union. The date of the written tests scheduled by EPSO cannot be changed at your request. You will be notified of this date when you receive your invitation to the tests (via your EPSO profile).

2.   Oral test — marking

Once the written tests have been marked,

Option 1 The candidates with the 45 highest aggregate marks (2) in these tests and at least a pass mark in each will be admitted to the oral test.

Option 2 The candidates with the 60 highest aggregate marks (2) in these tests and at least a pass mark in each will be admitted to the oral test.

(c)

Interview with the selection board in English (language 1) to enable it to complete its assessment of: — your suitability to carry out the duties described at I above, — your knowledge of the European Union, its institutions and its policies, — your motivation and your ability to adjust to working as a European civil servant in a multicultural environment, — your knowledge of other languages may also be examined. The selection board reserves the right to assess your knowledge of other languages. This test will be marked out of 40 (pass mark: 20). The oral test will normally be held in Brussels.

3.   Reserve list

Option 1 The selection board will place on the reserve list the names of the candidates with the 30 highest aggregate marks (2) in the written and oral tests and a pass mark in each.

Option 2 The selection board will place on the reserve list the names of the 40 candidates with the highest aggregate marks (2) in the written and oral tests and a pass mark in each.

The list will be drawn up by option and by merit group (maximum of four groups) and the names of the successful candidates will be given in alphabetical order within each group.

The reserve list and its expiry date will be published (3) in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso).

4.   Optional tests

The purpose of any optional tests is to enable you to display your full range of language knowledge. The marks obtained in these tests will not be taken into account by the selection board when it decides who will be on the reserve list and their ranking within it. Their purpose is to help the institutions make the best use of the list when recruiting from it. Any optional tests will be organised only for candidates who have obtained enough marks in the written and oral tests to be placed on the reserve list.

(a)

Translation into English, using a non-electronic dictionary, of a general text approximately 30 lines long in a language chosen by you from among one of the official languages of the European Union, but not the language you chose for the written tests (a) and (b). This test will be marked out of 20. and/or

(b)

Translation into English, using a non-electronic dictionary, of a general text approximately 30 lines long in a language chosen by you from among one of the official languages of the European Union, but not the language you chose for the written tests (a) and (b) or for optional test (a). This test will be marked out of 20. and/or

(c)	Translation from English into your first compulsory source language chosen under I.B.3.b, using a non-electronic dictionary, of a general text approximately 30 lines long. This test will be marked out of 20.

IV.   HOW TO APPLY

Please also consult the Guide for Applicants (http://europa.eu/epso/on-line-applications/guide_en.htm), which can be found on the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso). It contains detailed instructions to help you submit your application correctly.

The closing date for online registration is 28 November 2007, with a deadline of 12.00 (midday) Brussels time on that day.

1.   Creating an EPSO profile/online registration

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

If you want to apply, you must register via the Internet by going to the EPSO website 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 registration 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 will be your reference number in all matters concerning your application. Once you receive this number, the registration process is finished — it is the 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 must enter in your registration includes your choice of languages and details of your qualifications for admission to the competition (qualification, name of issuing establishment and date obtained).

No documents are required at this stage. Candidates will subsequently be invited to send a full application (see Section IV.3).

Once you have registered online, you can follow the progress of the competition by going to the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso) and clicking on ‘Ongoing competitions’.

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may request — preferably by fax — a paper version of the form  (4) , 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 application 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.   Invitations

Details of when and where to attend the admission tests and other tests will be available only on the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso). You can access this information by entering the user name and password you specified when registering online. You are responsible for updating your EPSO profile to reflect any change in your postal or email address.

You are also responsible for consulting your EPSO profile to keep track of the progress of the competition and to check the information relevant to your application at every stage. If you find that you cannot do this, you must notify EPSO immediately by e-mail (EPSO-AD-100-07@ec.europa.eu).

Wherever possible, you will be asked to sit the admission tests (and where applicable the written tests) in the city you chose when registering online. For organisational reasons you will not be able to switch to another venue unless you can prove that you have changed residence and unless you have informed EPSO of this no later than three weeks before the planned date of the admission tests.

3.   Full application

The candidates with the highest marks, as specified in Section II, will be asked to print out and complete the full application form which they will find in their EPSO profile on the website. It must be sent in by the required closing date (5).

Documents to enclose

Your application must give details of your citizenship and studies. You must enclose with it the following documents:

—	a copy of a document proving your citizenship (your passport, identity card or any other official document specifying your citizenship, which must have been obtained no later than the closing date for online registration),

—	a copy of the diploma(s) attesting successful completion of your studies,

A numbered index of these documents should be annexed to the above on a separate sheet of paper.

You should only send uncertified photocopies of these documents. Paper copies of web pages and/or references to websites do not constitute supporting documents for these purposes.

When completing your application form, you may not refer to any previous application forms submitted or any 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 registered post to the address below by the closing date  (5) (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending):

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/100/07

B-1049 Brussels

Scrutiny of applications

The selection board will examine the files of the candidates with the highest aggregate marks in the admission tests and a pass mark in each to determine whether they meet the criteria laid down in Section I.B of this notice. The candidates who meet all the criteria will be invited to the written tests.

You will be disqualified if:

—	you do not complete your online registration by the deadline (28 November 2007),

—	you do not complete and/or sign the application form (original signature required),

—	you do not meet all the eligibility criteria,

—	you post your application after the closing date (5),

—	you do not send all the required supporting documents.

4.   Reserve list

The names of the successful candidates (see Section III.3) will be included on the reserve list.

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

6.	To simplify administration of the competition, please GIVE YOUR FULL NAME AS ENTERED ON YOUR APPLICATION AND QUOTE THE NUMBER OF THE COMPETITION AND THE REFERENCE NUMBER YOU RECEIVED WHEN YOUR ONLINE REGISTRATION WAS ACCEPTED in all correspondence.

V.   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 or belief, 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 Its members are designated by the institutions and their staff committees in equal numbers. The chair and members are then appointed by EPSO's appointing authority. Their names will be published on the EPSO website after candidates have been notified whether or not they have been admitted to the competition.

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is responsible for all communication with you until the competition is completed. 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.

3.   Approximate timetable

Depending on the total number of candidates, the competition will take approximately one year altogether from the closing date for online registration.

Full details will be available on the EPSO website.

4.   Requests from candidates for access to information concerning them

Candidates involved in selection procedures have the specific right of access to certain information concerning them directly and individually, as described below. EPSO may therefore supply supplementary information on candidates’ participation in the competition at their request. Candidates must send such requests 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 taking account of the confidential nature of selection board proceedings provided for by the Staff Regulations (Annex III, Article 6) and in compliance with 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, Section III.3.

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 translator normally as a probationary official, as and when required by the European institutions, in Brussels, Luxembourg or any other place of activity.

If you are on the reserve list and are offered a post, you will be asked to produce the originals of all the requisite documents, in particular your qualifications, so that copies can be authenticated.

Recruitment will depend on posts and funds becoming available.

Depending on the nature of a post, successful candidates on the reserve list may initially 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 are 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 receiving the transfer request.

7.   Retirement

You should note that the provisions on the retirement age of staff laid down in the Staff Regulations are as follows:

Officials are retired:

—	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 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

Linguistic administrators will be recruited from the reserve list to grade AD5.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2007:

grade AD5, first step: EUR 4 012,00

10.   Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, EPSO ensures that applicants’ 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 Communities, OJ 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)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be admitted to the next stage of the competition.

(3)  A successful candidate may explicitly request that his/her name not be published. Requests must reach EPSO no later than two weeks after candidates are notified of the results.

(4)  EPSO — Info-recruitment, Avenue de Cortenbergh 80 — 4/11, B-1049 Brussels; Fax: (32-2) 295 74 88.

(5)  The closing date will be indicated in good time in your EPSO profile.

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