17.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 322/1

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NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION

EPSO/AST/76/08

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

SOCIAL WELFARE ASSISTANTS  (1) (AST 1)

(2008/C 322 A/01)

 

CONTENTS

I.	DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY

A.

DUTIES

B.	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/AST/76/08 (AST 1) is being held to recruit social welfare assistants.

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

Number of successful candidates: 10

A.   DUTIES

Under the authority of the administrator in charge and on the basis of general instructions, to perform the tasks of social welfare assistants as follows:

—	meeting, listening to and lending assistance and support to staff in active service and retired employees and their families who have problems of a practical or psychological nature or difficulties with personal relations or adjusting to new circumstances,

—	providing moral support to those who are ill or in hospital, to handicapped people or to families who are bereaved or in distress,

—	monitoring families with multiple difficulties,

—	referring people to specialised services,

—	devising and following up projects to improve the running of the department,

—	administrative tasks specific to the departments concerned.

These duties call for good people skills and an ability to listen.

Particular importance is attached to your ability to grasp problems of all kinds, often complex in nature, to react rapidly to changing circumstances and to communicate effectively. You will be expected to show initiative and imagination and to be highly motivated. You should be able to work frequently under pressure, both on your own and in a team, with due regard for professional ethics, and adjust to a multicultural working environment. You will also be expected to develop your professional skills throughout your career.

B.   ELIGIBILITY

1.   General conditions

You must:

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

—	enjoy your 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.

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

2.   Specific conditions

(a)   Qualifications

You must have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma in social work.

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 — stricter requirements may be set in the competition notice.

(b)   Professional experience

No professional experience is required.

(c)   Knowledge of languages

—	main language (language 1) You must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union.

—	second language (language 2 — must be different from language 1) You must have a satisfactory knowledge of English, French or German.

Under Article 45(2) of the staff regulations, officials must prove their ability to work in a third language before their first promotion after recruitment.

You must indicate your choice of language for the admission tests and the competition tests when you register online (2). You will not be able to change your choice after the deadline for online registration (27 January 2009).

If, despite exercising every care to enter your details correctly when registering, you wish to make changes to them, you will be able to do so but only until the closing date for registration. Only the information validated and registered most recently will be taken into consideration.

To ensure that all general texts relating to the competition and all communication between candidates and EPSO are clearly understood on both sides, only English, French or German will be used for the invitations to the various tests and for correspondence between EPSO and candidates.

You may send any questions to EPSO by e-mail via one of the following links:

—	http://europa.eu/epso/infos/contact_fr.htm,

—	http://europa.eu/epso/infos/contact_en.htm,

—	http://europa.eu/epso/infos/contact_de.htm.

Before sending an e-mail, please check that the information you require is not already available in the guide for applicants or on the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso).

II.   ADMISSION TESTS

The appointing authority will invite you to the admission tests if your online registration shows that you meet the general and specific conditions in Section I.B on the closing date for online registration (27 January 2009).

TEST PROCEDURES

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

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

You will take the admission tests in English, French or German (language 2).

(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 verbal and numerical reasoning ability and skills. This test will be marked out of 20 (pass mark: 10).

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

The candidates with the 160 highest aggregate marks (3) in the admission tests and a pass mark in each will be invited to submit a full application for possible admission to the open competition.

III.   OPEN COMPETITION

Once the applications have been received, the appointing authority will draw up a list of the candidates who meet the general conditions set out in Section I.B.1 and send it to the chair of the selection board together with their application files.

After examining the list, the selection board will admit you to the written tests if you are among the candidates with the 40 highest aggregate marks (3) in the admission tests and meet the specific eligibility criteria set out in Section I.B.2.

TEST PROCEDURES

1.   Written tests — Marking

You will take written tests (a) and (b) in English, French or German (language 2).

(a)	A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your specific knowledge in the field of the competition. This test will be marked out of 40 (pass mark: 20). Time allowed (subject to change): 1 hour.

(b)	A test on a subject of your choice in the field of the competition, designed to test: — your knowledge, — your ability to understand, analyse and summarise, — your drafting ability. This test will be marked out of 40 (pass mark: 20). Time allowed (subject to change): 2 hours.

(c)

Drafting a brief memo in your main language setting out the arguments and conclusions of written test (b). This is designed to test your command of your main language in terms of both drafting and presentation. This test will be marked out of 10 (pass mark: 8). Time allowed (subject to change): 30 minutes.

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

The date for the written tests will be set by EPSO and cannot be changed at a candidate's request. You will be notified of the date when you receive your invitation to the tests (via your EPSO profile).

2.   Oral test — Marking

Once the written tests have been marked, the candidates with the 20 highest aggregate marks (3) in those tests and a pass mark in each will be admitted to the oral test.

(d)

Interview with the selection board in English, French or German (language 2), to enable it to assess: — your suitability to perform the duties described in Section I.A, — your specialist knowledge in the field of the competition, — your motivation and your ability to adjust to working as a European civil servant in a multicultural environment.

Your knowledge of your main language (language 1) will also be examined.

This test will be marked out of 50 (pass mark: 25).

The oral test will normally be held in Brussels.

3.   Reserve list

The selection board will place on the reserve list the names of the candidates with the highest aggregate marks (3) in the written and oral tests and a pass mark in each (see Section I, Number of successful candidates).

The list will be drawn up by merit group with the names in each group listed in alphabetical order.

The reserve list and its expiry date will be published (4) in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso).

IV.   HOW TO APPLY

Please 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 registration is 27 January 2009, with a deadline of 12 noon 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 decide 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 interrupted before you complete it, thereby obliging you to repeat the whole process. Once the deadline 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 when registering includes your choice of languages and details of the qualifications required for admission to the competition (qualification, name of issuing establishment and date obtained).

No documents are required at this stage. Full applications will be requested later (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  (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 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 to the tests

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 e-mail address.

You are also responsible for consulting your EPSO profile regularly 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 (see section I.B, last paragraph).

The letter inviting you to the admission tests, available in your EPSO profile, will tell you how to make an appointment online with one of the approved test centres.

3.   Submitting a full application

If you are among the candidates with the highest aggregate marks in the admission tests and a pass mark in each, as specified in Section II, you will be asked to print out and complete the full application form, which you will find in your EPSO profile on the website. It must be sent in by the closing date (6).

Supporting documents to enclose

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

—	a copy of a document proving your citizenship (e.g. 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.

You should also enclose a numbered index of these documents on a separate sheet.

You should only send photocopies (which do not need to be certified) 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  (6) (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending):

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AST/76/08

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 satisfy the conditions laid down in Section I.B of this notice. The selection board will invite you to the written tests if you are among the candidates with the highest marks and meet all the criteria for admission to the competition (see Section III, second paragraph).

You will be disqualified if:

—	you do not complete your online registration by the deadline (27 January 2009),

—	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 (6),

—	you do not send all the required supporting documents.

4.   Reserve list

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

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

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

V.   GENERAL INFORMATION

1.   Equal opportunities

The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without discrimination on any grounds such as 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 the appointing authority of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). Their names will be published on the EPSO website after candidates have been notified whether they have been admitted to the competition.

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. The selection board will decide whether candidates infringing this rule are to be disqualified.

3.   Approximate timetable

Depending on the number of candidates, the competition will take approximately one year 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 accordingly provide candidates who so request with supplementary information relating to their participation in the competition. 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 under 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 conditions/Career

If you are placed on the reserve list you will be eligible for appointment to a social welfare assistant post; recruitment will be 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 the post, 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 at any time during their career. However, in the interests of the service, newly recruited officials are transferred only in exceptional and duly justified cases during their first three years of service. Any such transfer is subject to the agreement of both the institution or agency that originally recruited the official and the institution or agency to which the official requests to be transferred.

7.   Retirement

Under the provisions of the staff regulations, 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 their own request and where it is considered to be in the interest of the service, at the age of 67 at the latest.

8.   Grade

Social welfare assistants will be recruited from the reserve list to grade AST 1.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2008:

grade AST 1, first step: EUR 2 482,44

10.   Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising competitions, EPSO ensures 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 (7). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

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(1)  The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without discrimination on any grounds such as 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)  For practical reasons the registration form is available in English, French and German only.

(3)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be admitted to the next stage of the competition.

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

(5)  EPSO — Candidate contact service — Avenue de Cortenbergh, 80 — 00/48 — B-1049 Brussels — Fax (32-2) 295 74 88.

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

(7)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

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