ANNEX

JUSTIFICATION OF THE LANGUAGE REGIME FOR THESE SELECTION PROCEDURES

These are competitions to recruit translators. The requirements set out in the ‘AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?’ section of this Notice of Competitions are in line with the EU institutions’ primary requirements for specialist skills, experience and knowledge and the need for new recruits to be able to work effectively, in particular with other members of staff.

For this reason, candidates are required to select their second competition language from a limited number of EU official languages. This limitation is also due to budgetary and operational constraints and the nature of EPSO’s selection methods described in points 1, 2 and 3 below. The language requirements for these competitions have been adopted by the EPSO Management Board taking into account these factors and other specific requirements relating to the nature of the duties or the particular needs of the EU institutions concerned.

The main purpose of these competitions is to create reserve lists of translators for the European institutions. Once recruited, it is essential that the translators are operational immediately and are able to communicate with their colleagues and managers. In the light of the criteria on the use of languages in EU selection procedures set out under point 2 below, the EU institutions consider that English, French and German are the most appropriate second language options for these competitions.

Given the large volume of translations and documents received in English, French and German and the fact that they are the languages most frequently spoken, translated and used for administrative communication by staff in the EU institutions, candidates must offer at least one of them among their two compulsory languages. The other competition languages that candidates may choose depend on the specific needs of the language units concerned.

Candidates must use their second competition language (English, French or German) when filling in the online applications and EPSO must use these languages for mass communication to candidates who have submitted a valid application and for some tests described under point 3.

1.   Justification for selecting languages for each selection procedure

The EU institutions believe that the decision on the specific languages to be used in each individual selection procedure and, in particular, any restriction of the choice of languages, must be made on the basis of the following considerations:

(i)   Requirement that new recruits be immediately operational

New recruits need to be immediately operational and capable of performing the duties for which they were recruited. Therefore, EPSO must ensure that successful candidates possess adequate knowledge of a combination of languages that will enable them to carry out their duties in an effective manner and in particular that successful candidates are able to communicate effectively in their daily work with their colleagues and managers.

It may therefore be legitimate to organise some tests in a limited number of vehicular languages to ensure that all candidates are able to work in at least one of these, whatever their first official language. Failure to do so would create a high risk that a substantial proportion of successful candidates would be unable to undertake the tasks for which they are recruited within a reasonable timeframe. Moreover, it would neglect the evident consideration that candidates applying to work in the EU civil service are willing to join an international organisation that must make use of vehicular languages in order to work properly and carry out the tasks entrusted to it under the EU Treaties.

(ii)   The nature of the selection procedure

In some cases, limiting candidates’ choice of languages may also be justified by the nature of the selection procedure.

In line with Article 27 of the Staff Regulations, EPSO assesses candidates in open competitions which it uses to evaluate candidates’ skills and better predict whether candidates will be capable of performing their duties.

The assessment centre is a selection method that consists of evaluating candidates in a standardised manner, based on various scenarios observed by several selection board members. The assessment uses a competency framework drawn up in advance by the appointing authorities and a common scoring method and joint decision making.

Assessing specific skills in this way enables the EU institutions to evaluate candidates’ ability to be immediately operational in an environment that closely matches the reality of the job. A substantial body of scientific research has shown that assessment centres simulating real-life working situations are the best predictor of real-life performance. Assessment centres are therefore used worldwide. Given the length of careers and the degree of mobility within the EU institutions this kind of assessment is crucial, in particular when selecting permanent officials.

To ensure that candidates can be assessed on an equal footing and can communicate directly with assessors and the other candidates taking part in an exercise, candidates are assessed together in a group with a common language. Unless the assessment centre takes place in a competition with a single main language, this necessarily requires that the assessment centre be organised in a restricted number of languages.

(iii)   Budgetary and operational constraints

For several reasons, the EPSO Management Board believes it would be impractical to organise the assessment centre phase of a single competition in all EU official languages.

Firstly, such an approach would have very serious resource implications, rendering it impossible for the EU institutions to meet their recruitment needs within the current budgetary framework. It would also not be reasonable value for money for the European taxpayer.

Secondly, conducting the assessment centre in all official languages would require a substantial number of interpreters to work on EPSO competitions and the use of appropriate premises with interpreting booths.

Thirdly, a much higher number of selection board members would be needed to cover the different languages used by candidates.

2.   Criteria for selecting languages for each selection procedure

If candidates are required to choose from a limited number of official EU languages, the EPSO Management Board must determine on a case-by-case basis the languages to be used for individual open competitions, taking into account the following:

3.   Languages of communication

This section describes the general rules concerning the use of languages for communication between EPSO and prospective candidates. Other, specific requirements may be set out in each notice of competition.

EPSO takes due account of candidates’ right as EU citizens to communicate in their mother tongue. It also recognises that candidates who have validated their application are prospective members of the EU civil service who benefit from the rights and obligations conferred on them by the Staff Regulations. The EU institutions therefore believe that EPSO should, wherever possible, communicate with candidates and provide candidates with information concerning their applications in all EU official languages. To achieve this, stable elements on the EPSO website, competition notices and the general rules governing open competitions will be published in all official languages.

The languages to be used when filling in the online application forms are specified in each notice of competition. Instructions on filling in the application form must be provided in all official languages. These provisions will apply during the transition period required to put in place an initial online application procedure in all official languages.

In order to communicate quickly and efficiently, once a candidate’s initial application has been validated, mass communication from EPSO to large candidate populations will be in a limited number of official EU languages. This will be either the candidate’s first or second language as set out in the relevant notice of competition.

Candidates may contact EPSO in any official EU language but, in order for EPSO to handle their query more efficiently, candidates are encouraged to choose from among a limited number of languages for which EPSO staff is able to provide immediate linguistic coverage without the need to resort to translation.

Certain tests may also be held in a limited number of official EU languages in order to ensure that candidates have the language ability needed to participate in the assessment phase of open competitions. The languages for the various tests will be specified in each notice of competition.

The EU institutions believe that these arrangements ensure a fair and appropriate balance between the interests of the service and the principle of multilingualism and non-discrimination by language. The obligation on candidates to choose a second language that is different from their first (normally mother tongue or equivalent) ensures that they can be compared on an equal footing.

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