WRITTEN QUESTION E-1318/96 by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza (PSE) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: Competitions for the European Union's civil service

Why has the Commission not held any open competition for more than two years to recruit officials for the European Civil Service?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (20 June 1996)

It is assumed that the question refers to competitions at the basic category A grades. The last A7 and A8 competitions involving citizens from all Member States were launched in July 1993. These competitions which produced reserve lists of 600 in total were completed in the autumn of 1994.

In 1995, priority was given to recruitment of citizens from Austria, Sweden and Finland. Competitions were held at the A7 and A8 grades for citizens from the three new Member States which produced reserve lists of 287 laureates.

In the light of the size of existing category A reserve lists, it has not been necessary to launch additional competitions concerning citizens from all the Member States. The Commission is currently considering the nature and timing of future competitions, taking into account in particular the need for inter-institutional cooperation in this field.

As far as other categories of staff are concerned, the Commission, often together with other institutions, has organised competitions at the LA, B and C grades concerning citizens from the Member States.