ISSN 1725-2423

Official Journal

of the European Union

C 279A

European flag  

English edition

Information and Notices

Volume 50
22 November 2007


Notice No

Contents

page

 

V   Announcements

 

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

 

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

2007/C 279A/01

Notice of open competitions:
EPSO/AD/101-103/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/102-104/07 (AD12) – Heads of Unit of Bulgarian and Romanian citizenship in the following fields:

1

2007/C 279A/02

Notice of open competitions:
EPSO/AD/105-106/07 – Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) in the field of translation with Bulgarian and Romanian as their main language

20

2007/C 279A/03

Notice of open competitions:
EPSO/AD/107-109-111/07 and EPSO/AD/108-110-112/07 – Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Czech, Polish and Slovak citizenship in the following fields:

35

2007/C 279A/04

Notice of open competitions:
EPSO/AD/113/07 – Heads of Unit (AD9) in the field of translation with Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovene as their main language
EPSO/AD/114/07 – Heads of Unit (AD12) in the field of translation with Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Maltese as their main language

52

 

Corrigenda

2007/C 279A/05

Corrigendum to notice of open competition EPSO/AD/98/07 to constitute a reserve of Senior Audit Officers (AD9) of Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Romanian, Slovenian and Slovakian citizenship (OJ C 171 A, 24.7.2007)

68

NOTICE TO READERS

BG

Настоящият брой на Официален вестник е публикуван единствено на английски, немски и френски език.

CS

Toto číslo Úředního věstníku vychází pouze v anglickém, francouzském a německém jazyce.

DA

Denne EU-Tidende offentliggøres udelukkende på engelsk, fransk og tysk.

DE

Dieses Amtsblatt wird nur in Deutsch, Englisch und Französisch veröffentlicht.

EL

Η παρούσα Επίσημη Εφημερίδα εκδίδεται μόνο στη γερμανική, την αγγλική και τη γαλλική γλώσσα.

EN

This Official Journal is only published in English, French and German.

ES

El presente Diario Oficial se publica únicamente en lenguas alemana, francesa e inglesa.

ET

Käesolev Euroopa Liidu Teataja number ilmub ainult inglise, prantsuse ja saksa keeles.

FI

Tämä virallisen lehden numero julkaistaan ainoastaan englannin, ranskan ja saksan kielellä.

FR

Le présent Journal officiel est uniquement publié en langues allemande, anglaise et française.

GA

Tá an Iris Oifigiúl seo á foilsiú i mBéarla, i bhFraincis agus i nGearmáinis amháin.

HU

A Hivatalos Lapnak ez a száma kizárólag német, angol és francia nyelven jelenik meg.

IT

La presente Gazzetta ufficiale è pubblicata solo in lingua tedesca, inglese e francese.

LT

Šis Oficialusis leidinys publikuotas tik anglų, prancūzų ir vokiečių kalbomis.

LV

Šis Oficiālais Vēstnesis ir publicēts tikai angļu, franču un vācu valodā.

MT

Dan il-Ġurnal Uffiċjali ser ikun ippubblikat biss bl-Ingliż, bil-Franċiż u bil-Ġermaniż.

NL

Dit Publicatieblad verschijnt uitsluitend in het Duits, het Engels en het Frans.

PL

Niniejszy Dziennik Urzędowy jest publikowany jedynie w językach niemieckim, angielskim i francuskim.

PT

O presente Jornal Oficial é publicado apenas nas línguas alemã, inglesa e francesa.

RO

Prezentul Jurnal Oficial este publicat numai în limbile engleză, franceză și germană.

SK

Tento úradný vestník vychádza iba v anglickom, francúzskom a nemeckom jazyku.

SL

Ta Uradni list je objavljen samo v angleškem, francoskem in nemškem jeziku.

SV

Detta nummer av Europeiska unionens officella tidning utkommer endast på engelska, franska och tyska.

BG

Службата за подбор на персонал на Европейските общности (EPSO) организира следните открити конкурси:

Пълната информация е поместена на интернет сайта на EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

CS

Evropský úřad pro výběr personálu (EPSO) pořádá následující otevřená výběrová řízení:

Veškeré informace jsou k dispozici na internetové stránce EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

DA

De Europæiske Fællesskabers Personaleudvælgelseskontor (EPSO) afholder følgende almindelige udvælgelsesprøver:

Yderligere oplysninger findes på EPSO's netsted http://europa.eu/epso.

DE

Das Amt für Personalauswahl der Europäischen Gemeinschaften (EPSO) führt folgende allgemeine Auswahlverfahren durch:

Weitere Informationen befinden sich auf der EPSO-Website http://europa.eu/epso.

EL

Η Ευρωπαϊκή Υπηρεσία Επιλογής Προσωπικού (EPSO) διοργανώνει τους ακόλουθους γενικούς διαγωνισμούς:

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες δημοσιεύονται στο δικτυακό τόπο της EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

EN

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following open competitions:

Full details are available on the EPSO website at http://europa.eu/epso.

ES

La Oficina Europea de Selección de Personal (EPSO) organiza la siguiente oposición general:

Toda la información pertinente figura en el sitio internet de EPSO: http://europa.eu/epso.

ET

Euroopa Personalivaliku Amet (EPSO) korraldab järgmised avalikud konkursid:

Täiendava teabe leiab EPSO veebilehelt http://europa.eu/epso.

FI

Euroopan yhteisöjen henkilöstövalintatoimisto (EPSO) järjestää seuraavat avoimet kilpailut:

Tarkemmat tiedot EPSOn verkkosivuilla http://europa.eu/epso.

FR

L'Office européen de sélection du personnel (EPSO) organise les concours généraux suivants:

Des informations complètes se trouvent sur le site d'EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

HU

Az Európai Személyzeti Felvételi Hivatal (EPSO) a következő nyílt versenyvizsgákat szervezi:

További információk az EPSO honlapján találhatók: http://europa.eu/epso.

IT

L’Ufficio europeo di selezione del personale (EPSO) organizza i seguenti concorsi generali:

Tutte le relative informazioni si trovano sul sito web di EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

LT

Europos personalo atrankos tarnyba (EPSO) rengia šiuos viešus konkursus:

Išsamią informaciją galima rasti EPSO interneto svetainėje http://europa.eu/epso.

LV

Eiropas Personāla atlases birojs (

EPSO

) organizē šādus atklātos konkursus:

Pilnīga informācija atrodama

EPSO

tīmekļa vietnē http://europa.eu/epso.

MT

L-Uffiċċju Ewropew għall-Għażla tal-Personal (EPSO) qed jorganizza dawn il-konkorsi ġenerali:

L-informazzjoni sħiħa tinsab fuq is-sit ta' l-internet ta' l-EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

NL

Het Europees Bureau voor personeelsselectie (EPSO) organiseert de volgende algemene vergelijkende onderzoeken:

Alle informatie bevindt zich op de website van EPSO: http://europa.eu/epso.

PL

Urząd Doboru Kadr Wspólnot Europejskich (EPSO) ogłasza następujące konkursy otwarte:

Szczegółowe informacje można znaleźć na stronie internetowej EPSO: http://europa.eu/epso.

PT

O Serviço Europeu de Selecção de Pessoal (EPSO) organiza os seguintes concursos gerais:

Todas as informações podem ser consultadas no sítio do EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

RO

Oficiul European pentru Selecția Personalului (EPSO) organizează următoarele concursuri generale:

Puteți găsi informații complete pe site-ul EPSO – http://europa.eu/epso

SK

Európsky úrad pre výber pracovníkov (EPSO) organizuje tieto výberové konania:

Úplné informácie sú k dispozícii na internetovej stránke úradu EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

SL

Evropski urad za izbor osebja (EPSO) organizira naslednje javne natečaje:

Vse informacije so na voljo na spletišču urada EPSO http://europa.eu/epso.

SV

Europeiska rekryteringsbyrån (EPSO) anordnar följande allmänna uttagningsprov:

Ytterligare upplysningar finns på EPSO:s hemsida http://europa.eu/epso.

EN

 


V Announcements

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

22.11.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 279/1


NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2007/C 279 A/01)

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

HEADS OF UNIT  (1)

of Bulgarian (BG) and Romanian (RO) citizenship

EPSO/AD/101/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/102/07 (AD12) BG

in the following fields:

1.

Law

2.

Economics

3.

European public administration

4.

External relations (diplomacy, trade and aid management)

5.

Information, press and public relations


EPSO/AD/103/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/104/07 (AD12) RO

in the following fields:

1.

Law

2.

Economics

3.

European public administration

4.

External relations (diplomacy, trade and aid management)

5.

Information, press and public relations

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 competitions EPSO/AD/101/07 to EPSO/AD/104/07 are being organised to recruit Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Bulgarian and Romanian citizenship in the following fields: Law, Economics, European public administration, External relations (diplomacy, trade and aid management), Information, press and public relations.

The purpose of these competitions is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill vacant posts in the institutions of the European Union, in particular at the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission. Successful candidates may be offered, in particular at the Council, a post of administrator at level AD9.

Successful candidates in the ‘External relations’ field will be recruited mainly by the European Commission.

Successful candidates in the field ‘Information, press and public relations’ will be recruited by the European Parliament.

Number of successful candidates per competition and per field:

EPSO/AD/101/07 (AD9) BG

EPSO/AD/102/07 (AD12) BG

1.

Law

4

1.

Law

3

2.

Economics

4

2.

Economics

3

3.

European public administration

6

3.

European public administration

5

4.

External relations

2

4.

External relations

2

5.

Information press and public relations

1

5.

Information press and public relations

1


EPSO/AD/103/07 (AD9) RO

EPSO/AD/104/07 (AD12) RO

1.

Law

4

1.

Law

4

2.

Economics

4

2.

Economics

4

3.

European public administration

6

3.

European public administration

6

4.

External relations

3

4.

External relations

3

5.

Information press and public relations

1

5.

Information press and public relations

1

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following parallel open competitions:

EPSO/AD/105/07 and EPSO/AD/106/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) in the field of translation having Bulgarian and Romanian as their main language

EPSO/AD/107/07 to EPSO/AD/112/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Czech, Polish and Slovak citizenship in the following fields:

Law

Economics

European public administration

EPSO/AD/113/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9) in the field of translation having Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovene as their main language

EPSO/AD/114/07 — Heads of Unit (AD12) in the field of translation having Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Maltese as their main language

You may apply for only one competition in one field. You must make your choice when you register online and you cannot change your choice after the deadline for registration.

A.   DUTIES

In all these fields the main activity involves management duties as head of unit, as a general rule, under the authority of a director-general, director or head of service. The duties fall into three main categories:

Management and attaining objectives

Helping to formulate the strategies and procedures of the directorate/directorate-general/service.

Defining the unit’s strategic objectives and approving its operational work programme.

Determining and monitoring organisation of the unit’s work and ensuring the efficient distribution of tasks and responsibilities between members of the unit so as to achieve the anticipated results.

Analysing and optimising procedures and workflows within the unit so as to attain the objectives set.

Assessing the extent to which objectives have been attained using appropriate indicators and drafting management reports on the results achieved.

Checking that decisions and operations comply with the rules and official procedures.

Personnel and resource management

Ensuring efficient personnel management in the unit in line with the institution’s human resources policy. This involves in particular drawing up job descriptions, evaluating staff performance and examining individual objectives and training programmes, and approving, authorising and giving opinions on personnel management matters such as leave or part-time working.

Creating and fostering the development of effective teams.

Developing genuine team spirit in the unit by creating and strengthening the sense of working together towards common goals.

Identifying possible sources of tension in the unit and taking personal initiatives to resolve conflicts.

Developing the efficiency and quality of teamwork by encouraging the individual skills of team members and acting as coach.

Determining funding requirements and managing the annual budget resources allocated to the unit.

Supervising and checking financial operations relating to the unit’s work programme.

Verifying and validating the financial and budgetary aspects of the programmes/projects implemented under the unit’s responsibility.

Managing relations — communication, coordination, consultation, representation and negotiation

Establishing and maintaining interactive dialogue in the unit so that staff are properly informed about the major policy and strategic aspects and receive appropriate feedback on their work.

Contributing to internal communication and the dissemination of knowledge within the directorate-general and other departments of the Community institutions.

Providing regular reports and advice on legal and/or policy developments and the outcome of discussions and negotiations.

Advising, coordinating and/or negotiating with other departments on matters relating to the unit’s work.

Representing the unit or department on advisory, management or regulatory committees, relevant working parties or other ad hoc bodies.

Representing the department vis-à-vis representatives of the Member States and other countries, or in public and private international organisations, as regards matters relating to the unit’s work.

Negotiating on behalf of the institutions with Member States, third countries, or public and private international organisations.

To exercise these responsibilities, candidates must be service-minded, have a sense of organisation and be open to new technologies.

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.

Besides the main management duties, you should take note of the following duties specific to each field of this competition:

Field 1: Law

Devising, drawing up and analysing Community legislative acts and Union legislation in the field of police and judicial cooperation.

Providing legal advice to the institutions and their bodies on specific questions and on Community policies.

Researching issues relating to national, Community and international law.

Participating in negotiations on international agreements.

Performing case studies and preparing draft decisions, for example in the field of competition law.

Monitoring the implementation and application of Community legislation via contacts with Member States’ administrations and examining pre-litigation files on infringements of Community law.

Performing various duties in the field of litigation, drawing up statements of position and representing the institutions in litigation, mainly before the Court of Justice, the European Union Civil Service Tribunal or the Court of First Instance.

On the basis of general instructions, performing administrative, advisory and supervisory duties in one or more of the fields of activity of the European institutions (inter alia consumer affairs, transport, telecommunications, social affairs, internal affairs, external affairs) and in the fields of international and administrative law.

Giving advice and opinions, written and oral, to the organs and authorities of the institution.

Field 2: Economics

Ongoing evaluation of the Member States’ economic, budgetary, monetary and financial policies.

Analysis of the Member States’ economies and development of the Community’s financial instruments.

Analysis of the economies of third countries.

Drawing up economic forecasts.

Devising and implementing Community technical assistance.

Analysis and evaluation of structural, sectoral and regional policies.

Financial analysis of Community projects.

Analysis of the regulatory and fiscal business environment.

Providing economic or statistical analyses and advice on Community policy in fields such as competition, trade, industry, research and development, employment and the labour market.

Statistical methodology.

Applied statistics in the fields of economic affairs, social affairs and demography, agronomy and the environment, accounting and finance, etc.

Analysis of the demand for and use made of the data available, and devising projects.

Defining objectives and coordinating the compilation and aggregation of statistical data, and management of operational systems.

Harmonising the compilation of statistics and perfecting procedures for the compilation, processing, validation and analysis of statistical data.

Statistical models and statistics in the field of the economy.

Field 3: European public administration

Running a unit responsible for administrative, advisory and supervisory duties in one or more areas of the institution’s activities (inter alia consumer affairs, transport, telecommunications, social affairs, internal affairs, external affairs, etc.).

Coordinating preparation of the work of various working parties at all levels and follow-up.

Drawing up new approaches or actions by carrying out analyses and specialised studies.

Preparing and attending political dialogue meetings.

Ensuring contacts and coordination with the other directorates of the institution and/or the other European institutions, the Member States or international organisations.

Field 4: External relations (diplomacy, trade and aid management)

Defining, negotiating, analysing and implementing the European Union’s policies and strategies, in particular in the fields of the common foreign and security policy, information and cooperation policy vis-à-vis non-member countries, the regions and horizontal questions.

Defining, analysing and implementing the European Union’s policies and strategies as regards enlargement to include candidate countries or countries likely to become candidates.

Analysing, formulating and presenting recommendations and taking part in negotiations on and the implementation of the European Union’s commercial policy, including in the field of international trade.

Maintaining close contact with other departments and directorates in the DG, the other Community institutions, the Member States and international organisations such as the UN, the OECD, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the FAO.

Field 5: Information, press and public relations

Managing an information office: managing, supervising, motivating and coordinating a team of staff; optimising the use of the human and budget resources available to the office, while ensuring high-quality service.

Formulating, organising and implementing an annual programme of information and communication operations on the role and activities of the European Parliament.

Informing the press of the positions taken by the European Parliament and organising press conferences.

Formulating, organising and implementing communication operations aimed at citizens, opinion multipliers, and civil society.

Stimulating public debate on European integration and informing the public at large on the role and powers of the European Parliament.

Organising seminars and speaking in public.

Providing support to European Parliament bodies when they undertake activities in the Member State (visits by the President, meetings or visits by Parliament committees, etc.).

Acting as representative of the European Parliament in the countries of the European Union.

Monitoring political developments and the climate of public opinion in the Member State and sending relaying information swiftly to the Secretariat on all events likely to be of interest to the European Parliament.

Successful candidates in field 5 should note that they will be eligible for recruitment in the European Parliament Information Offices in Bucharest or in Sofia.

B.   ELIGIBILITY

(a)   General conditions

You must:

be a citizen of one of the following Member States of the European Union: Bulgaria or Romania,

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 in Section V.7 concerning the retirement age.

(b)   Special conditions

1.   Qualifications

Field 1: Law

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in Law when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in Law and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

or

(iii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and have completed a postgraduate course in Law attested by a diploma.

Field 2: Economics

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in micro/macro-economics/statistics and/or business studies when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in micro/macro-economics/statistics and/or business studies and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

or

(iii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and have completed a postgraduate course in micro/macro economics/statistics and/or business studies and attested by a diploma or have an MBA (Master of Business Administration).

Field 3: European public administration

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years.

Field 4: External relations

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in economics, law, political or social science, engineering, international relations, public administration, development cooperation or foreign trade when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in economics, law, political or social science, engineering, international relations, public administration, development cooperation or foreign trade, and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

or

(iii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and have completed a postgraduate course in economics, law, political and social science, engineering, international relations, public administration, development cooperation or foreign trade.

Field 5: Information, press and public relations

You must:

(iii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(iv)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years.

NB: the minimum of one year’s professional experience required under (ii) above counts as an integral part of the above qualification and cannot be included in the professional experience required under 2 below.

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.

To make it easier for the selection board to assess whether your qualifications are appropriate for the duties in question, you should note that may be required to provide formal proof of the subjects studied.

2.   Professional experience

EPSO/AD/101-103/07 (AD9)

EPSO/AD/102-104/07 (AD12)

You must have acquired at least 10 years’ professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 3 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A, after obtaining the qualification by virtue of which you are eligible for the competition.

You must have acquired at least 10 years’ professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 5 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A, after obtaining the qualification by virtue of which you are eligible for the competition.

Your professional experience will be assessed according to the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources.

3.   Knowledge of languages

(a)   main language (language 1)

Bulgarian for competitions EPSO/AD/101/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/102/07 (AD12)

Romanian for competitions EPSO/AD/103/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/104/07 (AD12)

You must have a thorough knowledge of Bulgarian or Romanian.

(b)   second language (language 2)

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 specify the language you choose for the admission tests and the competition tests in your online registration (2) . This choice may not be changed after the deadline for online registration (7 January 2008).

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

The language you choose as your second language will be the language used for communicating with you.

You may send any questions to EPSO by e-mail (EPSO-AD-..-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 (7 January 2008):

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 English, French or German (language 2).

(a)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your verbal reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

(b)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your numerical reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

The aggregate pass mark for tests (a) and (b) together is 50.

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

The candidates with the highest aggregate marks (3) in the admission tests (a) and (b) (see table below) will be invited to submit a full application for admission to the open competition.

EPSO/AD/101/07 (AD9) BG

EPSO/AD/102/07 (AD12) BG

1.

Law

12

1.

Law

9

2.

Economics

12

2.

Economics

9

3.

European public administration

15

3.

European public administration

15

4.

External relations

6

4.

External relations

6

5.

Information press and public relations

3

5.

Information press and public relations

3


EPSO/AD/103/07 (AD9) RO

EPSO/AD/104/07 (AD12) RO

1.

Law

12

1.

Law

12

2.

Economics

12

2.

Economics

12

3.

European public administration

15

3.

European public administration

15

4.

External relations

9

4.

External relations

9

5.

Information press and public relations

3

5.

Information press and public relations

3

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 (3) in the admission tests (a) and (b) (see table above) and meet the specific conditions set out at I.B(b).

TEST PROCEDURES

1.   Oral test — marking

(i)

Before your interview with the selection board, you will be asked to take tests in an assessment centre. The tests will be held in English, French or German only (language 2). For organisational reasons, the tests and the interview will be held in Brussels, normally on consecutive days. The report on the tests will be communicated to the selection board as a specialist aid and technical contribution to the decision-making process.

The tests will comprise in particular:

a written exercise in which you will be asked to deal with various documents,

an exercise to assess your management skills,

an interview with a human resources expert to asses your skills profile.

(ii)

The day following the tests in the assessment centre, you will be invited to an interview which will be held in English, French or German (language 2) with the selection board to enable it to complete its assessment of:

your specific knowledge in your chosen field,

your professional experience and ability to organise and coordinate the work of an administrative unit, your ability to adapt, negotiate and take decisions and, more generally, to perform the duties of a head of unit,

your general knowledge of the European Union, its institutions, and its policies.

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

This test is marked out of 100 (pass mark: 60).

NOTE: the report produced by the assessment centre is not covered by the rules on secrecy governing the selection board’s deliberations and will be given to you at the end of the oral test.

2.   Reserve lists

Following the competition, the selection board will place on the reserve lists the names of the candidates with both the pass mark and one of the highest marks (3) (see Section I, Number of successful candidates) in the oral test.

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

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

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 7 January 2008, with a deadline of 12.00 (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 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 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 the qualifications required 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  (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

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 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-..-07@ec.europa.eu).

Wherever possible, you will be asked to sit the admission 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 I.B, 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 (6).

Documents to enclose

Your application must give details of your citizenship, studies and any professional experience. You must enclose with it 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,

employers’ references clearly indicating the starting and finishing dates and the level and exact nature of the duties carried out, particularly the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources (level of position within the company, number of people under your responsibility); you will be given more detailed instructions, via you EPSO profile, on how to present your professional experience.

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

All documents not in English, French or German must be accompanied by a translation into one of those languages, which you may do yourself.

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  (6) (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending):

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/../07 (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

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 to determine whether they meet the criteria laid down in Section I.B of this notice. The candidates who meet all the eligibility criteria for the competition will be invited to the oral test.

You will be disqualified if:

you do not complete your online registration by the deadline (7 January 2008),

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.2) 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 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 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 once 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 boards’ 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.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 head of unit; you will be recruited 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 and agency that originally recruited the official and the institution or agency receiving the transfer request.

7.   Retirement

You should note that the rules on the retirement age for 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

Head of unit will be recruited from the reserve list to grades AD9 and AD12.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2007:

grade AD9, first step: EUR 6 574,76

grade AD12, first step: EUR 9 522,89

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 (OJ L 8, 12.1.2001). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(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)  For practical reasons this form is available in English, French or German only.

(3)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be taken into consideration by the selection board.

(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 being notified of the results.

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

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


ANNEX

REQUESTS FOR REVIEW — APPEAL PROCEDURES COMPLAINTS TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

Since the Staff Regulations apply to both the admission test phase and the competition, please note that all the proceedings of the selection board are covered by the confidentiality requirement laid down in Annex III of the Staff Regulations. If at any stage in either part of the selection process you consider that your interests have been prejudiced by a particular decision, you can take the following action:

Request for review

Within 20 days of the letter informing you of the decision being posted online, send a letter stating your case to:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/…/07 (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

B-1049 Brussels

EPSO will forward your request to the chair of the selection board where it comes within the board's remit. You will be sent a reply as soon as possible.

Appeal

You can either bring a case before:

European Union Civil Service Tribunal

Boulevard Konrad Adenauer

L-2925 Luxembourg

under Article 236 of the EC Treaty and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities,

or you can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities, at the following address:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/…/07 (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

B-1049 Brussels

The time limits for initiating these two types of procedure (see Staff Regulations as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 723/2004 (OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1) — http://eur-lex.europa.eu) start to run from the time you are notified of the act allegedly prejudicing your interests.

You should note that the appointing authority does not have the power to amend the decisions of a selection board. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by selection boards is not subject to review by the Court unless rules which govern the proceedings of selection boards have clearly been infringed.

Complaint to the European Ombudsman

Like all citizens of the European Union, you can make a complaint to:

European Ombudsman

1 avenue du President Robert Schuman — BP 403

F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

under Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's (OJ L 113, 4.5.1994, p. 15).

You should note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging appeals with the Civil Service Tribunal under Article 236 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. Please note also that, under Article 2(4) of the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, any complaint lodged with the Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative actions in place at the bodies concerned.


22.11.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 279/20


NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2007/C 279 A/02)

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

EPSO/AD/105/07 — HEADS OF UNIT  (1) (AD9) and (AD12)

having Bulgarian as their main language (BG)

EPSO/AD/106/07 — HEADS OF UNIT  (1) (AD9) and (AD12)

having Romanian as their main language (RO)

IN THE FIELD OF TRANSLATION

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 competitions EPSO/AD/105/07 and EPSO/AD/106/07 are being organised to recruit Heads of Unit AD9 and AD12 in the field of translation who have Bulgarian and Romanian as their main language.

The purpose of these competitions is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill vacant posts in the institutions of the European Union. Successful candidates may be offered a post of senior linguistic administrator (AD9) in the field of translation, in particular at the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

NB:

The Council will only recruit Heads of Unit at level AD12,

The Commission will only recruit Heads of Unit (2) at level AD9,

The Court of Auditors will only recruit Senior Linguistic Administrators or Heads of Unit at level AD9.

Number of successful candidates per competition and level:

 

AD9

AD12

EPSO/AD/105/07 (BG)

12

4

EPSO/AD/106/07 (RO)

12

5

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following parallel open competitions:

EPSO/AD/101/07 to EPSO/AD/104/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Bulgarian and Romanian citizenship in the following fields:

Law

Economics

European public administration

External relations (diplomacy, trade and aid management)

Information, press and public relations

EPSO/AD/107/07 to EPSO/AD/112/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Czech, Polish and Slovak citizenship in the following fields:

Law

Economics

European public administration

EPSO/AD/113/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9) in the field of translation who have Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovene as their main language

EPSO/AD/114/07 — Heads of Unit (AD12) in the field of translation who have Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Maltese as their main language

You may apply for only one competition and only one field. You must make your choice when you register online and you cannot change your choice after the deadline for registration.

A.   DUTIES

In all these fields the main activity involves management duties as head of unit under the authority of a director-general, director or head of service/head of sector. The duties fall into three main categories:

 

Management and attaining objectives

Helping to formulate the strategies and procedures of the directorate/directorate-general/service.

Defining the unit's strategic objectives and approving its operational work programme.

Determining and monitoring the organisation of the unit's work and ensuring the efficient distribution of tasks and responsibilities between members of the unit so as to achieve the expected results.

Analysing and optimising procedures and workflows within the unit so as to attain the objectives set.

Assessing the extent to which objectives have been attained with the help of appropriate indicators and drafting management reports on the results achieved.

Checking that decisions and operations comply with the rules and official procedures.

 

Personnel and resource management

Ensuring efficient personnel management in the unit in line with the institution's human resources policy. This involves in particular drawing up job descriptions, evaluating staff performance and examining individual objectives and training programmes, and approving, authorising and giving opinions on personnel management matters such as leave or part-time working.

Creating and fostering the development of effective teams.

Developing genuine team spirit in the unit by creating and strengthening the sense of working together towards common goals.

Identifying possible sources of tension in the unit and taking personal initiatives to resolve conflicts.

Developing the efficiency and quality of teamwork by encouraging the individual skills of team members and acting as coach.

Determining funding requirements and managing the annual budget resources allocated to the unit.

Supervising and checking financial operations relating to the unit's work programme.

Verifying and validating the financial and budgetary aspects of the programmes/projects implemented under the unit's responsibility.

 

Managing relations — communication, coordination, consultation, representation and negotiation

Establishing and maintaining interactive dialogue in the unit so that staff are properly informed about the major policy and strategic aspects and receive appropriate feedback on their work.

Contributing to internal communication and the dissemination of knowledge within the directorate-general and other departments of the Community institutions.

Providing regular reports and advice on legal and/or policy developments and the outcome of discussions and negotiations.

Advising, coordinating and/or negotiating with other departments on matters relating to the unit's work.

Representing the unit or department on advisory, management or regulatory committees, relevant working parties or other ad hoc bodies.

Representing the department vis-à-vis representatives of the Member States and other countries, or in public and private international organisations, as regards matters relating to the unit's work.

Negotiating on behalf of the institutions with Member States, third countries, or public and private international organisations.

And more specifically for translators:

You should note that those recruited may be called on to revise, reread, and if necessary translate into their main language texts of various kinds relating to the activities of the institution. They will also be responsible for quality evaluation in the unit.

To exercise these responsibilities, candidates must be service-minded, have a sense of organisation and be open to new technologies, in particular those relating to translation.

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 in Section V.7 concerning the retirement age.

(b)   Special conditions

1.   Qualifications

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies (or equivalent) attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies (or equivalent) attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years.

NB: the minimum of one year's professional experience required under (ii) above counts as an integral part of the above qualification and cannot be included in the professional experience required under 2 below.

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

AD9

You must have acquired at least 10 years' professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 3 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A:

after obtaining the qualification required under (i),

or

after obtaining the qualification and professional experience required under (ii).

AD12

You must have acquired at least 10 years' professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 5 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A:

after obtaining the qualification required under (i),

or

after obtaining the qualification and professional experience required under (ii).

Your professional experience will be assessed according to the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources.

3.   Knowledge of languages

You must satisfy the following conditions:

(a)

have a perfect command of your main language:

Bulgarian for competition EPSO/AD/105/07

Romanian for competition EPSO/AD/106/07

(b)

have a thorough knowledge of English, French or German (first compulsory source language);

(c)

have a thorough knowledge of English, French or German (second compulsory source language); this must be different from the language chosen under (b) above.

A knowledge of an additional language (third source language) from among the following: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish) will be an advantage and in the case of successful candidates this may be assessed during the recruitment interview.

You must specify the language you choose for the admission tests and the competition tests in your online registration (3). This choice may not be changed after the deadline for online registration (7 January 2008).

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

The language you choose as your second language will be the language used for communicating with you.

You may send any questions to EPSO by e-mail (EPSO-AD-..-07@ec.europa.eu), but please check first that the information you want is not in the competition notice, the Guide for Applicants or on 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 (7 January 2008):

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 English, French or German (your first compulsory source language).

(a)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your verbal reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

(b)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your numerical reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

The aggregate pass mark for tests (a) and (b) together is 50.

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

The candidates with the highest aggregate marks (4) in the admission tests (see table below) will be invited to submit a full application for admission to the open competition.

 

AD9

AD12

EPSO/AD/105/07 (BG)

36

12

EPSO/AD/106/07 (RO)

36

15

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 in the admission tests (a) and (b) (see table above) (4) and meet the specific conditions set out at I.B(b).

TEST PROCEDURES

1.   Written tests — marking

(a)

Translation into your main language, using a non-electronic dictionary, of a general text approximately 45 lines long relating to the activities of the European Union, in the language chosen for the admission tests (your first compulsory source language).

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

Time allowed: 2 hours.

(b)

Translation into your main language, 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, which must be different from that chosen for admission tests (a) and (b) and test (a) above.

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

Time allowed: 2 hours.

Test (b) will be marked only if you obtain the pass mark in test (a).

(c)

Revision without dictionary, of a difficult general text translated into your main language from your first compulsory source language.

This test will be marked out of 20 (pass mark: 10).

Time allowed: 1,30 hours.

Test (c) will only be marked if you obtain the pass mark in tests (a) and (b).

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, the candidates with the highest aggregate marks (4) in these tests (see table below) and a pass mark in each will be admitted to the oral test.

 

AD9

AD12

EPSO/AD/105/07 (BG)

18

6

EPSO/AD/106/07 (RO)

18

8

(i)

Before your interview with the selection board, you will be asked to take tests in an assessment centre. The tests will be held in English, French or German only (your first compulsory source language). For organisational reasons, the tests and the interview will be held in Brussels, normally on consecutive days. The report on the tests will be communicated to the selection board as a specialist aid and technical contribution to the decision-making process.

The tests will comprise in particular:

a written exercise in which you will be asked to deal with various documents,

an exercise to assess your management skills,

an interview with a human resources expert to asses your skills profile.

(ii)

The day following the tests in the assessment centre, you will be invited to an interview with the selection board (in your first compulsory source language) to enable it to complete its assessment of:

your professional experience, ability to organise and coordinate the work of an administrative unit, and your ability to adapt, negotiate, take decisions and, more generally, perform the duties of a head of unit,

your general knowledge of the European Union, its institutions, and its policies,

your knowledge of your main language.

The selection board may also choose to assess your knowledge of other languages.

This test is marked out of 100 (pass mark: 60).

NOTE: the report produced by the assessment centre is not covered by the rules on secrecy governing the selection board's deliberations and will be given to you at the end of the oral test.

3.   Reserve lists

Following the competition, the selection board will place on the reserve lists the names of the candidates (see Section I, Number of successful candidates) with the highest aggregate marks (4) in the written and oral tests and a pass mark in each.

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

The reserve lists and their expiry dates will be published (5) in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO website (http://europa.eu/epso).

III.   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 7 January 2008, with a deadline of 12.00 (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 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 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 the qualifications required 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  (6) , 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 e-mail 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-..-07@ec.europa.eu).

Wherever possible, you will be asked to sit the admission 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 (7).

Documents to enclose

Your application must give details of your citizenship, studies and any professional experience. You must enclose with it 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,

employers' references clearly indicating the starting and finishing dates and the level and exact nature of the duties carried out, particularly the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources (level of position within the company, number of people under your responsibility, etc.); you will be given more detailed instructions, via you EPSO profile, on how to present your professional experience.

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

All documents not in English, French or German must be accompanied by a translation into one of those languages, which you may do yourself.

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  (7) (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending):

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/105/07 or EPSO/AD/106/07

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 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 (7 January 2008),

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 (7),

you do not send all the required supporting documents.

4.   Reserve list

The names of the successful candidates (see Section III.3) will be placed 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 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.

IV.   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 once 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 boards' 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.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 head of unit or senior linguist administrator; you will be recruited 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 at any time during their career. 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 and agency that originally recruited the official and the institution or agency receiving the transfer request.

7.   Retirement

You should note that the rules on the retirement age for 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

Head of unit will be recruited from the reserve list to grade AD9 and AD12.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2007:

 

grade AD9, first step: EUR 6 574,76

 

grade AD12, first step: EUR 9 522,89

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 (OJ L 8, 12.1.2001). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(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)  According to Council Rule No 1760/2006, the Commission will only recruit successful candidates with Bulgarian and Romanian citizenship.

(3)  For practical reasons this form is available in English, French or German only.

(4)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be taken into consideration by the selection board.

(5)  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 the candidate is notified of the results.

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

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


ANNEX

REQUESTS FOR REVIEW — APPEAL PROCEDURES — COMPLAINT TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

Since the Staff Regulations apply to both the admission test phase and the competition, please note that all the proceedings of the selection board are covered by the confidentiality requirement laid down in Annex III of the Staff Regulations. If at any stage in either part of the selection process you consider that your interests have been prejudiced by a particular decision, you can take the following action:

Request for review

Within 20 days of the letter informing you of the decision being posted online, send a letter stating your case to:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/105/07 or EPSO/AD/106/07

B-1049 Brussels

EPSO will forward your request to the chair of the selection board where it comes within the board's remit. You will be sent a reply as soon as possible.

Appeal

You can either bring a case before:

European Union Civil Service Tribunal

Boulevard Konrad Adenauer

L-2925 Luxembourg

under Article 236 of the EC Treaty and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities,

or you can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities, at the following address:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/105/07 or EPSO/AD/106/07

B-1049 Brussels

The time limits for initiating these two types of procedure (see Staff Regulations as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 723/2004 (OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1) — http://eur-lex.europa.eu) start to run from the time you are notified of the act allegedly prejudicing your interests.

You should note that the appointing authority does not have the power to amend the decisions of a selection board. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by selection boards is not subject to review by the Court unless rules which govern the proceedings of selection boards have clearly been infringed.

Complaint to the European Ombudsman

Like all citizens of the European Union, you can make a complaint to:

European Ombudsman

1 avenue du President Robert Schuman — BP 403

F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

under Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties (OJ L 113, 4.5.1994, p. 15).

You should note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging appeals with the Civil Service Tribunal under Article 236 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. Please note also that, under Article 2(4) of the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, any complaint lodged with the Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative actions in place at the bodies concerned.


22.11.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 279/35


NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2007/C 279 A/03)

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

HEADS OF UNIT  (1) OF CZECH (CZ), POLISH (PL) AND SLOVAK (SK) CITIZENSHIP

EPSO/AD/107/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/108/07 (AD12) CZ

in the following fields:

1.

Law

2.

Economics

3.

European public administration


EPSO/AD/109/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/110/07 (AD12) PL

in the following fields:

1.

Law

2.

Economics

3.

European public administration


EPSO/AD/111/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/112/07 (AD12) SK

in the following field:

European public administration

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 competitions EPSO/AD/107/07 to EPSO/AD/112/07 are being organised to recruit Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Czech, Polish and Slovak citizenship in the following fields: Law; Economics; European public administration.

The purpose of these competitions is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill vacant posts in the institutions of the European Union, in particular at the European Commission.

Number of successful candidates per competition and field:

EPSO/AD/107/07 (AD9) CZ

EPSO/AD/108/07 (AD12) CZ

1.

Law

3

1.

Law

2

2.

Economics

3

2.

Economics

2

3.

European public administration

3

3.

European public administration

2


EPSO/AD/109/07 (AD9) PL

EPSO/AD/110/07 (AD12) PL

1.

Law

9

1.

Law

8

2.

Economics

8

2.

Economics

8

3.

European public administration

9

3.

European public administration

8


EPSO/AD/111/07 (AD9) SK

EPSO/AD/112/07 (AD12) SK

European public administration

4

European public administration

3

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following parallel open competitions:

EPSO/AD/101/07 to EPSO/AD/104/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 et AD12) of Bulgarian and Romanian citizenship in the following fields:

Law

Economics

European public administration

External relations (diplomacy, trade and aid management)

Information, press and public relations

EPSO/AD/105/07 and EPSO/AD/106/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) in the field of translation having Bulgarian and Romanian as their main language

EPSO/AD/113/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9) in the field of translation having Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovene as their main language

EPSO/AD/114/07 — Heads of Unit (AD12) in the field of translation having Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Maltese as their main language

You may apply for only one competition and for only one field. You must make your choice when you register online and you cannot change your choice after the deadline for registration.

A.   DUTIES

In all these fields the main activity involves management duties as head of unit, as a general rule, under the authority of a director-general, director or head of service. The duties fall into three main categories:

 

Management and attaining objectives

Helping to formulate the strategies and procedures of the directorate/directorate-general/service.

Defining the unit's strategic objectives and approving its operational work programme.

Determining and monitoring organisation of the unit's work and ensuring the efficient distribution of tasks and responsibilities between members of the unit so as to achieve the anticipated results.

Analysing and optimising procedures and workflows within the unit so as to attain the objectives set.

Assessing the extent to which objectives have been attained using appropriate indicators and drafting management reports on the results achieved.

Checking that decisions and operations comply with the rules and official procedures.

 

Personnel and resource management

Ensuring efficient personnel management in the unit in line with the institution's human resources policy. This involves in particular drawing up job descriptions, evaluating staff performance and examining individual objectives and training programmes, and approving, authorising and giving opinions on personnel management matters such as leave or part-time working.

Creating and fostering the development of effective teams.

Developing genuine team spirit in the unit by creating and strengthening the sense of working together towards common goals.

Identifying possible sources of tension in the unit and taking personal initiatives to resolve conflicts.

Developing the efficiency and quality of teamwork by encouraging the individual skills of team members and acting as coach.

Determining funding requirements and managing the annual budget resources allocated to the unit.

Supervising and checking financial operations relating to the unit's work programme.

Verifying and validating the financial and budgetary aspects of the programmes/projects implemented under the unit's responsibility.

 

Managing relations — communication, coordination, consultation, representation and negotiation

Establishing and maintaining interactive dialogue in the unit so that staff are properly informed about the major policy and strategic aspects and receive appropriate feedback on their work.

Contributing to internal communication and the dissemination of knowledge within the directorate-general and other departments of the Community institutions.

Providing regular reports and advice on legal and/or policy developments and the outcome of discussions and negotiations.

Advising, coordinating and/or negotiating with other departments on matters relating to the unit's work.

Representing the unit or department on advisory, management or regulatory committees, relevant working parties or other ad hoc bodies.

Representing the department vis-à-vis representatives of the Member States and other countries, or in public and private international organisations, as regards matters relating to the unit's work.

Negotiating on behalf of the institutions with Member States, third countries, or public and private international organisations.

To exercise these responsibilities, candidates must be service-minded, have a sense of organisation and be open to new technologies.

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.

Besides the main management duties, you should take note of the following duties specific to each field of this competition:

Field 1: Law

Devising, drawing up and analysing Community legislative acts and Union legislation in the field of police and judicial cooperation.

Providing legal advice to the institutions and their bodies on specific questions and on Community policies.

Researching issues relating to national, Community and international law.

Participating in negotiations on international agreements.

Performing case studies and preparing draft decisions, for example in the field of competition law.

Monitoring the implementation and application of Community legislation via contacts with Member States' administrations and examining pre-litigation files on infringements of Community law.

Performing various duties in the field of litigation, drawing up statements of position and representing the institutions in litigation, mainly before the Court of Justice, the European Union Civil Service Tribunal or the Court of First Instance.

On the basis of general instructions, performing administrative, advisory and supervisory duties in one or more of the fields of activity of the European institutions (inter alia consumer affairs, transport, telecommunications, social affairs, internal affairs, external affairs) and in the fields of international and administrative law.

Giving advice and opinions, written and oral, to the organs and authorities of the institution.

Field 2: Economics

Ongoing evaluation of the Member States' economic, budgetary, monetary and financial policies.

Analysis of the Member States' economies and development of the Community's financial instruments.

Analysis of the economies of third countries.

Drawing up economic forecasts.

Devising and implementing Community technical assistance.

Analysis and evaluation of structural, sectoral and regional policies.

Financial analysis of Community projects.

Analysis of the regulatory and fiscal business environment.

Providing economic or statistical analyses and advice on Community policy in fields such as competition, trade, industry, research and development, employment and the labour market.

Statistical methodology.

Applied statistics in the fields of economic affairs, social affairs and demography, agronomy and the environment, accounting and finance, etc.

Analysis of the demand for and use made of the data available, and devising projects.

Defining objectives and coordinating the compilation and aggregation of statistical data, and management of operational systems.

Harmonising the compilation of statistics and perfecting procedures for the compilation, processing, validation and analysis of statistical data.

Statistical models and statistics in the field of the economy.

Field 3: European public administration

Running a unit responsible for administrative, advisory and supervisory duties in one or more areas of the institution's activities (inter alia consumer affairs, transport, telecommunications, social affairs, internal affairs, external affairs, etc.).

Coordinating preparation of the work of various working parties at all levels and follow-up.

Drawing up new approaches or actions by carrying out analyses and specialised studies.

Preparing and attending political dialogue meetings.

Ensuring contacts and coordination with the other directorates of the institution and/or the other European institutions, the Member States or international organisations.

B.   ELIGIBILITY

(a)   General conditions

You must:

be a citizen of one of the following Member States of the European Union: Czech Republic, Poland or Slovakia,

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 in Section V.7 concerning the retirement age.

(b)   Special conditions

1.   Qualifications

Field 1: Law

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in law when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in law and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

or

(iii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and have completed a postgraduate course in law attested by a diploma.

Field 2: Economics

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in micro/macro-economics/statistics and/or business studies when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in micro/macro-economics/statistics and/or business studies and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

or

(iii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and have completed a postgraduate course in micro/macro economics/statistics and/or business studies and attested by a diploma or have an MBA (Master of Business Administration).

Field 3: European public administration

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years.

NB: the minimum of one year's professional experience required under (ii) above counts as an integral part of the above qualification and cannot be included in the professional experience required under 2 below.

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.

To make it easier for the selection board to assess whether your qualifications are appropriate for the duties in question, you should note that may be required to provide formal proof of the subjects studied.

2.   Professional experience

AD9

You must have acquired at least 10 years' professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 3 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A, after obtaining the qualification by virtue of which you are eligible for the competition.

AD12

You must have acquired at least 10 years' professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 5 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A, after obtaining the qualification by virtue of which you are eligible for the competition.

Your professional experience will be assessed according to the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources.

3.   Knowledge of languages

(a)   main language (language 1)

You must have a thorough knowledge of

Czech for competitions EPSO/AD/107/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/108/07 (AD12)

Polish for competitions EPSO/AD/109/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/110/07 (AD12)

Slovak for competitions EPSO/AD/111/07 (AD9) and EPSO/AD/112/07 (AD12).

(b)   second language (language 2)

You must have a satisfactory knowledge of one of the following official languages: English, French or German (this must be different from the language chosen under (a) above).

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 specify the language you choose for the admission tests and the competition tests in your online registration (2). This choice may not be changed after the deadline for online registration (7 January 2008).

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

The language you choose as your second language will be the language used for communicating with you.

You may send any questions to EPSO by e-mail (EPSO-AD-..-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 (7 January 2008):

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 English, French or German (language 2).

(a)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your verbal reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

(b)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your numerical reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

The aggregate pass mark for tests (a) and (b) together is 50.

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

The candidates with the highest aggregate marks (3) in the admission tests (a) and (b) (see table below) will be invited to submit a full application for admission to the open competition.

EPSO/AD/107/07 (AD9) CZ

EPSO/AD/108/07 (AD12) CZ

1.

Law

9

1.

Law

6

2.

Economics

9

2.

Economics

6

3.

European public administration

9

3.

European public administration

6


EPSO/AD/109/07 (AD9) PL

EPSO/AD/110/07 (AD12) PL

1.

Law

22

1.

Law

20

2.

Economics

20

2.

Economics

20

3.

European public administration

22

3.

European public administration

20


EPSO/AD/111/07 (AD9) SK

EPSO/AD/112/07 (AD12) SK

European public administration

12

European public administration

9

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 (3) in the admission tests (a) and (b) (see table above) and meet the specific conditions set out at I.B(b).

TEST PROCEDURES

1.   Oral test — marking

(i)

Before your interview with the selection board, you will be asked to take tests in an assessment centre. The tests will be held in English, French or German only (language 2). For organisational reasons, the tests and the interview will be held in Brussels, normally on consecutive days. The report on the tests will be communicated to the selection board as a specialist aid and technical contribution to the decision-making process.

The tests will comprise in particular:

a written exercise in which you will be asked to deal with various documents,

an exercise to assess your management skills,

an interview with a human resources expert to asses your skills profile.

(ii)

The day following the tests in the assessment centre, you will be invited to an interview which will be held in English, French or German (language 2) with the selection board to enable it to complete its assessment of:

your specific knowledge in you chosen field,

your professional experience and ability to organise and coordinate the work of an administrative unit, your ability to adapt, negotiate and take decisions and, more generally, to perform the duties of a head of unit,

your general knowledge of the European Union, its institutions, and its policies.

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

This test is marked out of 100 (pass mark: 60).

NOTE: the report produced by the assessment centre is not covered by the rules on secrecy governing the selection board's deliberations and will be given to you at the end of the oral test.

2.   Reserve lists

Following the competition, the selection board will place on the reserve lists the names of the candidates with both the pass mark and one of the highest marks (3) (see Section I, Number of successful candidates) in the oral test.

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

The reserve lists and their expiry dates 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 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 7 January 2008, with a deadline of 12.00 (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 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 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 the qualifications required 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  (5) preferably by fax — a paper version of the form, 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 e-mail 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-..-07@ec.europa.eu).

Wherever possible, you will be asked to sit the admission 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 I.B, 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 (6).

Documents to enclose

Your application must give details of your citizenship, studies and any professional experience. You must enclose with it 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,

employers' references clearly indicating the starting and finishing dates and the level and exact nature of the duties carried out, particularly the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources (level of position within the company, number of people under your responsibility); you will be given more detailed instructions, via you EPSO profile, on how to present your professional experience.

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

All documents not in English, French or German must be accompanied by a translation into one of those languages, which you may do yourself.

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  (6) (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending):

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/../07 (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

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 to determine whether they meet the criteria laid down in Section I.B of this notice. The candidates who meet all the eligibility criteria for the competition will be invited to the oral test.

You will be disqualified if:

you do not complete your online registration by the deadline (7 January 2008),

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.2) 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 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 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 once 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 boards' 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.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 head of unit; you will be recruited 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 rules on the retirement age for 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

Head of unit will be recruited from the reserve list to grades AD9 and AD12.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2007:

grade AD9, first step: EUR 6 574,76

grade AD12, first step: EUR 9 522,89

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 (OJ L 8, 12.1.2001). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(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)  For practical reasons this form is available in English, French or German only.

(3)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be taken into consideration by the selection board.

(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 being notified of the results.

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

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


ANNEX

REQUESTS FOR REVIEW — APPEAL PROCEDURES — COMPLAINTS TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

Since the Staff Regulations apply to both the admission test phase and the competition, please note that all the proceedings of the selection board are covered by the confidentiality requirement laid down in Annex III of the Staff Regulations. If at any stage in either part of the selection process you consider that your interests have been prejudiced by a particular decision, you can take the following action:

Request for review

Within 20 days of the letter informing you of the decision being posted online, send a letter stating your case to:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/…/07 (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

B-1049 Brussels

EPSO will forward your request to the chair of the selection board where it comes within the board's remit. You will be sent a reply as soon as possible.

Appeal

You can either bring a case before:

European Union Civil Service Tribunal

Boulevard Konrad Adenauer

L-2925 Luxembourg

under Article 236 of the EC Treaty and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities,

or you can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities, at the following address:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/…/07 (indicate the number of the competition chosen)

B-1049 Brussels

The time limits for initiating these two types of procedure (see Staff Regulations as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 723/2004 (OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1) — http://eur-lex.europa.eu) start to run from the time you are notified of the act allegedly prejudicing your interests.

You should note that the appointing authority does not have the power to amend the decisions of a selection board. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by selection boards is not subject to review by the Court unless rules which govern the proceedings of selection boards have clearly been infringed.

Complaint to the European Ombudsman

Like all citizens of the European Union, you can make a complaint to:

European Ombudsman

1 avenue du President Robert Schuman — BP 403

F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

under Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties (OJ L 113, 4.5.1994, p. 15).

You should note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging appeals with the Civil Service Tribunal under Article 236 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. Please note also that, under Article 2(4) of the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, any complaint lodged with the Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative actions in place at the bodies concerned.


22.11.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 279/52


NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2007/C 279 A/04)

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

HEADS OF UNIT  (1)

IN THE FIELD OF TRANSLATION

EPSO/AD/113/07 (AD9)

having as their main language:

CZECH (CS)

ESTONIAN (EE)

HUNGARUAN (HU)

LITHUANIAN (LT)

LATVIAN (LV)

MALTESE (MT)

POLISH (PL)

SLOVAK (SK)

SLOVENE (SL)

EPSO/AD/114/07 (AD12)

having as their main language:

ESTONIAN (EE)

LITHUANIAN (LT)

LATVIAN (LV)

MALTESE (MT)

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

The following open competitions are being organised to recruit

EPSO/AD/113/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9) in the field of translation who have Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovene as their main language, and

EPSO/AD/114/07 — Heads of Unit (AD12) in the field of translation who have Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Maltese as their main language.

The purpose of these competitions is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill vacant posts in the institutions of the European Union. Successful candidates may be offered a post of senior linguistic administrator (AD9) in the field of translation, in particular at the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

NB: in these competitions:

The Council will only recruit Heads of Unit at level AD12,

The Court of Auditors will only recruit Senior Linguistic Administrators and Heads of Unit at level AD9.

The European Commission is not associated with these competitions and consequently will not recruit from the reserve lists.

Number of successful candidates per competition and language:

 

EPSO/AD/113/07 (AD9)

EPSO/AD/114/07 (AD12)

Czech (CS)

5

 

Estonian (EE)

7

2

Hungarian (HU)

7

 

Lithuanian (LT)

7

2

Latvian (LV)

4

2

Maltese (MT)

7

3

Polish (PL)

4

 

Slovak (SK)

6

 

Slovene (SL)

7

 

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following parallel open competitions:

EPSO/AD/101/07 to EPSO/AD/104/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Bulgarian and Romanian citizenship in the following fields:

Law

Economics

European public administration

External relations (diplomacy, trade and aid management)

Information, press and public relations

EPSO/AD/105/07 and EPSO/AD/106/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) in the field of translation with Bulgarian and Romanian as their main language

EPSO/AD/107/07 to EPSO/AD/112/07 — Heads of Unit (AD9 and AD12) of Czech, Polish and Slovak citizenship in the following fields:

Law

Economics

European public administration

You may apply for only one competition and only one field. You must make your choice when you register online and you cannot change your choice after the deadline for registration.

A.   DUTIES

In all these fields the main activity involves management duties as head of unit under the authority of a director-general, director or head of service/head of sector. The duties fall into three main categories:

 

Management and attaining objectives

Helping to formulate the strategies and procedures of the directorate/directorate-general/service.

Defining the unit's strategic objectives and approving its operational work programme.

Determining and monitoring organisation of the unit's work and ensuring the efficient distribution of tasks and responsibilities between members of the unit so as to achieve the anticipated results.

Analysing and optimising procedures and workflows within the unit so as to attain the objectives set.

Assessing the extent to which objectives have been attained using appropriate indicators and drafting management reports on the results achieved.

Checking that decisions and operations comply with the rules and official procedures.

 

Personnel and resource management

Ensuring efficient personnel management in the unit in line with the institution's human resources policy. This involves in particular drawing up job descriptions, evaluating staff performance and examining individual objectives and training programmes, and approving, authorising and giving opinions on personnel management matters such as leave or part-time working.

Creating and fostering the development of effective teams.

Developing genuine team spirit in the unit by creating and strengthening the sense of working together towards common goals.

Identifying possible sources of tension in the unit and taking personal initiatives to resolve conflicts.

Developing the efficiency and quality of teamwork by encouraging the individual skills of team members and acting as coach.

Determining funding requirements and managing the annual budget resources allocated to the unit.

Supervising and checking financial operations relating to the unit's work programme.

Verifying and validating the financial and budgetary aspects of the programmes/projects implemented under the unit's responsibility.

 

Managing relations — communication, coordination, consultation, representation and negotiation

Establishing and maintaining interactive dialogue in the unit so that staff are properly informed about the major policy and strategic aspects and receive appropriate feedback on their work.

Contributing to internal communication and the dissemination of knowledge within the directorate-general and other departments of the Community institutions.

Providing regular reports and advice on legal and/or policy developments and the outcome of discussions and negotiations.

Advising, coordinating and/or negotiating with other departments on matters relating to the unit's work.

Representing the unit or department on advisory, management or regulatory committees, relevant working parties or other ad hoc bodies.

Representing the department vis-à-vis representatives of the Member States and other countries, or in public and private international organisations, as regards matters relating to the unit's work.

Negotiating on behalf of the institutions with Member States, third countries, or public and private international organisations.

And more specifically for translators:

you should note that those recruited may be called on to revise, reread, and if necessary translate into their main language texts of various kinds relating to the activities of the institution. They will also be responsible for quality evaluation in the unit.

to exercise these responsibilities, candidates must be service-minded, have a sense of organisation and be open to new technologies, in particular those relating to translation.

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 in Section V.7 concerning the retirement age.

(b)   Special conditions

1.   Qualifications

You must:

(i)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies (or equivalent) attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

or

(ii)

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies (or equivalent) attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years.

NB: the minimum of one year's professional experience required under (ii) above counts as an integral part of the above qualification and cannot be included in the professional experience required under 2 below.

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

EPSO/AD/113/07 (AD9)

You must have acquired at least 10 years' professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 3 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A:

after obtaining the qualification required under (i),

or

after obtaining the qualification and professional experience required under (ii).

EPSO/AD/114/07 (AD12)

You must have acquired at least 10 years' professional experience relevant to the duties in question, with 5 years in a personnel management function as described in I.A:

after obtaining the qualification required under (i),

or

after obtaining the qualification and professional experience required under (ii).

Your professional experience will be assessed according to the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources.

3.   Knowledge of languages

You must satisfy the following three conditions:

(a)

 

AD9: have a perfect command of your main language: Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak or Slovene,

AD12: have a perfect command of your main language: Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian or Maltese;

(b)

have a thorough knowledge of English, French or German (first compulsory source language);

(c)

have a thorough knowledge of English, French, German (second compulsory source language); this must be different from the language chosen under (b) above.

A knowledge of an additional language (third source language) from among Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, and Swedish will be an advantage and successful candidates' knowledge of it may be assessed during the recruitment interview.

You must specify the language you choose for the admission tests and the competition tests in your online registration (2) . This choice may not be changed after the deadline for online registration (7 January 2008).

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

The language you choose as your second language will be the language used for communicating with you.

You may send any questions to EPSO by e-mail (EPSO-AD-..-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 (7 January 2008).

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 English, French or German (your first compulsory source language).

(a)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your verbal reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

(b)

A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your numerical reasoning skills.

This test will be marked out of 50.

The aggregate pass mark for tests (a) and (b) together is 50.

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

The candidates with the highest aggregate marks (3) in the admission tests (see table below) will be invited to submit a full application for admission to the open competition.

 

EPSO/AD/113/07 (AD9)

EPSO/AD/114/07 (AD12)

Czech (CS)

15

 

Estonian (EE)

21

6

Hungarian (HU)

21

 

Lithuanian (LT)

21

6

Latvian (LV)

12

6

Maltese (MT)

21

9

Polish (PL)

12

 

Slovak (SK)

18

 

Slovene (SL)

21

 

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 (3) in the admission tests (a) and (b) (see table above) and meet the specific conditions set out at I.B(b).

TEST PROCEDURES

1.   Written tests — marking

(a)

Translation into your main language, using a non-electronic dictionary, of a general text approximately 45 lines long relating to the activities of the European Union, in the language chosen for the admission tests (your first compulsory source language).

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

Time allowed: 2 hours

(b)

Translation into your main language, 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, which must be different from that chosen for admission tests (a) and (b) and test (a) above.

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

Time allowed: 2 hours

Test (b) will be marked only if you obtain the pass mark in test (a).

(c)

Revision without dictionary of a difficult general text translated into your main language from your first compulsory language.

This test will be marked out of 20 (pass mark: 10)

Time allowed: 1;30 hours

Test (c) will only be marked if you obtain a pass mark in tests (a) and (b).

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 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 highest aggregate marks (3) in these tests (see table below) and a pass mark in each will be admitted to the oral test.

 

EPSO/AD/113/07 (AD9)

EPSO/AD/114/07 (AD12)

Czech (CS)

8

 

Estonian (EE)

11

4

Hungarian (HU)

11

 

Lithuanian (LT)

11

4

Latvian (LV)

6

4

Maltese (MT)

11

5

Polish (PL)

6

 

Slovak (SK)

9

 

Slovene (SL)

11

 

(i)

Before your interview with the selection board, you will be asked to take tests in an assessment centre. The tests will be held in English, French or German only (your first compulsory language). For organisational reasons, the tests and the interview will be held in Brussels, normally on consecutive days. The report on the tests will be communicated to the selection board as a specialist aid and technical contribution to the decision-making process.

The tests will comprise in particular:

a written exercise in which you will be asked to deal with various documents,

an exercise to assess your management skills,

an interview with a human resources expert to asses your skills profile.

(ii)

The day following the tests in the assessment centre, you will be invited to an interview (in your first compulsory source language) with the selection board to enable it to complete its assessment of:

your professional experience, ability to organise and coordinate the work of an administrative unit, and your ability to adapt, negotiate, take decisions and, more generally, perform the duties of a head of unit,

your general knowledge of the European Union, its institutions, and its policies,

your knowledge of your main language.

The selection board may also choose to assess your knowledge of other languages.

This test is marked out of 100 (pass mark: 60).

NOTE: the report produced by the assessment centre is not covered by the rules on secrecy governing the selection board's deliberations and will be given to you at the end of the oral test.

3.   Reserve lists

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

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

The reserve lists and their expiry dates 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 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 7 January 2008, with a deadline of 12.00 (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 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 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 the qualifications required 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  (5) preferably by fax — a paper version of the form, 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 e-mail 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-..-07@ec.europa.eu).

Wherever possible, you will be asked to sit the admission 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 I.B, 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 (6).

Documents to enclose

Your application must give details of your citizenship, studies and any professional experience. You must enclose with it 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,

employers' references clearly indicating the starting and finishing dates and the level and exact nature of the duties carried out, particularly the level of responsibility you exercised in terms of management of both human and financial resources (level of position within the company, number of people under your responsibility); you will be given more detailed instructions, via you EPSO profile, on how to present your professional experience.

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

All documents not in English, French or German must be accompanied by a translation into one of those languages, which you may do yourself.

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  (6) (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending):

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/113/07 or EPSO/AD/114/07

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 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 (7 January 2008),

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 lists

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 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 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 once 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 boards' 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.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 head of unit or senior linguist administrator; you will be recruited 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 rules on the retirement age for 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

Heads of Unit in the field of translation will be recruited from the reserve list to grades AD9 and AD12.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2007:

 

grade AD9, first step: EUR 6 574,76

 

grade AD12, first step: EUR 9 522,89

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 (Official Journal L 8, 12.1.2001). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(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)  For practical reasons this form is available in English, French or German only.

(3)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be taken into consideration by the selection board.

(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 the candidate is notified of the results.

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

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


ANNEX

REQUESTS FOR REVIEW — APPEAL PROCEDURES — COMPLAINT TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

Since the Staff Regulations apply to both the admission test phase and the competition, please note that all the proceedings of the selection board are covered by the confidentiality requirement laid down in Annex III of the Staff Regulations. If at any stage in either part of the selection process you consider that your interests have been prejudiced by a particular decision, you can take the following action:

Request for review

Within 20 days of the letter informing you of the decision being posted online, send a letter stating your case to:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/113/07 or EPSO/AD/114/07

B-1049 Brussels

EPSO will forward your request to the chair of the selection board where it comes within the board's remit. You will be sent a reply as soon as possible.

Appeal

You can either bring a case before:

European Union Civil Service Tribunal

Boulevard Konrad Adenauer

L-2925 Luxembourg

under Article 236 of the EC Treaty and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities,

or you can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities, at the following address:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

C-80

Open competition EPSO/AD/113/07 or EPSO/AD/114/07

B-1049 Brussels

The time limits for initiating these two types of procedure (see Staff Regulations as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 723/2004 (OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1) — http://eur-lex.europa.eu) start to run from the time you are notified of the act allegedly prejudicing your interests.

You should note that the appointing authority does not have the power to amend the decisions of a selection board. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by selection boards is not subject to review by the Court unless rules which govern the proceedings of selection boards have clearly been infringed.

Complaint to the European Ombudsman

Like all citizens of the European Union, you can make a complaint to:

European Ombudsman

1 avenue du President Robert Schuman — BP 403

F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

under Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties (OJ L 113, 4.5.1994, p. 15).

You should note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging appeals with the Civil Service Tribunal under Article 236 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. Please note also that, under Article 2(4) of the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, any complaint lodged with the Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative actions in place at the bodies concerned.


Corrigenda

22.11.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 279/68


Corrigendum to notice of open competition EPSO/AD/98/07 to constitute a reserve of Senior Audit Officers (AD9) of Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Romanian, Slovenian and Slovakian citizenship

( Official Journal of the European Union C 171 A of 24 July 2007 )

(2007/C 279 A/05)

On page 12 Section IV. 3:

for:

‘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, in Brussels, Luxembourg or any other place of activity.’

read:

‘6.   Recruitment

If you are placed on the reserve list, you will be eligible for appointment as a senior audit officer; you will be recruited as a probationary official as and when required by the Court of Auditors in Luxembourg.’