ISSN 1977-091X

Official Journal

of the European Union

C 363A
European flag  

English edition

Information and Notices

Volume 65
22 September 2022

Contents

page

 

V   Announcements

 

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

 

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

2022/C 363 A/01

Notice of open competition – EPSO/AST/154/22 – Assistants (AST 3) in the following fields: 1. Financial management; 2. Accounting and treasury; 3. Public procurement; 4. Graphic design and visual content production; 5. Social and digital media; 6. Webmaster

1

EN

 

V Announcements

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

22.9.2022   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 363/1

NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION

EPSO/AST/154/22 – ASSISTANTS (AST 3) IN THE FOLLOWING FIELDS:

1. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

2. ACCOUNTING AND TREASURY

3. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

4. GRAPHIC DESIGN AND VISUAL CONTENT PRODUCTION

5. SOCIAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA

6. WEBMASTER

(2022/C 363 A/01)

Deadline for application: 25 October 2022 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time

CONTENTS

1.

 GENERAL PROVISIONS 3

2.

 WHAT DUTIES CAN I EXPECT TO PERFORM? 3

3.

 AM I ELIGIBLE? 3

3.1.

 General conditions 3

3.2.

 Specific conditions — languages 3

3.3.

 Specific conditions — qualifications and work experience 3

3.3.1.

 Field 1 — financial management 3

3.3.2.

 Field 2 — accounting and treasury 4

3.3.3.

 Field 3 — public procurement 4

3.3.4.

 Field 4 — graphic design and visual content production 5

3.3.5.

 Field 5 — social and digital media 5

3.3.6.

 Field 6 — webmaster 6

4.

 HOW WILL THE COMPETITION BE ORGANISED? 7

4.1.

 Overview of the competition procedures 7

4.2.

 Languages used in this competition 7

4.2.1.

 Language requirements 7

4.2.2.

 Application and test languages 8

4.2.3.

 Languages of communication 8

4.3.

 Competition phases 8

4.3.1.

 Application 8

4.3.2.

 Pre-selection: reasoning tests 9

4.3.3.

 Eligibility check 9

4.3.4.

 Assessment centre 10

4.3.5.

 Check of supporting documents and establishment of reserve lists 10

5.

 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION 11

ANNEX I

 – Typical duties 12

ANNEX II

 – Examples of minimum qualifications 16

ANNEX III

 – General rules governing open competitions 25

1.   GENERAL PROVISIONS

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising an open competition based on qualifications and tests to draw up reserve lists from which the institutions, offices, and agencies of the European Union (EU) may recruit new members of the civil service as assistants (function group AST, starting grade AST 3).

This notice of competition and its annexes form the legally binding framework for this competition.

Numbers of successful candidates sought:

Field 1

Financial management

220

Field 2

Accounting and treasury

81

Field 3

Public procurement

80

Field 4

Graphic design and visual content production

44

Field 5

Social and digital media

35

Field 6

Webmaster

32

This notice of competition covers six fields. A candidate may only apply for one of them. Candidates must make their choice when they apply and will not be able to change it after they have validated their application form.

2.   WHAT DUTIES CAN I EXPECT TO PERFORM?

Please see Annex I for information about the typical duties that the successful candidates can expect to perform.

3.   AM I ELIGIBLE?

Candidates must meet all the general and specific eligibility conditions listed below, on the closing date for applications.

3.1.   General conditions

A candidate must:

(a)

enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State of the EU;

(b)

have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service;

(c)

meet the character requirements for the duties concerned.

3.2.   Specific conditions — languages

A candidate must have knowledge of at least two of the 24 official EU languages, as provided for in Section 4.2 below.

3.3.   Specific conditions — qualifications and work experience

Please see Annex II for examples of minimum qualifications.

3.3.1.   Field 1 — financial management

To be eligible for field 1, a candidate must have either:

(a)

A level of post-secondary education of at least two years, attested by a diploma in economics, public administration, business administration, accountancy, finance/financial management, law, or a directly related field, followed by at least three years of relevant professional experience;

or

(b)

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least six years of relevant professional experience.

Professional experience referred to in points (a) and (b) of this sub-section will be considered relevant if it was acquired in two or more of the following areas:

(i)

Preparation, execution, and monitoring of annual budgets;

(ii)

Setting up financial dossiers, checking financial documentation and/or drawing up financial reports/statistics;

(iii)

Financial monitoring of procurement contracts and/or grant agreements and/or financial monitoring of administrative expenditure and/or financial entitlements for elected/appointed members of public institutions;

(iv)

Preparation (initiation) of budgetary and financial transactions;

(v)

Independent verification of budgetary and financial transactions before (ex ante) and after (ex post) execution;

(vi)

Development and implementation of accounting and IT financial systems including reporting tools and database management;

(vii)

Implementation of the agreed action plans/recommendations further to audits or financial recommendations.

3.3.2.   Field 2 — accounting and treasury

To be eligible for field 2, a candidate must have either:

(a)

A level of post-secondary education of at least two years, attested by a diploma in accountancy or finance/financial management, followed by at least three years of relevant professional experience;

or

(b)

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least six years of relevant professional experience.

Professional experience referred to in points (a) and (b) of this sub-section will be considered relevant if it was acquired in two or more of the following areas:

(i)

Introducing, verifying and/or validating invoices and credit notes;

(ii)

Executing and monitoring payments and offsetting with credit notes;

(iii)

Executing recovery of amounts receivable and making related accounting entries;

(iv)

Management of assets, depreciation, and inventories;

(v)

VAT recoveries;

(vi)

Financial and accounting reconciliations;

(vii)

Treasury management;

(viii)

Preparing the financial statements, contributing to the annual closing and producing various financial and inventory management reports;

(ix)

Statutory audit.

3.3.3.   Field 3 — public procurement

To be eligible for field 3, a candidate must have either:

(a)

A level of post-secondary education of at least two years, attested by a diploma in economics, public administration, business administration, accountancy, finance/financial management, law, or a directly related field, followed by at least three years of relevant professional experience;

or

(b)

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least six years of relevant professional experience.

Professional experience referred to in points (a) and (b) of this sub-section will be considered relevant if it was acquired in two or more of the following areas:

(i)

Planning and programming of public procurement (and/or grant) procedures;

(ii)

Preparing or updating public procurement (and/or grant) document templates;

(iii)

Initiating and/or reviewing public procurement (and/or grant) documents;

(iv)

Organising and running public procurement (and/or grant) procedures;

(v)

Legal and financial monitoring of contracts and/or grant agreements;

(vi)

Designing, developing, and maintaining e-Procurement systems.

3.3.4.   Field 4 — graphic design and visual content production

To be eligible for field 4, a candidate must have either:

(a)

A level of post-secondary education of at least two years, attested by a diploma in graphic design, visual communication, communication design, communication, or a directly related field, followed by at least three years of relevant professional experience;

or

(b)

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least six years of relevant professional experience.

Professional experience referred to in points (a) and (b) of this sub-section will be considered relevant if it was acquired in one or more of the following areas:

(i)

Working with Adobe Creative Cloud applications, in particular with Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and/or After Effects;

(ii)

Creating concepts and designs of communication products (publications, illustrations, icons, posters, roll-ups, backdrops, etc.) and assets for print, digital, and online use;

(iii)

Branding, branding communication, and creating and managing visual identities;

(iv)

Creating still and animated visuals for social media, infographics, and prototypes;

(v)

Production of visuals, infographics and layouts across a wide spectrum of channels and languages;

(vi)

ensuring the usability and accessibility of visual and digital assets and content in compliance with recognised standards (in particular for the web);

(vii)

using graphic design, data analysis, and data visualisation tools to present data in ways that are accessible, appealing and interactive (graphs, maps, infographics and other visualisation formats) for print, digital, and online use.

3.3.5.   Field 5 — social and digital media

To be eligible for field 5, a candidate must have either:

(a)

A level of post-secondary education of at least two years, attested by a diploma in communication, marketing, journalism, image or video production, European studies, international relations, digital marketing, or a directly related field, followed by at least three years of relevant professional experience;

or

(b)

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least six years of relevant professional experience.

Professional experience referred to in points (a) and (b) of this sub-section will be considered relevant if it was acquired in one or more of the following areas:

(i)

Managing social media channels and platforms for public or private entities;

(ii)

Producing and publishing social media contents (posts, articles, interviews);

(iii)

Community management;

(iv)

Editing visual contents for social media platforms;

(v)

Designing, implementing, executing, and measuring social media campaigns;

(vi)

Data analysis, setting indicators, evaluating and reporting on the success of digital communication actions;

(vii)

Setting up, managing and optimising paid advertisement campaigns on social media;

(viii)

Latest trends in social media (influencer marketing, livestreaming, user-generated content, promotion of digital events).

3.3.6.   Field 6 — webmaster

To be eligible for field 6, a candidate must have either:

(a)

A level of post-secondary education of at least two years, attested by a diploma in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), communication, marketing, journalism, image or video production, European studies, international relations, digital marketing or a directly related field, followed by at least three years of relevant professional experience;

or

(b)

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least six years of relevant professional experience.

Professional experience referred to in points (a) and (b) of this sub-section will be considered relevant if it was acquired in one or more of the following areas:

(i)

Creating, managing, updating, and monitoring websites and subsites by collecting, editing and adapting contents and multimedia elements in line with the visual identity of the website and corporate templates;

(ii)

Producing web analytics reports and ensuring that web traffic is tracked;

(iii)

Improving the quality and quantity of website traffic from search engines (search engine optimisation);

(iv)

Translating business needs into technical requirements for developers and producing specification documents;

(v)

Managing a content-management system (such as Drupal, SharePoint, WordPress, Umbraco, Jahia, or Jalios JCMS);

(vi)

Planning release cycles for new features, platform changes and bug-fixing, and ensuring timely delivery;

(vii)

Ensuring the usability and accessibility of sites and/or web applications (compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and compliance with recognised standards (such as HTML or CSS).

4.   HOW WILL THE COMPETITION BE ORGANISED?

4.1.   Overview of the competition procedures

This competition will be organised in the following phases:

—

Application (see Section 4.3.1 below).

—

Pre-selection: reasoning tests (see Section 4.3.2 below).

—

Eligibility check (see Section 4.3.3 below).

—

Assessment centre (see Section 4.3.4 below):

(i)

tests to assess general competencies: a case study and a situational competency-based interview;

(ii)

a field-related interview.

—

Check of supporting documents and establishment of reserve lists (see Section 4.3.5 below).

The delivery mode (remote/in-person) of the tests as well as other necessary details and instructions will be specified in the invitation letters to the tests.

If the tests are held in-person, EPSO will ensure that the conditions under which candidates sit the tests are in line with the recommendations established by the relevant Public Health Authorities (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, other international, European, and national authorities).

For the reasoning tests and for the case study, candidates must book an appointment following the instructions received from EPSO. Typically, EPSO will offer several dates for the reasoning tests and one date for the case study, on which candidates can take these tests. The booking and testing periods are limited.

4.2.   Languages used in this competition

4.2.1.   Language requirements

A candidate in this competition must have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the 24 official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum B2 level) of a different official EU language. One of these languages must be English.

The minimum levels indicated above apply to each linguistic ability (speaking, writing, reading, and listening) requested in the application form. These abilities reflect those of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The language requirements for fields 1–3 take into account the specificity of the duties of assistants working in the environment of the EU institutions in the fields of financial management, accounting and treasury, and public procurement.

While knowledge of additional languages may be an advantage, in their work in these fields, the successful candidates will mainly use English. Recruited assistants must be able to support the existing staff within the institutions who already work predominantly in English, processing or monitoring implementation of contracts, planning and/or managing public procurement projects, etc.

English is predominantly used for internal communication as well as for communication with external stakeholders and for drafting reports. Learning and development activities in fields 1–3 are often available in English only.

Many IT tools used by the staff of EU institutions working in these fields are available in English only. Most importantly, the user interface of Enterprise Resource Planning Software used by the institutions (e.g. ‘ABAC workflow’) is available mostly in English.

The language requirements for fields 4–6 are determined both by the factors internal to the institutions and by the context in which they operate. On the worldwide internet, English has unofficially acquired the status of the universal language. Relevant terminology, including audiovisual and web glossary, as well as well-known search tools are available only in English. Using the same terminology is obligatory for the new recruits in order to work efficiently with their colleagues. Using the same language — English — is also indispensable for co-creating web content and publications.

In the field of audiovisual production, the manuals of hardware and software used in the institutions are often available only in English. Almost all programming languages and web publication meta data systems are written using English.

Training courses by external providers are delivered in English as is on-the-job training. Finally, English is also the dominant internal communication language in the departments concerned.

For the reasons listed above, new recruits need to have a satisfactory command of English in order to be immediately operational. This therefore determines the choice of the language of tests (see Section 4.2.2 below).

4.2.2.   Application and test languages

In different phases of the competition, languages will be used as follows:

Competition phase

Tests

Language

Application

—

Any of the 24 official EU languages

Pre-selection

Reasoning tests

Official EU language other than English

Assessment centre

Case study

English

Situational competency-based interview

English

Field-related interview

English

4.2.3.   Languages of communication

In communication between the candidates and EPSO, the following will apply:

(a)

In communication — via the EPSO account or by email — between EPSO and a candidate who submitted a valid application, EPSO will address the candidate concerned in one of the languages that the candidate has declared to have knowledge of at level B2 or higher in the ‘Ability to read’ section in the application form.

(b)

In cases of requests and complaints referred to in points 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 of the General rules governing open competitions (in Annex III to this notice), candidates are encouraged to submit their requests or complaints in English or French. EPSO will reply as stated under point (a).

(c)

For all other questions from candidates to EPSO via the online contact form, a candidate can address EPSO in any of the 24 official EU languages and EPSO will reply to the candidate concerned in one of the languages in which he/she indicated to be willing to receive a reply.

4.3.   Competition phases

4.3.1.   Application

To apply, a candidate needs to have an EPSO account. Candidates who do not yet have an EPSO account, will need to create one. Only one account may be created for all of a candidate’s EPSO applications.

The candidates must apply online on the EPSO website https://epso.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-for-application by

25 October 2022 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.

By validating their application form, candidates declare on their honour that they meet all the conditions mentioned under the section ‘Am I eligible?’. Once the candidates have validated their application form, they will no longer be able to make any changes. It is their responsibility to ensure that they complete and validate their application within the deadline.

Candidates will have to upload — to their EPSO account — scanned copies of the documents supporting the declarations made in their application form. Further details and instructions will be provided by EPSO.

4.3.2.   Pre-selection: reasoning tests

All candidates who validated their application form by the deadline will be invited to sit pre-selection tests in a multiple-choice-question format, in an official EU language other than English.

(a)    Reasoning tests for fields 1 and 2

Candidates for fields 1 and 2 will take reasoning tests organised as follows:

Tests

No of questions

Duration

Scoring

Pass score

Numerical reasoning

15

30 minutes

0 to 15

8/15

Verbal reasoning

15

27 minutes

0 to 15

Verbal and abstract reasoning combined: 12/25

Abstract reasoning

10

10 minutes

0 to 10

Candidates who obtain both of the required pass scores and one of the highest scores in the numerical reasoning test will have their application checked for eligibility as specified in Section 4.3.3.

The scores obtained in these tests will not count towards the final overall score (see Section 4.3.5).

(b)    Reasoning tests for fields 3–6

Candidates for fields 3–6 will take reasoning tests organised as follows:

Tests

No of questions

Duration

Scoring

Pass score

Verbal reasoning

20

35 minutes

0 to 20

10/20

Numerical reasoning

10

20 minutes

0 to 10

Numerical and abstract reasoning combined: 10/20

Abstract reasoning

10

10 minutes

0 to 10

Candidates who obtain both of the required pass scores and one of the highest scores in the verbal reasoning test will have their application checked for eligibility as specified in Section 4.3.3.

The scores obtained in these tests will not count towards the final overall score (see Section 4.3.5).

4.3.3.   Eligibility check

The eligibility check involves verifying compliance with the eligibility conditions set out in Section 3 (‘Am I eligible?’) of this notice. This will be done on the basis of candidates’ declarations made in their application form, subject to subsequent verification of supporting documents. The documents supporting candidates’ declarations regarding their eligibility will be verified by the Selection Board at a later phase of the competition (see Section 4.3.5).

Only the files of the candidates who obtained the required pass scores and one of the highest scores in the relevant pre-selection reasoning test — as indicated in the preceding section — will undergo the eligibility check. The eligibility checks will be performed in the descending order of candidates’ scores obtained in either the numerical reasoning test (see Section 4.3.2(a)) or in the verbal reasoning test (see Section 4.3.2(b)). The files will be checked until the number of candidates deemed eligible reaches a maximum of three times the number of successful candidates sought for each field. Candidates who tie for the last available place will also have their files checked. The files of other candidates will not be checked.

The candidates deemed eligible as a result of this check will be invited to the next phase of the competition.

4.3.4.   Assessment centre

A maximum of three times the number of successful candidates sought for each field (plus the candidates who tied for the last available place) will be invited to the assessment-centre phase.

The aim of the assessment centre is to assess the general and the field-related competencies of the candidates.

Candidates who obtain all the required pass scores as well as one of the highest overall scores in the assessment centre tests will have their supporting documents checked as specified in Section 4.3.5.

(a)    Tests to assess general competencies

The general competencies will be assessed through two tests, taken in English, as indicated in the following table:

Competency

Test

Scoring

Combined pass score

1.

Analysis and problem-solving

Case study

0 to 10

35/70

2.

Communication

Case study

0 to 10

3.

Delivering quality and results

Case study

0 to 10

4.

Learning and development

Situational competency-based interview

0 to 10

5.

Prioritising and organising

Case study

0 to 10

6.

Resilience

Situational competency-based interview

0 to 10

7.

Working with others

Situational competency-based interview

0 to 10

There is no pass score per competency. However, candidates must reach a pass score of at least 35/70 in total for all competencies combined. The score obtained will count towards the final overall score (see Section 4.3.5).

(b)    Field-related interview

The field-related competencies will be assessed through a field-related interview, carried out in English, and scored as follows:

Test

Scoring

Pass score

Field-related interview

0 to 100

50/100

The score obtained will count towards the final overall score (see Section 4.3.5).

4.3.5.   Check of supporting documents and establishment of reserve lists

The Selection Board will check the candidates’ supporting documents following the assessment-centre phase and before establishing the reserve lists. It will take a final position on the eligibility of candidates by way of comparing (i) the declarations that candidates made in their application form (including in sections ‘Education and training’ and ‘Professional Experience’); with (ii) the documents the candidates have uploaded to their EPSO account to support those declarations.

To draw up the reserve lists, the Selection Board will check the files of the candidates with the highest scores, in the descending order of scores, until the number of successful candidates sought for each field is reached. The files of other candidates will not be checked.

The reserve lists per field will therefore only include the names of those eligible candidates who have obtained the required pass scores in all the tests as well as the highest overall scores, out of 170, in the tests to assess general and field-related competencies. Here, ‘170’ represents the sum of the highest possible scores in the tests to assess general competencies (70) and in the field-related interview (100).

Names will be listed alphabetically. The reserve lists will be made available to the recruiting services.

All candidates who have taken the tests in the assessment centre will receive a competency passport containing qualitative feedback from the Selection Board. The competency passports of successful candidates will also be made available to the recruiting services.

Inclusion on a reserve list does not confer any right to or guarantee of recruitment.

5.   EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

EPSO endeavours to apply an equal opportunities policy to all candidates.

Candidates who have a disability or a medical condition that may affect their ability to take the tests, should indicate this in their application form and follow the procedure to request reasonable accommodation as described in the General rules annexed to this notice (see Annex III, under Section 1.3). Having examined the candidates’ request as well as the relevant supporting documents, EPSO may grant reasonable accommodation where deemed necessary.

More information about EPSO’s equal opportunities policy and how to request reasonable accommodation can be found on the EPSO website.

ANNEX I

TYPICAL DUTIES

Field 1 — financial management

(a)    Duties common to all institutions

1.

Assisting in preparing, executing, and monitoring the annual budget;

2.

Setting up financial dossiers and checking financial documentation in accordance with the applicable procedures and rules;

3.

Assisting with the financial monitoring of contracts, grant agreements, and service-level agreements;

4.

Initiation or ex ante verification of budgetary and financial transactions;

5.

Assisting in ex post verification to ensure sound financial management;

6.

Assisting in the development and implementation of accounting and IT financial systems including reporting tools and database management;

7.

Assisting in the implementation of the action plans/recommendations resulting from internal audits, audits carried out by the European Court of Auditors or by other audit instances; assisting in the implementation of financial recommendation by OLAF or in the implementation of discharge resolutions of the budgetary authority;

8.

Assisting and advising the operational units in the management of budgetary and financial operations;

9.

Assisting in developing or carrying out training courses on financial matters;

10.

Assisting in drawing up financial reports/statistics.

(b)    Duties specific to the European Parliament

1.

Assisting in checking and processing financial requests submitted by the Members of European Parliament (MEPs) or former MEPs, in accordance with the applicable rules;

2.

Assisting and advising MEPs on specific questions concerning their financial allowances.

Field 2 — accounting and treasury

Under the supervision of the accounting officer of each institution, the accounting and treasury assistants are in charge of the following:

1.

Assisting in verifying legal entities’ master data and their bank accounts and recording them in the accounting system;

2.

Assisting in introducing, verifying, and validating invoices and credit notes;

3.

Executing and monitoring the authorised payments after prior conformity checks and offsetting with credit notes;

4.

Assisting the recovery of amounts receivable and making related accounting entries;

5.

Assisting in management of assets, depreciation and inventories;

6.

Assisting with VAT recoveries;

7.

Carrying out regular financial and accounting reconciliations (general ledger accounts including budgetary and non-budgetary, bank accounts, vendor/customer accounts, intercompany transactions, etc.);

8.

Carrying out regular controls of financial and accounting data ensuring timely corrections if necessary;

9.

Contributing to treasury management: execution of authorised payments, daily cash transfers, weekly and monthly cash reporting and forecasting, parametrisation of SAP and SWIFT payment messages, follow-up of returned payments and compliance requests, follow-up of bank charges and interests;

10.

Preparing the financial statements, contributing to the annual closing and producing various financial and inventory management reports;

11.

Providing training, guidance, support to the operational services in relation to accounting rules and procedures;

12.

Contributing to the management of imprest accounts.

Field 3 — public procurement

1.

Contributing to the programming of public procurement procedures by defining the needs, choosing the appropriate procedure, preparing related documents, establishing timetables for these procedures and ensuring their implementation;

2.

Assisting in the preparation or update of procurement documents templates, including model contracts;

3.

Assisting in organising and running public procurement procedures (initiating the procurement documents, following the procedures, preparing, participating in and following up on the opening and evaluation committees, drafting tender evaluation reports, preparing the award of contracts, drafting contracts and administrative documents, etc.);

4.

Assisting in drafting answers to questions, drafting requests for information or clarification regarding tenderers’ participation, drafting letters announcing contract award/non-award and replies to requests from rejected tenderers for additional information;

5.

Assisting in the legal and financial monitoring of contracts;

6.

Providing training, guidance, support to the operational services in relation to public procurement rules and best practices and/or contract management.

7.

Assisting in designing, developing, and maintaining e-Procurement systems;

8.

In some institutions, public procurement assistants are also involved in organising grant procedures (call for proposals, evaluation committees, award decisions, etc.).

Field 4 — graphic design and visual content production

1.

Ensuring the graphic design (from concept to completion) of high-quality communication products, graphics, infographics and other visuals, across a wide spectrum of print and digital channels, media and languages, in both static and motion formats;

2.

Transforming complex data into clear and concise graphs, maps, and other visualisation formats;

3.

Applying existing institutional visual identity and communication guidelines and verifying its correct application by others;

4.

Defining the technical and graphic data of publications, reviewing and correcting the layout of brochures, posters, etc., and ensuring the management and follow-up of the production process;

5.

Monitoring of relevant technological developments and trends in communication design;

6.

Assisting with the implementation of the EU institutions’ communication strategies and special projects related to major political and corporate occasions;

7.

Providing consultation to clients (typically services within the institutions) and identifying their communication needs;

8.

Using applications such as those in Adobe Creative Cloud, in particular Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and After Effects;

9.

Finding, extracting, processing, validating data for visualisation on a varying range of subjects;

10.

Collaborating with IT experts to enable dynamic updates from data sources;

11.

Contributing to internal knowledge-sharing and further professionalisation of graphic design and visual content production assistants.

Field 5 — social and digital media

1.

Setting up, monitoring, and measuring organic and paid campaigns on social media;

2.

Preparing a social media plan including an overview of assets, platform, calendar, etc.;

3.

Tracking performance and assisting in social media audits;

4.

Monitoring and reporting on the performance of communication campaigns on social media by producing ad hoc and regular reports;

5.

Working closely with editors, social media teams, videographers, and graphic designers;

6.

Brainstorming subject matter and choosing topics for videos, writing scripts and titles, and writing a brief for the audiovisual team;

7.

Producing social audio and social video content to be used online;

8.

Communicating with other production and project stakeholders to build engaging audio/visual material that meets user needs and production goals;

9.

Community management, building relationships to ensure that communities on social media platforms are being nurtured and responded to;

10.

Contributing to managing of internal networks and organising their meetings;

11.

Preparing the content generation, postings, photos, videos, graphics, storytelling, and campaigns;

12.

Participating in the content planning with a view to target groups and social media strategy;

13.

Providing guidance and coaching to members and staff on the use of online tools and social media;

14.

Using tools such as Emplifi, Talkwalker, etc.

Field 6 — webmaster

1.

Creating, managing, updating and monitoring the institution’s websites, intranets and sub-sites by collecting, editing and adapting content and multimedia elements (image, video, audio, and text);

2.

Updating and ensuring the consistency of the structure, navigation methods, and content of websites, in order to provide a meaningful and relevant experience to users;

3.

Drawing up web content and putting it in the correct form, taking into consideration accessibility standards and multilingualism;

4.

Ensuring that content, structure and navigation are compatible with current and future browsers, devices, software and assistive technologies;

5.

Improving the quality and quantity of website traffic from search engines (search engine optimisation);

6.

Producing accurate web analytics reports and ensuring that web traffic is tracked;

7.

Implementing, managing, and troubleshooting the tracking solutions across digital communication platforms such as websites;

8.

Managing technical services such as email subscription platforms and content management systems;

9.

Translating business needs into technical requirements for developers and producing specification documents;

10.

Contributing to the planning of release cycles for new features, platform changes and bug-fixing and ensuring timely delivery;

11.

Ensuring the monitoring of technological developments in the field concerned;

12.

Liaising with the relevant services for the provision of content and providing coaching and support to intranet/web contributors.

End of ANNEX I, click here to return to main text

ANNEX II

EXAMPLES OF MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER MEMBER STATE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM AND PER GRADE CORRESPONDING, IN PRINCIPLE, TO THOSE REQUIRED BY THE NOTICES OF COMPETITION

Please click here for an easy-to-read version of these examples

COUNTRY

AST-SC 1 to AST-SC 6

AST 1 to AST 7

AST 3 to AST 11

AD 5 to AD 16

Secondary education (giving access to post-secondary education)

Post-secondary education (non-university higher education course or short university course lasting at least 2 years)

University-level education (lasting at least 3 years)

University-level education (4 years or more)

Belgique — België — Belgien

Certificat de l’enseignement secondaire supérieur (CESS)/Diploma secundair onderwijs

Diplôme d’aptitude à accéder à l’enseignement supérieur (DAES)/Getuigschrift van hoger secundair onderwijs

Diplôme d’enseignement professionnel/Getuigschrift van het beroepssecundair onderwijs

Candidature/Kandidaat

Graduat/Gegradueerde

Bachelor/Professioneel gerichte Bachelor

Bachelor académique (180 crédits)

Academisch gerichte Bachelor (180 ECTS)

Licence/Licentiaat

Master

Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA)

Diplôme d’études spécialisées (DES)

Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS)

Gediplomeerde in de Voortgezette Studies (GVS)

Gediplomeerde in de Gespecialiseerde Studies (GGS)

Gediplomeerde in de Aanvullende Studies (GAS)

Agrégation/Aggregaat

Ingénieur industriel/Industrieel ingenieur

Doctorat/Doctoraal diploma

България

Диплома за завършено средно образование

Специалист по …

 

Диплома за висше образование

Бакалавър

Магистър

Česko

Vysvědčení o maturitní zkoušce

Vysvědčení o absolutoriu (Absolutorium) + diplomovaný specialista (DiS.)

Diplom o ukončení bakalářského studia (Bakalář)

Diplom o ukončení vysokoškolského studia

Magistr

Doktor

Danmark

Bevis for:

Studentereksamen

Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF)

Højere Handelseksamen (HHX)

Højere Afgangseksamen (HA)

Bac pro: Bevis for Højere Teknisk Eksamen (HTX)

Videregående uddannelser

= Bevis for = Eksamensbevis som (erhvervsakademiuddannelse AK)

Bachelorgrad (BA eller BS)

Professionsbachelorgrad

Diplomingeniør

Kandidatgrad/Candidatus

Master/Magistergrad (mag.art)

Licenciatgrad

ph.d.-grad

Deutschland

Abitur/Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife

Fachabitur/Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife

 

Fachhochschulabschluss

Bachelor

Hochschulabschluss/Fachhochschulabschluss/Master

Magister Artium/Magistra Artium

Staatsexamen/Diplom

Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen

Doktorgrad

Eesti

Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus + riigieksamitunnistus

Lõputunnistus kutsekeskhariduse omandamise kohta

Tunnistus keskhariduse baasil kutsekeskhariduse omandamise kohta

Bakalaureusekraad (min 120 ainepunkti)

Bakalaureusekraad (< 160 ainepunkti)

Rakenduskõrghariduse diplom

Bakalaureusekraad (160 ainepunkti)

Magistrikraad

Arstikraad

Hambaarstikraad

Loomaarstikraad

Filosoofiadoktor

Doktorikraad (120–160 ainepunkti)

Éire/Ireland

Ardteistiméireacht, Grád D3, I 5 ábhar/Leaving Certificate Grade D3 in 5 subjects

Gairmchlár na hArdteistiméireachta (GCAT)/Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)

Teastas Náisiúnta/National Certificate

Gnáthchéim bhaitsiléara/Ordinary bachelor degree

Dioplóma náisiúnta (ND, Dip.)/National diploma (ND, Dip.)

Ardteastas (120 ECTS)/Higher Certificate (120 ECTS)

Céim onóracha bhaitsiléara (3 bliana/180 ECTS) (BA, B.Sc, B.Eng)/Honours bachelor degree (3 years/180 ECTS) (BA, B.Sc, B.Eng)

Céim onóracha bhaitsiléara (4 bliana/240 ECTS)/Honours bachelor degree (4 years/240 ECTS)

Céim ollscoile/University degree

Céim mháistir (60-120 ECTS)/Master’s degree (60-120 ECTS)

Dochtúireacht/Doctorate

Ελλάδα

Απολυτήριο Γενικού Λυκείου Απολυτήριο Κλασικού Λυκείου

Απολυτήριο Τεχνικού Επαγγελματικού Λυκείου

Απολυτήριο Ενιαίου Πολυκλαδικού Λυκείου

Απολυτήριο Ενιαίου Λυκείου

Απολυτήριο Τεχνολογικού Επαγγελματικού Εκπαιδευτηρίου

Δίπλωμα επαγγελματικής κατάρτισης (ΙΕΚ)

 

Πτυχίο ΑΕΙ (πανεπιστημίου, πολυτεχνείου, ΤΕΙ)

Μεταπτυχιακό Δίπλωμα Ειδίκευσης (2ος κύκλος)

Διδακτορικό Δίπλωμα (3ος κύκλος)

España

Bachillerato + Curso de Orientación Universitaria (COU)

Bachillerato

BUP

Diploma de Técnico especialista

FP grado superior (Técnico superior)

Diplomado/Ingeniero técnico

Licenciatura

Máster

Ingeniero

Título de Doctor

France

Baccalauréat

Diplôme d’accès aux études universitaires (DAEU)

Brevet de technicien

Diplôme d’études universitaires générales (DEUG)

Brevet de technicien supérieur (BTS)

Diplôme universitaire de technologie (DUT)

Diplôme d’études universitaires scientifiques et techniques (DEUST)

Licence

Maîtrise

Maîtrise des sciences et techniques (MST), maîtrise des sciences de gestion (MSG), diplôme d’études supérieures techniques (DEST), diplôme de recherche technologique (DRT), diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS), diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA), master 1, master 2 professionnel, master 2 recherche

Diplôme des grandes écoles

Diplôme d’ingénieur

Doctorat

Hrvatska

Svjedodžba o državnoj maturi

Svjedodžba o završnom ispitu

Stručni pristupnik/pristupnica

Baccalaureus/Baccalaurea (sveučilišni prvostupnik/prvostupnica)

Baccalaureus/Baccalaurea (sveučilišni prvostupnik/prvostupnica)

Stručni specijalist

Magistar struke

Magistar inženjer/magistrica inženjerka (mag. ing)

Doktor struke

Doktor umjetnosti

Italia

Diploma di maturità (vecchio ordinamento)

Perito ragioniere

Diploma di superamento dell’esame di Stato conclusivo dei corsi di studio di istruzione secondaria superiore

Diploma universitario (DU)

Certificato di specializzazione tecnica superiore

Attestato di competenza (4 semestri)

Diploma di laurea — L (breve)

Diploma di laurea (DL)

Laurea specialistica (LS)

Master di I livello

Dottorato di ricerca (DR)

Κύπρος

Απολυτήριο

Δίπλωμα = Programmes offered by Public/Private Schools of Higher Education (for the latter accreditation is compulsory)

Higher Diploma

 

Πανεπιστημιακό Πτυχίο/Bachelor

Master

Doctorat

Latvija

Atestāts par vispārējo vidējo izglītību

Diploms par profesionālo vidējo izglītību

Diploms par pirmā līmeņa profesionālo augstāko izglītību

Bakalaura diploms (min. 120 kredītpunktu)

Bakalaura diploms (160 kredītpunktu)

Profesionālā bakalaura diploms

Maģistra diploms

Profesionālā maģistra diploms

Doktora grāds

Lietuva

Brandos atestatas

Aukštojo mokslo diplomas

Aukštesniojo mokslo diplomas

Profesinio bakalauro diplomas

Aukštojo mokslo diplomas

Aukštojo mokslo diplomas

Bakalauro diplomas

Magistro diplomas

Daktaro diplomas

Meno licenciato diplomas

Luxembourg

Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires et techniques

BTS

Brevet de maîtrise

Brevet de technicien supérieur

Diplôme de premier cycle universitaire (DPCU)

Diplôme universitaire de technologie (DUT)

Bachelor

Diplôme d’ingénieur technicien

Master

Diplôme d’ingénieur industriel

DESS en droit européen

Magyarország

Gimnáziumi érettségi bizonyítvány

Szakközépiskolai érettségi-képesítő bizonyítvány

Felsőfokú szakképesítést igazoló bizonyítvány (Higher Vocational Programme)

Főiskolai oklevél

Alapfokozat (Bachelor degree 180 credits)

Egyetemi oklevél

Alapfokozat (Bachelor degree 240 credits)

Mesterfokozat (Master degree) (Osztatlan mesterképzés)

Doktori fokozat

Malta

Advanced Matriculation or GCE Advanced level in 3 subjects (2 of them grade C or higher)

Matriculation certificate (2 subjects at Advanced level and 4 at Intermediate level including Systems of Knowledge with overall grade A-C) + Passes in the Secondary Education Certificate examination at Grade 5

2 À Levels (passes A-C) + a number of subjects at Ordinary level, or equivalent

MCAST diplomas/certificates

Higher National Diploma

Bachelor’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Master of Arts

Doctorate

Nederland

Diploma VWO

Diploma staatsexamen (2 diploma’s)

Diploma staatsexamen voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs (Diploma staatsexamen VWO)

Diploma staatsexamen hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs (Diploma staatsexamen HAVO)

Kandidaatsexamen

Associate degree (AD)

Bachelor (WO)

HBO bachelor degree

Baccalaureus of «Ingenieur»

HBO/WO Master’s degree

Doctoraal examen/Doctoraat

Österreich

Matura/Reifeprüfung

Reife- und Diplomprüfung

Berufsreifeprüfung

Kollegdiplom/Akademiediplom

Fachhochschuldiplom/Bakkalaureus/Bakkalaurea

Universitätsdiplom

Fachhochschuldiplom

Magister/Magistra

Master

Diplomprüfung, Diplom-Ingenieur

Magisterprüfungszeugnis Rigorosenzeugnis

Doktortitel

Polska

Świadectwo dojrzałości

Świadectwo ukończenia liceum ogólnokształcącego

Dyplom ukończenia kolegium nauczycielskiego

Świadectwo ukończenia szkoły policealnej

Licencjat/Inżynier

Magister/Magister inżynier

Dyplom doktora

Portugal

Diploma de Ensino Secundário

Certificado de Habilitações do Ensino Secundário

 

Bacharel Licenciado

Licenciado

Mestre

Doutorado

România

Diplomă de bacalaureat

Diplomă de absolvire (colegiu universitar)

Învățământ preuniversitar

Diplomă de licenţă

Diplomă de licenţă

Diplomă de inginer

Diplomă de urbanist

Diplomă de master

Certificat de atestare (studii academice postuniversitare)

Diplomă de doctor

Slovenija

Maturitetno spričevalo (spričevalo o poklicni maturi) (spričevalo o zaključnem izpitu)

Diploma višje strokovne šole

Diploma o pridobljeni visoki strokovni izobrazbi

Univerzitetna diploma

Magisterij

Specializacija

Doktorat

Slovensko

Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške

Absolventský diplom

Diplom o ukončení bakalárskeho štúdia (Bakalár)

Diplom o ukončení vysokoškolského štúdia

Bakalár (Bc.)

Magister

Magister/Inžinier

ArtD.

Suomi/Finland

Ylioppilastutkinto tai peruskoulu + kolmen vuoden ammatillinen koulutus – Studentexamen eller grundskola + treårig yrkesinriktad utbildning

Todistus yhdistelmäopinnoista (Betyg över kombinationsstudier)

Ammatillinen opistoasteen tutkinto – Yrkesexamen på institutnivå

Kandidaatin tutkinto – Kandidatexamen/Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto – Yrkeshögskoleexamen (min. 120 opintoviikkoa – studieveckor)

Maisterin tutkinto – Magisterexamen/Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto – Yrkeshögskoleexamen (min. 160 opintoviikkoa – studieveckor)

Tohtorin tutkinto (Doktorsexamen) joko 4 vuotta tai 2 vuotta lisensiaatin tutkinnon jälkeen – antingen 4 år eller 2 år efter licentiatexamen

Lisensiaatti/Licentiat

Sverige

Slutbetyg från gymnasieskolan (3-årig gymnasial utbildning)

Högskoleexamen (80 poäng)

Högskoleexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng

Yrkeshögskoleexamen/Kvalificerad yrkeshögskoleexamen, 1–3 år

Kandidatexamen (akademisk examen omfattande minst 120 poäng, varav 60 poäng fördjupade studier i ett ämne + uppsats motsvarande 10 poäng)

Meriter på grundnivå: Kandidatexamen, 3 år, 180 högskolepoäng (Bachelor)

Magisterexamen (akademisk examen omfattande minst 160 poäng, varav 80 poäng fördjupade studier i ett ämne + uppsats motsvarande 20 poäng eller två uppsatser motsvarande 10 poäng vardera)

—

Licentiatexamen

—

Doktorsexamen

Meriter på avancerad nivå:

—

Magisterexamen, 1 år, 60 högskolepoäng

—

Masterexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng

Meriter på forskarnivå:

—

Licentiatexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng

—

Doktorsexamen, 4 år, 240 högskolepoäng

United Kingdom

General Certificate of Education Advanced level — 2 passes or equivalent (grades A to E)

BTEC National Diploma

General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ), advanced level

Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education, À level (VCE À level)

Higher National Diploma/Certificate (BTEC)/SCOTVEC

Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ)

Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) level 4

(Honours) Bachelor degree

NB: Master’s degree in Scotland

Honours Bachelor degree

Master’s degree (MA, MB, MEng, MPhil, MSc)

Doctorate

NOTE:

UK diplomas awarded in 2020 (until 31 December 2020) are accepted without an equivalence. UK diplomas awarded as from 1 January 2021 must be accompanied by an equivalence issued by a competent authority of an EU Member State.

End of ANNEX II, click here to return to main text

ANNEX III

GENERAL RULES GOVERNING OPEN COMPETITIONS

GENERAL INFORMATION

Any reference, in the framework of selection procedures organised by EPSO, to a person of a specific gender must be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of any other gender.

Where candidates tie for the last available place at any stage of the competition, they will all go through to the next stage of the competition. Any re-admitted candidates following a successful appeal will also be invited to the next stage.

Where candidates tie for the last available place on the reserve list, they will all be included on the reserve list. Any re-admitted candidates following a successful appeal at this stage of the procedure will also be added to the reserve list.

1.   WHO CAN APPLY?

1.1.   General and specific conditions

The general and specific conditions (including knowledge of languages) for each field or profile are indicated in the section ‘Am I eligible?’.

Specific conditions regarding qualifications, professional experience and knowledge of languages vary depending on the profile requested. In your application, you should include as much information as possible regarding your qualifications and professional experience (where required) as described in the section ‘Am I eligible?’ of this notice that is relevant to the duties .

(a)

Diplomas and/or certificates: Diplomas, whether issued in EU or non-EU countries, must be recognised by an official EU Member State body, e.g. an EU Member State’s education ministry. The Selection Board will allow for differences between education systems.

For post-secondary education and technical, professional or specialist training, indicate the subjects covered, the duration and whether it was full-time, part-time or an evening class.

(b)

Professional experience (if required) will be taken into account only if it is relevant to the required duties and:

—

constitutes genuine and effective work;

—

is remunerated;

—

involves a subordinate relationship or the supply of a service; and

—

subject to the following conditions:

—

voluntary work: if remunerated and involving similar weekly hours and duration to a regular job;

—

traineeships: if remunerated;

—

compulsory military service: completed before or after the required diploma for a period not exceeding the statutory duration in your Member State;

—

maternity/paternity/adoption leave: if covered by an employment contract;

—

doctorate: for a maximum of three years, provided the doctorate was actually obtained, and whether or not the work was remunerated; and

—

part-time work: calculated pro rata on the basis of the number of hours worked, e.g. half-time for six months would count as three months.

1.2.   Supporting documents

At different steps of the selection procedure, you will need to provide an official document proving your citizenship (e.g. passport or identity card) which must be valid on the closing date of your application (closing date of the first part of your application in the case of a 2-part application scenario).

All periods of professional activity must be covered by originals or certified photocopies of:

—

documents from former and current employer(s) stating the nature and level of duties performed, and start and end dates, with the official header and stamp of the company, and the name and signature of the person in charge; or

—

employment contract(s) and first and last pay slips, with a detailed description of the duties performed;

—

(for non-salaried work, e.g. self-employed, liberal professions) invoices or order forms detailing the work performed or any other relevant official supporting documents;

—

(for conference interpreters where professional experience is required) documents attesting the number of days, and languages interpreted from and into, relating specifically to conference interpreting.

In general, no supporting documents are required to prove your knowledge of languages, except for some linguist or specialist profiles.

You may be asked for additional information or documents at any stage of the procedure. EPSO will inform you of what supporting documents you need to provide and when.

1.3.   Equal opportunities and reasonable accommodations

If you have a disability or a medical condition that may hinder your ability to sit the tests, please indicate this in your application form and let us know the type of reasonable accommodation you need. If a disability or condition develops after you have validated your application, you must inform EPSO as soon as possible using the information indicated below.

Please note that you will have to send a certificate from your national authority or a medical certificate to EPSO in order for your request to be taken into consideration. Your supporting documents will be examined, so that reasonable accommodation can be made where required.

Should you encounter any accessibility issues, or should you require more information, please contact the EPSO-accessibility team by:

—

email (EPSO-accessibility@ec.europa.eu); or

—

post:

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

EPSO ACCESSIBILITY

L107 02/DCS

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

2.   BY WHOM WILL I BE ASSESSED?

A Selection Board is appointed to compare candidates and select the best ones on the basis of their competencies, aptitudes and qualifications in the light of the requirements set out in this notice of competition. Its members also decide on the difficulty of the competition tests and approve their content on the basis of proposals made by EPSO.

To ensure the Selection Board’s independence, it is strictly forbidden for candidates or anyone outside the board to attempt to contact any of its members, except in the context of tests which require direct interaction between the candidates and the board.

Candidates who wish to state their case or assert their rights must do so in writing, addressing their correspondence intended for a Selection Board to EPSO, which will pass it on to the board. Any direct or indirect intervention by candidates that does not comply with these procedures is forbidden and may result in disqualification from the competition.

The existence of a family relationship or a hierarchical link between a candidate and a Selection Board member, in particular, gives rise to a conflict of interest. Selection Boards are asked to declare any such situations to EPSO immediately when they become aware of them. EPSO will evaluate each case individually and take the appropriate measures. The non-respect of the above mentioned rules could make Selection Board members liable to disciplinary action and result in disqualification from the competition for candidates (see Section 4.4).

The names of the Selection Board members are published on the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en) before the beginning of the assessment centre/phase.

3.   COMMUNICATION

3.1.   Communication with EPSO

You should consult your EPSO account at least twice a week to keep track of your progress during the competition. If you are prevented from doing so because of a technical problem on EPSO’s side, you must notify EPSO immediately and exclusively via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category).

EPSO reserves the right not to supply information that is already clearly stated in this notice of competition, its annexes or on the EPSO website, including under ‘frequently asked questions’.

In all correspondence relating to an application, please mention your name as given in your EPSO account, your application number and the reference number of the selection procedure.

EPSO reserves the right to cease any improper (i.e. repetitive, abusive and/or irrelevant) correspondence.

3.2.   Access to information

Candidates have specific rights of access to certain information concerning them individually, granted in the light of the obligation to state reasons, in order to allow for an appeal against rejection decisions.

This obligation to state reasons must be balanced with the confidentiality of the Selection Board proceedings, which ensures the boards’ independence and the objectivity of the selection. Due to confidentiality, attitudes adopted by members of Selection Boards regarding the individual or comparative assessments of candidates cannot be disclosed.

These access rights are specific to candidates in an open competition and legislation on public access to documents may not confer on them rights broader than those specified in this section.

3.2.1.   Automatic disclosure

You will automatically receive the following information via your EPSO account after each stage of the selection process organised for a given competition:

—

MCQ tests: your results and a grid with your answers and the correct answers by reference number/letter. Access to the text of the questions and answers is explicitly excluded;

—

eligibility: whether you were admitted; if not, the eligibility conditions that were not met;

—

Talent Screener: your results and a grid with the question weightings, the points awarded for your answers and your total score;

—

preliminary tests: your results;

—

intermediate tests: your results if you are not amongst the candidates invited to the next phase;

—

assessment centre/phase: if you are not disqualified, your competency passport showing your overall marks for each competency and the Selection Board’s comment providing quantitative and qualitative feedback on your performance at the assessment centre/phase.

As a rule, EPSO does not communicate to candidates any source texts or test assignments, as these are intended for re-use in future competitions. For certain tests, however, it may exceptionally publish the source texts or assignments on its website if:

—

the tests have been completed;

—

the results have been established and communicated to candidates; and

—

the source texts/assignments are not intended for reuse in future competitions.

3.2.2.   Information on request

You may request an uncorrected copy of your answers in written tests where the content is not intended for reuse in future competitions. This explicitly excludes answers to e-tray exercises and case studies.

Your corrected answer papers and the details of the marking, in particular, are covered by the secrecy of Selection Board proceedings and will not be disclosed.

EPSO endeavours to make as much information available to candidates as possible, in accordance with the obligation to state reasons, the confidential nature of Selection Board proceedings and the rules on the protection of personal data. All requests for information will be evaluated in light of these obligations.

Any requests for information should be submitted via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category) within 10 calendar days of the day your results were published in your EPSO account.

4.   COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES

4.1.   Technical and organisational issues

If, at any stage of the selection procedure, you encounter a serious technical or organisational problem, in order to allow us to investigate the issue and take corrective measures, please inform EPSO, exclusively via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category).

In all correspondence, please mention your name (as given in your EPSO account), your application number and the reference number of the selection procedure.

If the problem occurs at a test centre or during remote testing, please:

—

alert the invigilators immediately so that a solution can be investigated. In any case, ask them to record your complaint in writing; and

—

contact EPSO no later than 3 calendar days after your tests via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category) with a brief description of the problem.

For problems occurring outside test centres (e.g. issues with test booking, or technical issues during remote testing before you are connected to an invigilator), please follow the instructions in your EPSO account and on EPSO’s website and contact EPSO immediately via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category).

For issues with your application, you must contact EPSO immediately and in any case before the deadline for applications via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category). Queries sent less than 5 working days before the deadline for applications might not be answered before the deadline.

4.2.   Internal review procedures

4.2.1.   Error in the computer-based multiple-choice questions (MCQs)

The MCQ database is subject to permanent in-depth quality control by EPSO and Selection Boards.

If you believe that an error in one or more of the MCQs affected your ability to answer, you are entitled to ask for the question(s) to be reviewed by the Selection Board (under the ‘neutralisation’ procedure).

Under this procedure, the Selection Board may decide to cancel the question containing the error and to redistribute the points among the remaining questions of the test. Only those candidates who received that question will be affected by the recalculation. The marking of the tests remains as indicated in the relevant sections of this notice of competition.

Arrangements for complaints about the MCQ tests are as follows:

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procedure: please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category);

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deadline: within 3 calendar days of the date of your computer-based tests;

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additional information: describe what the question was about (content) in order to identify the question(s) concerned, and explain the nature of the alleged error as clearly as possible.

Complaints received after the deadline or that do not clearly describe the contested question(s) and alleged error will not be taken into account.

In particular, complaints merely pointing out alleged issues of translation, and which do not clearly specify the problem, will not be taken into account.

The same review procedure applies with regard to errors in the e-tray exercise.

4.2.2.   Requests for review

You can request a review of any decision taken by the Selection Board or EPSO that establishes your results and/or determines whether you can proceed to the next stage of the competition or are excluded.

Requests for review may be based on:

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a material irregularity in the competition process; and/or

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non-compliance, by the Selection Board or EPSO, with the Staff Regulations, the notice of competition, its annexes and/or case law.

Please note that you are not allowed to challenge the validity of the Selection Board’s assessment of the quality of your performance in a test or the relevance of your qualifications and professional experience. This assessment is a value judgment made by the board and your disagreement with the board’s evaluation of your tests, experience and/or qualifications does not prove that it has made an error. Requests for review submitted on this basis will not lead to a positive outcome.

Arrangements for requests for review are as follows:

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procedure: please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category);

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deadline: within 10 calendar days of the date on which the contested decision was published in your EPSO account;

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additional information: indicate clearly the decision you wish to contest and on what grounds.

Requests received after the deadline will not be taken into account.

You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt within 15 working days. The body which took the contested decision (either the Selection Board or EPSO) will analyse and decide on your request and you will receive a reasoned reply as soon as possible.

If the outcome is positive, you will be re-entered in the selection process at the stage at which you were excluded, regardless of how far the competition has progressed in the meantime.

4.3.   Other forms of contestation

4.3.1.   Administrative complaints

As a candidate in an open competition, you have the right to address an administrative complaint to the Director of EPSO acting as the appointing authority.

You may submit a complaint against a decision, or lack thereof, that directly and immediately affects your legal status as a candidate, only if the rules governing the selection procedure have clearly been infringed. The Director of EPSO cannot overturn a value judgment made by a Selection Board (see Section 4.2.2).

Arrangements for administrative complaints are as follows:

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procedure: please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-faqs-by-category);

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deadline: within three months of notification of the contested decision or of the date by which a decision should have been made;

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additional information: indicate clearly the decision you wish to contest and on what grounds.

Complaints received after the deadline will not be taken into account.

4.3.2.   Judicial appeals

As a candidate in an open competition, you have the right to submit a judicial appeal to the General Court, under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations.

Note that appeals against decisions taken by EPSO rather than by the Selection Board will not be admissible before the General Court unless an administrative complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations has first been made (see Section 4.3.1). In particular, this is the case with the decisions concerning the general eligibility criteria, which are taken by EPSO not the Selection Board.

Arrangements for judicial appeals are as follows:

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procedure: please consult the website of the General Court (https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/).

4.3.3.   European Ombudsman

All EU citizens and residents can make a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

Before you submit a complaint to the Ombudsman, you must first make the appropriate administrative approaches to the institutions and bodies concerned (see Sections 4.1–4.3).

Making a complaint to the Ombudsman does not extend the deadlines for lodging administrative complaints or judicial appeals.

Arrangements for complaints to the Ombudsman are as follows:

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procedure: please consult the website of the European Ombudsman (https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/).

4.4.   Disqualification from the selection procedure

You may be disqualified at any stage in a selection procedure if EPSO finds that you:

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have created more than one EPSO account;

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have applied to incompatible fields or profiles;

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do not meet all the eligibility conditions;

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made false declarations or declarations unsupported by the appropriate documents;

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did not reply to any of the Talent Screener questions;

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have not complied with the terms and conditions for the tests organised remotely;

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have failed to book or sit one or more of your tests;

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have cheated during the tests;

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did not declare in your application form the languages required in this notice of competition, or did not declare the minimum level(s) required for those languages;

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attempted to contact a member of the Selection Board in an unauthorised manner;

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failed to inform EPSO of a possible conflict of interest with a Selection Board member;

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submitted your application in a language other than that/those specified in this notice of competition (allowances may be made regarding the use of another language for proper nouns, official titles and job titles as indicated in the supporting documents or labels/titles of diplomas); and/or

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signed or wrote a distinctive mark on anonymously marked written or practical tests.

Furthermore, if you did not participate in the connectivity trial but subsequently took part in remote tests and experience connectivity issues, EPSO reserves the right not to reschedule your test.

Candidates for recruitment by the EU institutions must show the highest possible integrity. Fraud or attempted fraud may render you liable to penalty and compromise your eligibility for future competitions.

5.   SECURITY CLEARANCE

Staff handling sensitive and classified information requiring a high degree of confidentiality (‘EU classified’ information) must have the appropriate level of security authorisation.

Consequently, successful candidates in a competition may be asked, for certain posts, to hold or be in a position to obtain in due time, a valid personnel security clearance certificate.

This might imply that, as a pre-requisite for recruitment to certain posts, the successful candidates might be required to undergo the security clearance procedure which is carried out by the national competent authority in the Member State of their nationality.

Candidates are advised to inform themselves about the procedure before applying to this competition.

Such requirements will be clearly indicated in the vacancy notice for the post concerned.

6.   DATA PROTECTION

Your personal data is processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

See also the specific privacy statement on personal data protection within the framework of an open competition (2).

End of ANNEX III, click here to return to main text

(1)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).

(2)  https://epso.europa.eu/en/protection-your-personal-data