91999E0459

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0459/99

by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) and Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(5 March 1999)

Subject: Access to European civil service A grade posts for Spanish university graduates in nursing studies

Spanish university graduates in nursing studies have a full university education, evidenced by a degree certificate, as stated in "Royal Decree 1665/91" transposing Directive 48/89/EEC(1) into Spanish law. Despite all this, the degree in question is not included in competitions for European civil service A category posts.

1. Why does the Commission exclude holders of these degrees from these competitions?

2. Does such exclusion not infringe Article 27 of the Staff Regulations and therefore constitute discrimination?

3. Staff regulations lay down that to qualify for category A the only requirement is to have completed a university education attested by a degree certificate. On what provision of the Staff Regulations or of Community law does the Commission have its requirement that the degree in question must make the holder eligible for PhD studies?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1999)

All the replies which the Commission has already given to Written Questions E-2749/97 by Ms García Arias(2), E-4186/97 by Ms Dührkop Dührkop(3), E-635/98 by Mr Hernández Mollar(4), E-995/98 by Ms Sornosa Martínez(5), E-997/98(6) and E-1001/98 by Ms De Esteban Martin(7), E-1309/98 by Ms González Álvarez(8) and E-3777/98 by Ms Sornosa Martínez(9) concerning "technical engineers" apply to the qualifications of "Diplomados en Enfermería". In fact, under Spanish law(10), the qualification referred to by the Honourable Member is - like the diplomas in "Ingeniería Técnica" - a diploma obtained on completion of a short university course. In order to obtain the qualification "Diplomado en Enfermería", it is therefore also necessary to have completed three years' study.

(1) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989, p. 16.

(2) OJ C 82, 17.3.1998, p. 136.

(3) OJ C 304, 2.10.1998, p. 15.

(4) OJ C 354, 19.11.1998, p. 11.

(5) OJ C 402, 22.12.1998, p. 55.

(6) OJ C 386, 11.12.1998, p. 69.

(7) OJ C 354, 19.11.1998, p. 50.

(8) OJ C 31, 5.2.1999, p. 32.

(9) OJ C 297, 15.10.1999.

(10) "Ley de Ordenación general del Sistema Educativo" (Ley Orgánica 1/1990, de 3 de octubre); "Ley de Reforma Universitaria", 1983.