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NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2006/C 172 A/02)

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising the following open competitions, based on tests, to constitute a reserve of:

ASSISTANTS (1)(AST1)

in the secretarial field

CONTENTS

In parallel with this competition EPSO is also organising the following open competitions:

You may apply for only one of these competitions and for only one field within that competition. You must choose when you register online, and you may not change your choice after the closing date for registration.

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

The language you choose as your second language (see A.II.2(b)) will be the language used for communicating with you.

A.   DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

These open competitions are being held to recruit Assistants (AST1) in the Secretarial field.

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

Number of successful candidates by competition:

I.   DUTIES

Duties will include:

The European institutions attach particular importance to the ability to grasp varied and often complex issues, to react swiftly to changing circumstances and to communicate effectively. Recruits are therefore expected to show initiative and imagination and must be highly motivated. They must also be able to work frequently under pressure, both independently and as part of a team, and to fit into a multicultural working environment. Finally, they must be prepared to upgrade their professional skills throughout their career.

II.   ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

The competitions are open to candidates who, on the closing date for online registration (2), satisfy the following requirements.

1.   Qualifications and professional experience

You must have

The selection boards will allow for differences between education systems. For examples of the minimum qualifications required, see the tables annexed to the Guide for Applicants (3) (on the EPSO website) for each category. Note that these are examples only — more stringent requirements may be set in the notice of competition.

2.   Knowledge of languages

All details relating to your language skills must be indicated on the online registration form (4)and on the application form.

3.   General conditions

You must:

B.   ADMISSION TESTS

EPSO is organising admission tests with a view to carrying out a preliminary selection allowing admission to the competition.

EPSO will organise the tests for all candidates:

1.   Admission tests — marking

You will sit tests (a) and (b) in your second language (English, French or German). You must specify which language you choose when you register for the competition (see A.II.2(b)) and ensure that this language is different to your main language.

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

The candidates (5) (see table below) who obtained the highest overall scores in the admission tests and a pass mark in each test will be asked to submit a full application with a view to being admitted to the competition.

Following examination of your application, provided you satisfy all the requirements for admission, you will be invited to sit the practical and oral tests.

2.   Admission tests — date and place (according to the testing method adopted by EPSO):

C.   PRACTICAL AND ORAL TESTS

1.   Practical tests – marking

Standard keyboards (6)such as those used in the European workplace will be provided.

2.   Oral test — marking

3.   Date and place of the practical and oral tests

As a rule these tests will be held in Brussels on the same day.

4.   Reserve lists

The selection board will draw up reserve lists by competition, by merit group (maximum four groups) and in alphabetical order within each group, of the candidates (see section A, number of successful candidates) who obtained the highest overall scores in all the practical and oral tests and a pass mark in each.

The reserve lists and their expiry dates will be published (7) in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO website (8).

D.   HOW TO APPLY

Please also refer to the Guide for Applicants (3), which can be found on the EPSO website (8). It contains detailed instructions to help you submit your application correctly.

1.   Creating an EPSO profile/online registration

Before registering, you should carefully check whether you fulfil all the eligibility criteria.

If you want to apply, you must register via the Internet by going to the EPSO website (8) 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 for registration 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 down — this is your reference number that will be used in all matters concerning your application. Receipt of this number means that the registration process is finished; it is 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 have to enter in your registration includes your choice of languages (see A.II.2), and details of the qualifications required for admission to the competition (qualification, name of issuing establishment and date obtained).

You do not need to submit any documents at this stage. You will be asked to send in a full application later (see D.4).

Once registered, you can use the EPSO website (8) (click on ‘Ongoing competitions’) to follow the progress of the competition.

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may request — preferably by fax — a paper version of the form (9), 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 registration 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.

The closing date for registration is 7 September 2006. Online registration will not be possible after 12 noon (Brussels time) on that day.

NB

2.   Admission tests

Candidates who are found to meet the general conditions (see A.II.3) after EPSO has carried out a preliminary eligibility check based on the information given on the registration forms and have confirmed their application in time will be invited to sit the admission tests. An invitation to take part in the tests does not mean that your eligibility has already been checked in detail.

3.   Invitations

Details of when and where you must attend the admission tests and other tests will be available only on the EPSO website (8). You can access your EPSO profile here by entering the user name and password you specified when registering online. You are responsible for updating, via your EPSO profile, 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, it is your responsibility to notify EPSO immediately by e-mail (10).

If possible, you will be asked to sit the admission tests in the city you choose when you confirm your application. For organisational reasons you will not be able to switch to another venue unless you can prove that you have changed residence and have informed EPSO of this at least three weeks before the date scheduled for the admission tests.

4.   Full application

Candidates who obtained the highest overall scores in the admission tests and a pass mark in each will be asked to print out and complete the full application form in their EPSO profile on the EPSO website (8). This form must be sent in by the closing date (11).

Documents to enclose with the application form

Your application must give full details of your citizenship and studies. You should also enclose the following documents:

You should send only uncertified photocopies of the above documents. Paper copies downloaded from websites and/or references to websites do not constitute such documents.

When completing your application form, you may not refer to any previous applications or 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 in time (11)(the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending) by registered post to the following address:

Scrutiny of applications

The selection board will examine the files of candidates who obtained the highest overall scores in the admission tests and a pass mark in each to determine whether they satisfy the requirements set out in section A.II.1 and 2 of this notice.

Candidates who satisfy all these requirements for admission (see A. II) will be invited to sit the practical and oral tests.

You will automatically be disqualified if:

A CURRICULUM VITAE IS NOT A SUPPORTING DOCUMENT.

5.   Reserve lists

The names of the successful candidates (see C.4) will be put on the reserve list.

E.   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, 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. It is made up of representatives of the administration and of the institutions' staff committee. The names of its members will be published on the EPSO website (8) approximately two weeks before the admission tests.

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.

EPSO is responsible for all communications with candidates until the competition is completed.

3.   Approximate timetable

Depending on the number of candidates and the number of practical and oral tests to be organised, the competition will take approximately nine months from start to finish, beginning on the date of confirmation of registration.

Full details are available on the EPSO website (8).

4.   Requests from candidates for access to information concerning them

Candidates involved in selection procedures have a special right of access to certain information concerning them directly and individually, subject to the conditions described below. EPSO may accordingly provide candidates who so request with supplementary information relating to their participation in the competition. Candidates should send any requests for information 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 in such a manner as to take account of the secret nature of the proceedings of selection boards provided for by the Staff Regulations (Annex III, Article 6) and to conform to 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 (see 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 a probationary official, as and when required by the European institutions, in Brussels, Luxembourg or any other place of activity.

If you are placed on the reserve list and offered a post, you will subsequently 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 the post, candidates on the reserve list may 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 may be 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 that received the transfer request.

7.   Retirement

You should note that the retirement age for officials is laid down in the Staff Regulations as follows:

8.   Grade

Assistants will be recruited from the reserve list to grade AST1.

9.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 January 2006:

grade AST1, first step: EUR 2 393,13

10.   Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, EPSO will ensure that candidates' 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. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data (Official Journal of the European CommunitiesL  8 of 12 January 2001).

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(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, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

(2)No later than 12 noon (Brussels time) on 7 September 2006.

(3)  http://europa.eu/epso/on-line-applications/guide_en.htm

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

(5)  Where several candidates with identical marks qualify for the last place, they will all be admitted to the next stage of the competition.

(6)  Details concerning the keyboards to be put at the candidate's disposal will be given at the time of invitation to the practical tests.

(7)  Successful candidates may explicitly ask for their names not to be published.

(8)  http://europa.eu/epso

(9)  Write to EPSO — Info-recruitment, Avenue de Cortenbergh, 80, 4/17, B-1049 Brussels. Fax: (32 2) 295 74 88.

(10)  E-mail address: epso-AST-..-06@ec.europa.eu (indicate the number of the competition chosen).

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

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ANNEX

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

If, at any stage of the competition, you consider that your interests have been prejudiced by a particular decision, you can take the following action:

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