# CA2004317EN.01003301.xml

| 22.12.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CA 317/33 |
| ---------- | -- | -------------------------------------- | --------- |

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NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION EPSO/AST/3/04

(2004/C 317 A/03)

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

ASSISTANTS
( 1 )
(B*3)
( 2 )

of Cypriot, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovakian and Slovenian citizenship, in the field of information technology

CONTENTS

| A. | DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE OF APPLICANTS) |
| -- | ---------------------------------------------- |

| B. | SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF THE COMPETITION |
| -- | ------------------------------------ |

| C. | HOW TO APPLY |
| -- | ------------ |

| D. | GENERAL INFORMATION |
| -- | ------------------- |

| ANNEX: | Requests for review — appeal procedures — complaints to the European Ombudsman |
| ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

A.   DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

Open competition EPSO/AST/3/04 is being held to recruit assistants (B*3) of Cypriot, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovakian and Slovenian citizenship, in the field of information technology.

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

Number of successful applicants by citizenship:

| CYPRIOT | 10 |
| ---------- | -- |
| CZECH | 30 |
| ESTONIAN | 10 |
| HUNGARIAN | 30 |
| LATVIAN | 10 |
| LITHUANIAN | 15 |
| MALTESE | 5 |
| POLISH | 80 |
| SLOVAKIAN | 30 |
| SLOVENIAN | 10 |

The European Personnel Selection Office is simultaneously publishing the following open competitions:

| — | EPSO/AD/4/04, administrators (A*7) of Cypriot, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovakian and Slovenian citizenship, in the field of European public administration. |
| - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | EPSO/AST/2/04, assistants (B*3) of Cypriot, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovakian and Slovenian citizenship, in the fields of European public administration/human resources and financial management. |
| - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | EPSO/AST/3/04, assistants (B*3) of Cypriot, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovakian and Slovenian citizenship, in the field of information technology. |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

Please note that the tests for the above competitions may be held simultaneously. You may therefore apply for one of these competitions only. You must choose which one when you register on-line, and cannot change it after the closing date for registration.

To ensure that all general texts relating to the competition and all communication between applicants and EPSO are clearly understood on both sides, the competition notices are being published solely in English, French and German. These three languages will also be used for the invitations to the various tests, the preselection tests and correspondence between EPSO and applicants.

The language you choose for the preselection tests will be the language used for communicating with you.

I.   DUTIES

The positions for which the competition is being held involve work in one or more of the following areas:

| — | applications development, |
| - | ------------------------- |

| — | user environment administration, |
| - | -------------------------------- |

| — | web development and administration, |
| - | ----------------------------------- |

| — | management and supervision of networks and of telecommunications. |
| - | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |

Apart from the technical aspects related to the various areas, the duties may include:

| — | organising and/or following-up projects in any of these areas (with or without outsourcing part of the work), |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | organising and/or following-up operational services in any of these areas (with or without outsourcing part of the work). |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

All duties involve frequent contact with departments throughout the European Institutions and with external contractors and entail various tasks related to reporting and presenting work results/plans to technical and non-technical audiences. All duties involve working in teams in an international environment.

(a)   General knowledge required:

| — | operating systems: system administration and configuration (the operating system currently used by the European institutions are Windows NT/XP/2000( 3 ) and Unix), |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | database systems (the European Institutions' main database management system is Oracle), |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | office automation tools (basic tools used are MS Office and Exchange/Outlook), |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

| — | networks and telecommunications, with an emphasis on internet technologies, |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | network and computer security (virus protection, user authentication, access rights, protection against network intrusion), |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | applications development (data modelling, object-oriented development methodology, web-based applications interfaces, programming etc.), |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | project and service management. |
| - | ------------------------------- |

(b)   Detailed knowledge required:

The detailed knowledge should cover one of the following areas:

| 1. | Development of financial information systems, for example:
—
business process analysis, —
object-oriented development methodology (including associated tools), applications architectures (one-tier, multi-tier), —
database installation, performance and design, database implementation using multi-user relational database management systems (such as Oracle, Informix, SQL server), —
a programming language with its associated development environment, selected from the following: JAVA, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Powerbuilder, Asp. NET, C++, ColdFusion, Oracle application design/development tools, —
creation, organisation and administration of websites and HTML, XML and UML pages, —
development and maintenance of technical and user documentation, —
quality assurance: applications testing, —
applications deployment (client and server set-up). | — | business process analysis, | — | object-oriented development methodology (including associated tools), applications architectures (one-tier, multi-tier), | — | database installation, performance and design, database implementation using multi-user relational database management systems (such as Oracle, Informix, SQL server), | — | a programming language with its associated development environment, selected from the following: JAVA, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Powerbuilder, Asp. NET, C++, ColdFusion, Oracle application design/development tools, | — | creation, organisation and administration of websites and HTML, XML and UML pages, | — | development and maintenance of technical and user documentation, | — | quality assurance: applications testing, | — | applications deployment (client and server set-up). |
| -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | -------------------------- | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------- |
| — | business process analysis, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | object-oriented development methodology (including associated tools), applications architectures (one-tier, multi-tier), | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | database installation, performance and design, database implementation using multi-user relational database management systems (such as Oracle, Informix, SQL server), | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | a programming language with its associated development environment, selected from the following: JAVA, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Powerbuilder, Asp. NET, C++, ColdFusion, Oracle application design/development tools, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | creation, organisation and administration of websites and HTML, XML and UML pages, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | development and maintenance of technical and user documentation, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | quality assurance: applications testing, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | applications deployment (client and server set-up). | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| 2. | Web development and administration, for example:
—
All current web developments and cutting-edge web technologies, —
creation, organisation and administration of websites and HTML, XML and UML pages, —
two web programming languages with their associated development environments, including at least one of the following: JAVA, Asp. NET, PHP and ColdFusion, —
web applications development and deployment techniques, —
administration of web servers (such as: Planet Web Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server, ColdFusion Server, BEA weblogic applications, Apache Server Enterprise, etc.). | — | All current web developments and cutting-edge web technologies, | — | creation, organisation and administration of websites and HTML, XML and UML pages, | — | two web programming languages with their associated development environments, including at least one of the following: JAVA, Asp. NET, PHP and ColdFusion, | — | web applications development and deployment techniques, | — | administration of web servers (such as: Planet Web Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server, ColdFusion Server, BEA weblogic applications, Apache Server Enterprise, etc.). |
| -- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------------------------------- | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| — | All current web developments and cutting-edge web technologies, | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | creation, organisation and administration of websites and HTML, XML and UML pages, | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | two web programming languages with their associated development environments, including at least one of the following: JAVA, Asp. NET, PHP and ColdFusion, | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | web applications development and deployment techniques, | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | administration of web servers (such as: Planet Web Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server, ColdFusion Server, BEA weblogic applications, Apache Server Enterprise, etc.). | | | | | | | | | | |

| 3. | User environment administration, for example:
—
configuration, administration, support and updating of end-user workstations and associated applications servers (the European institutions use Windows NT/XP/2000 workstations and servers), —
configuration, administration and support of office automation tools. End-user support for such tools (the European Institutions use MS Office, including Exchange/Outlook or Teamware), —
configuration, administration and support of printers and other shared resources in a network environment, —
network interaction (dynamic IP address assignment, identifying access and/or performance problems), —
user administration, including aspects related to security and confidentiality, —
service management — user support, helpdesk, quality assurance, service level agreements. | — | configuration, administration, support and updating of end-user workstations and associated applications servers (the European institutions use Windows NT/XP/2000 workstations and servers), | — | configuration, administration and support of office automation tools. End-user support for such tools (the European Institutions use MS Office, including Exchange/Outlook or Teamware), | — | configuration, administration and support of printers and other shared resources in a network environment, | — | network interaction (dynamic IP address assignment, identifying access and/or performance problems), | — | user administration, including aspects related to security and confidentiality, | — | service management — user support, helpdesk, quality assurance, service level agreements. |
| -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| — | configuration, administration, support and updating of end-user workstations and associated applications servers (the European institutions use Windows NT/XP/2000 workstations and servers), | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | configuration, administration and support of office automation tools. End-user support for such tools (the European Institutions use MS Office, including Exchange/Outlook or Teamware), | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | configuration, administration and support of printers and other shared resources in a network environment, | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | network interaction (dynamic IP address assignment, identifying access and/or performance problems), | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | user administration, including aspects related to security and confidentiality, | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | service management — user support, helpdesk, quality assurance, service level agreements. | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| 4. | Management of networks and telecommunications, for example:
(i)
Data:
—
good knowledge of LAN/WAN protocols and services (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, SNMP, Active directory, etc.), —
use of internet technologies for implementing internal networks or interconnecting networks, —
network equipment such as routers, hubs, firewalls, proxy servers, remote access servers, authentication, etc., —
network design, including cabling, —
network security, including user authentication, access right management and network intrusion detection, —
wireless communications, —
integration of voice and data, —
ongoing developments in the areas of VPN (virtual private network) technologies. (ii)
Voice systems:
—
telephony/fax systems — configuration and operation of PABX systems, —
integration of voice and data, —
mobile, satellite and wireless communications, —
billing and accounting systems. | (i) | Data:
—
good knowledge of LAN/WAN protocols and services (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, SNMP, Active directory, etc.), —
use of internet technologies for implementing internal networks or interconnecting networks, —
network equipment such as routers, hubs, firewalls, proxy servers, remote access servers, authentication, etc., —
network design, including cabling, —
network security, including user authentication, access right management and network intrusion detection, —
wireless communications, —
integration of voice and data, —
ongoing developments in the areas of VPN (virtual private network) technologies. | — | good knowledge of LAN/WAN protocols and services (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, SNMP, Active directory, etc.), | — | use of internet technologies for implementing internal networks or interconnecting networks, | — | network equipment such as routers, hubs, firewalls, proxy servers, remote access servers, authentication, etc., | — | network design, including cabling, | — | network security, including user authentication, access right management and network intrusion detection, | — | wireless communications, | — | integration of voice and data, | — | ongoing developments in the areas of VPN (virtual private network) technologies. | (ii) | Voice systems:
—
telephony/fax systems — configuration and operation of PABX systems, —
integration of voice and data, —
mobile, satellite and wireless communications, —
billing and accounting systems. | — | telephony/fax systems — configuration and operation of PABX systems, | — | integration of voice and data, | — | mobile, satellite and wireless communications, | — | billing and accounting systems. |
| ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------ | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------ | - | ---------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------- |
| (i) | Data:
—
good knowledge of LAN/WAN protocols and services (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, SNMP, Active directory, etc.), —
use of internet technologies for implementing internal networks or interconnecting networks, —
network equipment such as routers, hubs, firewalls, proxy servers, remote access servers, authentication, etc., —
network design, including cabling, —
network security, including user authentication, access right management and network intrusion detection, —
wireless communications, —
integration of voice and data, —
ongoing developments in the areas of VPN (virtual private network) technologies. | — | good knowledge of LAN/WAN protocols and services (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, SNMP, Active directory, etc.), | — | use of internet technologies for implementing internal networks or interconnecting networks, | — | network equipment such as routers, hubs, firewalls, proxy servers, remote access servers, authentication, etc., | — | network design, including cabling, | — | network security, including user authentication, access right management and network intrusion detection, | — | wireless communications, | — | integration of voice and data, | — | ongoing developments in the areas of VPN (virtual private network) technologies. | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | good knowledge of LAN/WAN protocols and services (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, SNMP, Active directory, etc.), | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | use of internet technologies for implementing internal networks or interconnecting networks, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | network equipment such as routers, hubs, firewalls, proxy servers, remote access servers, authentication, etc., | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | network design, including cabling, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | network security, including user authentication, access right management and network intrusion detection, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | wireless communications, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | integration of voice and data, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | ongoing developments in the areas of VPN (virtual private network) technologies. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (ii) | Voice systems:
—
telephony/fax systems — configuration and operation of PABX systems, —
integration of voice and data, —
mobile, satellite and wireless communications, —
billing and accounting systems. | — | telephony/fax systems — configuration and operation of PABX systems, | — | integration of voice and data, | — | mobile, satellite and wireless communications, | — | billing and accounting systems. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | telephony/fax systems — configuration and operation of PABX systems, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | integration of voice and data, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | mobile, satellite and wireless communications, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | billing and accounting systems. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

The European 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 to adjust to a multicultural working environment. You must be prepared to develop your professional skills throughout your career.

II.   Eligibility (profile sought)

You may apply for this competition if, on the closing date for on-line registration (see section C), you meet the following requirements:

1.   Certificates and diplomas

You must have:

| — | a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma in information technology, or |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to higher education, followed by at least three years' full-time professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties. |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

The selection board will allow for differences between education systems. As a general guide, see the examples of the minimum qualifications required in the tables annexed to the Guide for Applicants (see EPSO's website( 4 )).

2.   Professional experience

You must have obtained:

| — | since see A.II.1(i), or |
| - | ----------------------- |

| — | since A.II.1(ii), |
| - | ----------------- |

at least five years' full-time professional experience relevant to the duties concerned.

3.   Knowledge of languages

Candidates should possess:

| (a) | main language:
A thorough knowledge of one of the following official languages of the European Union: Czech, Estonian, Greek, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovakian or Slovenian.
Exceptionally, Cypriot citizens who do not have Greek as their main language may also choose one of the other official languages listed in A.II.3 (b); |
| --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| (b) | a second language (which must be different from the main language):
A satisfactory knowledge of one of the following official languages: Danish, Dutch, English, German, Greek, Finnish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish; |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

| (c) | language for the preselection tests (which must be different from the main language):
As the preselection tests (a), (b) and (c) for this competition are organised in English (EN), French (FR) or German (DE) (see section B.1), a satisfactory knowledge of one of these three languages is essential. When registering on-line, candidates may:
—
either maintain the choice of their second language (see section A.II.3.b) if this choice corresponds to one of the three languages (DE/EN/FR) —
or choose another language (see N.B. at section B.2.d) from among the following official languages: Danish, Dutch, English, German, Greek, Finnish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish. Please give details of which languages you know on the on-line registration form( 5 ).
After the closing date for applications, you may not change the languages in which you have specified that you wish to take the tests. | — | either maintain the choice of their second language (see section A.II.3.b) if this choice corresponds to one of the three languages (DE/EN/FR) | — | or choose another language (see N.B. at section B.2.d) from among the following official languages: Danish, Dutch, English, German, Greek, Finnish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish. |
| --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| — | either maintain the choice of their second language (see section A.II.3.b) if this choice corresponds to one of the three languages (DE/EN/FR) | | | | |
| — | or choose another language (see N.B. at section B.2.d) from among the following official languages: Danish, Dutch, English, German, Greek, Finnish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish. | | | | |

4.   General terms and conditions

You must:

| — | be a citizen of one of the following Member States: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia, |
| - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | enjoy your full rights as a citizen, |
| - | ------------------------------------ |

| — | have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you in your home country by the laws on military service, |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | meet the character requirements for the duties involved. |
| - | -------------------------------------------------------- |

B.   SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF THE COMPETITION

1.   Preselection tests — marking

You will sit tests (a), (b), and (c) in English (EN), French (FR) or German (DE) (second language); you must specify which language you choose when you register for the competition.

| (a) | A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your specialised knowledge in relation to the duties described above.
This test will be marked out of 60 (pass-mark: 30). |
| --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| (b) | A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your knowledge of the European Union and EU institutions.
This test will be marked out of 20 (pass-mark: 10). |
| --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| (c) | A test comprising a series of multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability, in particular your verbal and numerical reasoning skills.
This test will be marked out of 40 (pass-mark: 20). |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

Wrong answers in the preselection tests will not be penalised.

2.   Written tests — marking

| (d) | Test on a subject related to the duties described above to assess your:
—
specialist knowledge, —
comprehension skills and ability to analyse and summarise, and —
drafting skills, There will be a choice of topics.
Time allowed for the test: two hours (see section B.4).
This test will be marked out of 40 (pass-mark: 20).
The subjects will be set in the following official languages of the European Union: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish.
You must answer in one of these languages, (second language chosen by you at the time of inscription — see section A.II.3.b):
—
either English, French or German (second language), as for the preselection tests; —
or another of the official languages listed above but not your main language. NB: The objective of this test is not to check if a candidate has knowledge of a third language. The choice of one and the same language or two different languages for the preselection test and written test (d) will have no bearing on the evaluation of candidates. | — | specialist knowledge, | — | comprehension skills and ability to analyse and summarise, and | — | drafting skills, | — | either English, French or German (second language), as for the preselection tests; | — | or another of the official languages listed above but not your main language. |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------- | - | -------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ---------------- | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| — | specialist knowledge, | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | comprehension skills and ability to analyse and summarise, and | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | drafting skills, | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | either English, French or German (second language), as for the preselection tests; | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | or another of the official languages listed above but not your main language. | | | | | | | | | | |

| (e) | Short memo in your main language setting out the arguments and conclusions from test (d). This test is designed to assess your command of your main language as regards both the quality of your writing style and presentation.
Time allowed for the test: 30 minutes.
This test will be marked out of 10 (pass-mark: 8).
It will be marked only if you obtain the pass mark for written test (d). |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

NOTE: for organisational reasons, written tests (d) and (e) will be held on the same day as the preselection tests.

The fact that you have been invited to sit written tests (d) and (e) at the same time as the preselection tests does not mean you have been admitted to the competition.

The written tests will be marked only if you meet all of the three following conditions:

| (i) | you have obtained the pass mark in each of the preselections tests (a), (b) and (c); |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

| (ii) | you are among the ‘X’ best candidates( 6 ) for all these tests; |
| ---- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |

| (iii) | you meet all the eligibility criteria. |
| ----- | -------------------------------------- |

The number ‘X’ varies depending on citizenship:

| CYPRIOT | 25 |
| ---------- | --- |
| CZECH | 70 |
| ESTONIAN | 25 |
| HUNGARIAN | 70 |
| LATVIAN | 25 |
| LITHUANIAN | 40 |
| MALTESE | 15 |
| POLISH | 180 |
| SLOVAKIAN | 70 |
| SLOVENIAN | 25 |

These applicants will then be asked to submit a full application with a view to their possible admission to the competition. The selection board will mark your written tests (d) and (e) if, after considering your application, it establishes that you meet all the eligibility criteria.

It will then invite to the oral test (f) the X best candidates( 6 ) in written tests (d) and (e) together who have obtained the pass mark required in each of these tests.

The number ‘X’ varies depending on citizenship:

| CYPRIOT | 15 |
| ---------- | --- |
| CZECH | 45 |
| ESTONIAN | 15 |
| HUNGARIAN | 45 |
| LATVIAN | 15 |
| LITHUANIAN | 25 |
| MALTESE | 10 |
| POLISH | 120 |
| SLOVAKIAN | 45 |
| SLOVENIAN | 15 |

3.   Oral test — marking

| (f) | Interview with the selection board, in one of the following official languages of the European Union — Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish — at your choice, to enable it to assess your suitability to carry out the duties described at A.I. above. The interview will focus in particular on your specialist knowledge in the field concerned and your knowledge of the main developments in European integration and Community policies. The interview is also designed to evaluate your ability to adjust to working as a European civil servant in a multicultural environment.
This test will be marked out of 40 (pass-mark: 20). |
| --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

4.   Date and time allowed for the tests

The preselection tests and the written tests will be held simultaneously for all applicants at one or more centres in the European Union.

The date of the preselection and other tests, and the time allowed for them, will be fixed by the European Personnel Selection Office and cannot be changed at an applicant's request. These details will be notified when you receive your invitation to the tests.

5.   Reserve list

The selection board will draw up a reserve list by citizenship, divided into (no more than four) merit classes sorted in alphabetical order, of the best candidates( 6 ) (see section A, number of successful candidates) in written tests (d) and (e) and oral test (f) who have obtained the pass mark in each of these tests.

The reserve list, together with its expiry date, will be published( 7 ) in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO website( 8 ).

C.   HOW TO APPLY

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

1.   Creating an EPSO profile/on-line registration

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all the eligibility criteria (see section A, particularly concerning the types of diploma and professional experience required).

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 on-line registration in time( 9 ). We strongly advise you not to wait until the last few days before applying, since heavy internet traffic or a fault with your internet connection could lead to the on-line registration being terminated before you complete it, thereby obliging you to repeat the whole process. Once the deadline for the submission of registrations has passed, you will not be able to do so.

On completion of your on-line 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 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 your registration. The information you must enter in your registration includes the languages you choose (see A.II.3), the details of your qualifications (title, name of issuing establishment and date obtained) and your professional experience.

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

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering on-line, you may request — preferably by fax — a paper version of the form( 10 ), 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.

The closing date for registration is 3 February 2005. On-line registration will not be possible after 12.00 Brussels time on that day.

NB: Within one month following the final date for registration, EPSO will invite you to confirm your application and, where applicable, to choose the city in which you wish to sit the preselection tests. The invitation and confirmation will take place via the EPSO profile only .If you do not confirm your application within two months following the final date for registration, EPSO will consider that you have withdrawn your application, which will be terminated.

2.   Preselection tests/written tests

The applicants invited to the preselection/written tests will be those who are found to meet the general terms and conditions (see A.II.4) after EPSO has carried out a preliminary eligibility check based on the information given in the registration forms, and who have confirmed their application in time.

3.   Invitation to preselection and other tests

Information about the invitation to attend the preselection tests/written tests, the full application form and the invitation to the oral test will be available only on the EPSO website ( 8 ). You can access it using the user name and password you specify when registering. You are responsible for updating any change, via your EPSO profile, in your postal or e-mail address.

You are responsible for keeping track of the progress of the competition, ensuring that for each stage you can access the information relevant to your application by consulting your EPSO file. If you find that you cannot do this, it is your responsibility to notify EPSO immediately by e-mail ( 11 ).

As far as possible you will be asked to sit the preselection tests and the written 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 no later than three weeks before the planned date of the preselection tests/written tests.

In principle, the oral test will be held in Brussels.

4.   Full application

The best candidates( 6 ) as referred to in section B.1 (table) will be asked to print and complete the full application form which they will find in their EPSO profile on the website( 8 ). It must be sent in by the closing date( 12 ).

Documents to enclose with the application form

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

| — | a document proving your citizenship; |
| - | ------------------------------------ |

| — | diploma(s), together with its (or their) translation in English, French or German; |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | evidence of professional experience (with translations in English, French or German) clearly indicating the starting and finishing dates and the exact nature of the duties carried out; |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | a numbered annex of the above documents. |
| - | ---------------------------------------- |

You should send only unauthenticated photocopies of these documents.

You must fill in the application form in full, i.e. you may not simply refer to any previous application forms submitted or to 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 in time( 12 ) by registered post (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending) to the following address:

| European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) |
| ------------------------------------------ |
| Mail service |
| CORT 80 |
| Open competition EPSO/AST/3/04 |
| B-1049 Brussels |

Scrutiny of applications

The selection board will examine the files of the best candidates in the preselection tests who have obtained the pass mark in each of the tests to determine whether they meet the conditions laid down in section A.II.1, 2 and 3 of this notice. The selection board will then mark the written tests of the candidates who meet all the conditions for admission set out in section A.II. and will invite the best candidates (see B.2) to the oral test.

You will automatically be disqualified if:

| — | you have posted your application after the closing date, |
| - | -------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | you have not completed and/or signed the application form, |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------- |

| — | you do not meet all the eligibility criteria, |
| - | --------------------------------------------- |

| — | you have not sent all the supporting documents before the closing date. |
| - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |

NB: If you are successful in the preselection tests but fail to return the full application form duly completed and signed and accompanied by the requisite supporting documents within the time limit specified( 12 ), you will not be admitted to the next stage of the competition.

5.   Establishment of the reserve list

The best candidates (see B.5) will be included in the reserve list.

| 6. | If, at any stage in the procedure, it is established that the information on your electronic registration form or official application form is incorrect, you will be disqualified from the competition. |
| -- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| 7. | To facilitate the administration of the competition, in all correspondence you should give your FULL NAME AS IN YOUR APPLICATION, THE NUMBER OF THE COMPETITION AND YOUR MAIN LANGUAGE, TOGETHER WITH THE REFERENCE NUMBER YOU RECEIVE WHEN YOUR ON-LINE REGISTRATION IS ACCEPTED. |
| -- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

D.   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 characteristics, language, religious, political or other convictions or opinions, belonging to a national minority, financial situation, birth, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or family situation.

2.   Selection board

A selection board is appointed for each competition. It is made up of members representing both the Administration and the Staff Committee of the Institutions. The names of the members of the selection board will be published on the EPSO website( 8 ) approximately a fortnight before the preselection/written tests.

You are strictly forbidden to make any contact with the members of the selection board, either directly or indirectly. Any infringement of this rule will lead to you being disqualified from the competition.

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is responsible for all communication with candidates until the competition is completed.

3.   Approximate timetable

The competition will take approximately nine months from start (date of confirmation that you are to take part) to finish, depending on the number of applicants.

Full details will be available on the EPSO website( 8 ).

4.   Requests for review — appeal procedures — complaints to the European Ombudsman

See Annex.

5.   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 offered a post, you will be asked to produce the originals of all the requisite documents such as diplomas, so that copies can be authenticated.

Recruitment will depend on vacant posts and funds becoming available.

Depending on the nature of a post, candidates on the reserve list may initially be offered a temporary contract; in this case, their names will remain on the reserve list.

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

| — | 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, as specified in the Staff Regulations, 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 the age of 67 at the latest. |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

7.   Grade

Assistants will be recruited from the reserve list at grade B*3.

8.   Remuneration

Basic monthly salary as at 1 May 2004:

grade B*3, first step: EUR 2 976,76

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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 characteristics, language, religious, political or other convictions or opinions, belonging to a national minority, financial situation, birth, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or family situation.

( 2 )  The Council has adopted new Staff Regulations involving a new career structure. Recruitment will be based on the new Staff Regulations, in accordance with Annex XIII, Section 2, and in particular Article 12 thereof (see http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/personnel_administration/statut/tocen100.pdf).

( 3 )  These are the products used by the European Institutions today (the Court of Auditors uses ‘Lotus Notes and Novell’). However, the tests will be oriented more towards the ability to work in a rapidly changing IT environment than towards detailed knowledge of any of these products.

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

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

( 6 )  If a number of candidates have obtained the same number of marks for the last place, the selection board will admit all of them.

( 7 )  A successful candidate may explicitly request that his/her name not be published.

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

( 9 )  No later than midday, Brussels time, on 3 February 2005.

( 10 )  EPSO — Info-recruitment — CORT 80 0/48 — B-1049 Brussels — Fax (32-2) 295 74 88.

( 11 )  E-mail address: epso-AST/3/04-en@cec.eu.int.

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

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ANNEX REQUESTS for APPLICATIONS TO BE RECONSIDERED — 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: —
Request that your application be reconsidered:
You can request that your application be reconsidered by sending a letter within 20 days of the date of dispatch of the letter informing you of the decision, setting out the reasons, to:
European Personnel Selection Office CORT 80 Open competition EPSO/AST/3/04 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. —
Appeals:
—
Either you can bring a case before:
The Court of First Instance of the European Communities 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 CORT 80 Open competition EPSO/AST/3/04 B-1049 Brussels The time limits for initiating these two types of procedure (see Staff Regulations published in the Official Journal of the European Union L  56 of 4 March 1968 — http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex) start to run from the time you are notified of the act allegedly prejudicing your interests.
Please 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:
You can, like all citizens of the European Union, make a complaint to
The European Ombudsman 1 Avenue du Président Robert Schuman — BP 403 F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex pursuant to Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the Staff Regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, published in Official Journal of the European Communities L 113 of 4 May 1994.
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, respectively, a complaint or an appeal with the Court of First Instance under Article 236 of the EC Treaty.

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