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NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS

(2006/C 145 A/02)

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) (AST1)

WITH BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP (BG) EPSO/AST/14/06

WITH ROMANIAN CITIZENSHIP (RO) EPSO/AST/15/06

in the secretarial field

CONTENTS

A.   DUTIES AND ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

The following open competitions are being held to recruit assistants (AST1) in the secretarial field:

The purpose of these 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:

Please note that you may only apply for one of these competitions. You must choose which one when you register online, and cannot change your choice after the closing date for registration.

To ensure that all general texts relating to the competition and all communication between candidates 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 and correspondence between EPSO and candidates.

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

I.   DUTIES

The position will entail the following tasks:

The European institutions place particular importance on the ability of candidates 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 will also be expected to develop your professional skills throughout your career.

II.   ELIGIBILITY (PROFILE SOUGHT)

You may apply for this competition if you meet the following requirements:

1.   Qualifications and professional experience

You must

You must have obtained your qualification by 30 September 2006 at the latest;

or

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 (2)(on EPSO's 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

(a)   Main language

You must have a thorough knowledge of:

(b)   Second language

You must have a good working knowledge of English, French or German.

You must give details of your knowledge of languages in the electronic registration form (3)and in the application form. Your choice of languages for taking the tests may not be changed after the deadline for confirming registrations (section D.1, NB).

3.   General conditions required by the deadline fixed for electronic registration (4)

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 these tests for all candidates, either:

1.   Admission tests — marking

You will sit tests (a) and (b) in English (EN), French (FR) or German (DE); you must specify which language you choose when you register for the competition (see section A.II.2.b).

Wrong answers in these tests will not be penalised.

The candidates (5) (see table below) who score the highest overall marks in the admission tests and obtain at least the pass-mark in each of these tests will be invited to submit a full application with a view to being admitted to the competition.

Following examination of your application, and provided you meet all the eligibility criteria, you will be invited to the practical and oral tests.

2.   Admission tests — date and place (in accordance with the testing method adopted by EPSO):

NB:

The date of the organisation of the tests will depend on the final decision taken by the European Union concerning the actual date of accession.

C.   WRITTEN AND ORAL TESTS

1.   Practical tests — marking

You will sit practical test (a) in English (EN), French (FR) or German (DE); you must specify which language you choose when you register for the competition (see section A.II.2.b).

Standard keyboards (6)such as those used in the European workplace will be put at the candidates' disposal.

2.   Oral test — marking

3.   Date and place of the practical and oral tests

In principle, these tests will take place 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 those groups, of the candidates (see section A, number of successful candidates) who scored the best overall marks in all the practical and oral tests and obtained at least the pass-mark in each of these tests.

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

D.   HOW TO APPLY

Please refer also to the Guide for Applicants, 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 meet all the eligibility criteria (see section A, particularly concerning the types of qualification required).

If you want to apply, you must do so via the Internet by going to the EPSO website (8) and follow the instructions there concerning the various stages of the procedure.

It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time (4). 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 the submission of registrations has passed, you will not be able to register.

On completion of your online registration, you will receive on screen a registration number which you must note — this will be your reference number in all matters concerning your registration. Once you receive this number, the registration process is finished, it is the confirmation that we have registered the data you entered.

If you do not receive a number, your application has not been registered!

Please note that you must have an e-mail address. This will be used to identify you. The information you must enter in your registration includes the languages you choose (see section A.II.2), and the particulars of your qualifications (title, name of issuing establishment and date obtained) and, where applicable, professional experience.

No documents are required at this stage. Candidates will subsequently be invited to send a full application (see section D.4).

Once registered, you can use the 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 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 20 July 2006. Online registration will not be possible after 12.00 (midday) Brussels time on that day.

NBWithin one month following the final date for registration, EPSO will invite you to:
—

confirm your application

—

confirm your choice of languages

—

and, where applicable, to choose the city in which you wish to sit the admission tests.
The invitation and your confirmation will take place via your 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 and it will be terminated.

2.   Admission tests

The candidates invited to the admission tests will be those who are found to meet the general terms and conditions (see section A.II.3) 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. An invitation to take part in the tests does not mean that an applicant's eligibility has already been checked in detail.

3.   Invitations

Information concerning invitations to the admission tests as well as subsequent tests will be available only on the EPSO website (8). You can access it by entering the user name and password you specify when registering online. 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 and for checking the information relevant to your application at every stage by consulting your EPSO file. If you find that you cannot do this, notify EPSO immediately by e-mail (10).

As far as 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 no later than three weeks before the planned date of the admission tests.

4.   Full application

The candidates who fulfil the conditions as referred to in section B 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 (11).

Documents to enclose

You must give details in your application form of your qualifications and citizenship. You must enclose with it the following documents:

You should send only uncertified photocopies of these documents.

The application form must be completed in full, i.e. you may not refer to any previous application forms submitted or any other documents enclosed with such applications. None of the documents submitted with your application will be returned.

Signing and sending the form

It is your responsibility to make sure that your application form, duly completed, signed and accompanied by all the supporting documents, is sent in time (11)by registered post (the postmark will serve as proof of the date of sending) to the following address:

Scrutiny of applications

The Selection Board will examine the files of the candidates who have scored the highest marks and obtained the pass-mark in each of the admission tests, to determine whether they meet the conditions laid down in sections A.II.1 and 2 of this notice.

It will invite to the practical and oral tests the candidates who meet all the conditions for admission set out in section A.II.

You will automatically be disqualified if you:

A CURRICULUM VITAE IS NOT A SUPPORTING DOCUMENT.

5.   Reserve lists

The names of the successful candidates (see section C.4) will be included in the reserve lists.

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

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 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 for the Selection Board to decide whether any infringement of this rule should disqualify you from the competition.

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

3.   Approximate timetable

Depending on the total number of candidates, the competition will take approximately nine months from start to finish, beginning on the date on which your application is confirmed.

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

4.   Requests from candidates for access to information concerning them

Under the selection procedures, candidates are acknowledged to have a specific right of access to certain information concerning them directly and individually, on the conditions described below. In accordance with this right, EPSO may provide candidates, who so request, with supplementary information concerning their participation in the competition. Candidates must 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 confidential nature of the proceedings of Selection Boards, as provided for in the Staff Regulations (Annex III, Article 6) and will comply with the rules on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. Examples of the type of information which may be supplied are given in the Guide for Applicants, section III.2.

5.   Requests for review — Appeal procedures — Complaints to the European Ombudsman

See Annex.

6.   Recruitment

If you are placed on the reserve list you will be eligible for appointment notably 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, in particular your qualifications, so that copies can be authenticated.

Recruitment will depend on posts and funds becoming available.

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

Article 29(1)(b) of the Staff Regulations refers to the possibility for officials to request a transfer to another institution or agency at any time in their careers. However, in the interests of the service, during their first three years of service newly recruited officials are transferred only in exceptional and duly justified cases. Any such transfer is subject to the agreement of both the institution or agency that originally recruited the official and the institution or agency in receipt of the transfer request.

7.   Retirement

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

8.   Grade

This reserve pool of Assistants will be recruited at 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 ensures that candidates' personal data is treated 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 UnionL  8, 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 characteristics, language, religious, political or other convictions or opinions, belonging to a national minority, financial situation, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

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

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

(4)At the latest on 20.07.2006 at 12.00 (midday) Brussels time.

(5)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, all will 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)  A successful candidate may explicitly request that his/her name not be published.

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

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

(10)  E-mail: 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 — COMPLAINT 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 one of the following courses of action:

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