62023TJ0120_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 10 July 2024 –UJ and Others v Commission
(Case T‑120/23) (
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)
(Civil Service – Officials – Recruitment – Open competition EPSO/AD/380/19 – Decisions not to place the applicants’ names on the reserve list – Rules on languages – Equal treatment – Repetition of written tests – Selection on the basis of qualifications – Obligation to state reasons)
1.
Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based – Reproduction of paragraphs of an earlier judgment of the General Court – Sufficiently clear and intelligible summary – Admissibility
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))
(see paragraphs 25-30)
2.
Actions brought by officials – Plea of illegality – Measures the illegality of which may be pleaded – Notice of competition – Challenge to the limitation of the choice of second language – Existence of a connection between the decision excluding the applicant and the language regime laid down in the notice of competition – Admissibility
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex III, Art. 1)
(see paragraphs 38-43, 49, 62, 63, 153, 213)
3.
Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Limitation of the choice of second language – Discrimination based on language – Justification having regard to the interests of the service – Observance of the principle of proportionality – Judicial review – Scope
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 1d(6))
(see paragraphs 74-78, 81, 84, 86, 88)
4.
Officials – Competitions – Arrangements for and content of tests – Selection Board’s discretion – Limits – Observance of the principle of equal treatment of candidates – Scope
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 1d)
(see paragraphs 94-96)
5.
Officials – Competitions – Arrangements for and content of tests – Repetition of written tests as a result of technical difficulties encountered by some candidates – Option to repeat tests offered to all candidates in the competition – Breach of the principle of equal treatment – No breach
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 1d)
(see paragraphs 106-109)
6.
Actions brought by officials – Decision of a competition selection board – Prior administrative complaint – Optional – Submission – Consequences – Compliance with the procedural requirements applicable to prior complaints
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see paragraphs 145-147)
7.
Actions brought by officials – Prior administrative complaint – Correspondence between the complaint and the application – Same subject matter and legal basis – Submissions and arguments not made in the complaint but closely related to it – Admissibility
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see paragraphs 148-150, 194, 195, 206, 207, 228, 229)
8.
Actions brought by officials – Prior administrative complaint – Correspondence between the complaint and the application – Same subject matter and legal basis – Plea of illegality raised for the first time in the context of the action – Admissibility
(Art. 277 TFEU; Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see paragraphs 151, 152)
9.
Officials – Competitions – Competition based on qualifications and tests – Conditions for admission – Fixing by the competition notice – Selection board’s assessment of candidates’ professional experience – Invitation to submit evidence of professional experience issued after the invitation to participate in tests – Irrelevant
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex III, Art. 5, first and third paras.)
(see paragraphs 159-161)
10.
Officials – Competitions – Selection Board – Decision not to include a candidate on the reserve list – Obligation to state reasons – Scope – Observance of the secrecy of proceedings – Statement of reasons limited to communication of the scores obtained in the various assessment centre tests – Whether permissible
(Arts 263, fourth para., and 296, second para., TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(c); Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 25, second para., and Annex III, Art. 6)
(see paragraphs 169-180)
11.
Officials – Competitions – Arrangements for and content of tests – Repetition of written tests – Obligation to state reasons – Scope
(Art. 296 TFEU; Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 25, second para.)
(see paragraphs 184-186)
12.
Officials – Competitions – Selection Board – Drawing up of the reserve list – Number of candidates to be included – Rule recommending drawing up a list containing at least twice as many successful candidates as the number of posts to be filled – Binding on the Selection Board – Not binding
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex III, Art. 5, fifth para.)
(see paragraph 197)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders UJ and the other applicants whose names appear in the annex and the European Commission each to bear their own costs.
(
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)	OJ C 134, 17.4.2023.