62018TJ0596_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 23 September 2020 –ZL v EUIPO
(Case T‑596/18)
(Civil service – Recruitment – Notice of competition – Decision not to place the applicant’s name on the reserve list for the competition – Obligation to state reasons – Rejection of the request for access to the multiple-choice questions asked in the admission tests – Secrecy of the selection board’s proceedings)
1.
Actions brought by officials – Act adversely affecting an official – Decision adopted after reconsideration of a previous decision – Decision adopted by a competition selection board after reviewing the file of a candidate not admitted to the competition
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90(2) and 91(1))
(see paras 25-27)
2.
Actions brought by officials – Action against a decision rejecting a complaint – Effect – Disputed measure referred to the Court – Exception – Decision not confirmatory in character – Account taken of the reasoning therein
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see paras 29-33)
3.
Actions brought by officials – Subject matter – Directions to the administration – Inadmissibility
(Art. 266 TFEU; Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 91)
(see para. 35)
4.
EU institutions – Right of public access to documents – Regulation No 1049/2001 – Exceptions to the right of access to documents – Protection of the decision-making process – Disclosure of questions set in tests for an open competition for the recruitment of EU officials – Presumption that the decision-making process will be undermined – Limits
(Art. 15(3) TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 42; Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex III, Art. 6; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 4(2) and (3))
(see paras 41-50, 53-61)
5.
Officials – Competitions – Selection Board – Elimination of a candidate because of inadequate results obtained in multiple-choice tests – Decision not to include a candidate on the reserve list – Presumption of lawfulness – Burden of proof on the applicant – No infringement of the rights of defence in the event that access to those tests is denied
(Art. 15(3) TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 42 and 48; Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex III, Art. 6)
(see paras 65-69)
6.
Officials – Competitions – Selection Board – Elimination of a candidate because of inadequate results obtained in multiple-choice tests – Obligation to state reasons – Scope – Communication of the final eliminatory mark and of the questions grid – Sufficient statement of reasons – Acquired right of candidates to obtain a copy of the test – None
(Art. 296 TFEU; Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 25, second para. and Annex III, Art. 6)
(see paras 73-75, 79, 82-84, 87, 88)
7.
Actions brought by officials – Decision of a competition selection board – Prior administrative complaint – Optional – Notice of competition setting out a procedure to cancel disputed multiple-choice questions – No obligation to submit a prior cancellation request
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90(2) and 91(2))
(see paras 92-98)
8.
Officials – Competitions – Conduct of a competition – Division of powers between the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), the appointing authority and the selection board
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 30, first para., and Annex III, Art. 1(1) and (5))
(see paras 113-117, 120-123)
Re:
Application under Article 270 TFEU seeking annulment, first, of the decision of 7 March 2018 of the selection board for competition EUIPO/AD/01/17 – Administrators (AD 6) in the field of intellectual property rejecting the applicant’s request for review of that selection board’s decision of 1 December 2017 not to place her name on the reserve list drawn up with a view to the recruitment of administrators by EUIPO and, secondly, of EUIPO’s decision of 27 June 2018 rejecting her complaints.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders ZL to pay the costs.