Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 2 June 2021 –Italy v Commission
(Case T‑71/18)
(Rules on languages – Notice of Open Competition for the recruitment of administrators in the fields of financial economics and macroeconomics – Knowledge of languages – Restriction of the choice of language 2 of the competition to three languages – Regulation No 1 – Article 1d(1), Article 27 and Article 28(f) of the Staff Regulations – Discrimination based on language – Interests of the service – Proportionality)
1.      European Union – Rules on languages – Regulation No 1 – Scope – Relations between the institutions and their staff – Included in the absence of specific regulations
(Council Regulation No 1, Arts 1 and 6)
(see para. 35)
2.      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
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 1d(1) and (6), 27 and 28(f) and Annex III, Art. 1(1)(f); Council Regulation No 1, Art. 1)
(see paras 36-42, 70, 71)
3.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Limitation of the choice of second language – Judicial review – Scope
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 1d)
(see paras 43, 44)
4.      Action for annulment – Pleas in law – Lack of or inadequate statement of reasons – Separate plea in law from the one concerning substantive legality
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see para. 48)
5.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Limitation of the choice of second language – Discrimination based on language – Justification based on budgetary and operational constraints – Justification based on the nature of the selection procedure – Inadmissibility
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 1d(1) and (6), 27 and 28(f) and Annex III, Art. 1(1)(f); Council Regulation No 1, Art. 1)
(see paras 54, 55)
6.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Limitation of the choice of second language – Discrimination based on language – Justification based on the interest of the service in recruiting people who are immediately operational – Inadmissibility
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 1d(1) and (6), 27 and 28(f) and Annex III, Art. 1(1)(f); Council Regulation No 1, Art. 1)
(see paras 63-65, 109, 111-113, 127, 141, 142, 146, 163, 165)
7.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of communication between the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) and the candidates – Restriction – Whether admissible – Statement of reasons – Justification having regard to the interests of the service – Observance of the principle of equal treatment between candidates
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 1d(1) and (6) and Annex III, Art. 1; Council Regulation No 1, Arts 2 and 5)
(see paras 173-175)
8.      Actions brought by officials – Judgment annulling a measure – Effects – Annulment of a notice of open competition – Legitimate expectations of the candidates selected – No reconsideration of recruitments already made
(Art. 266 TFEU)
(see para. 180)
Re:
Application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of the Notice of Open Competition EPSO/AD/339/17 organised to draw up a reserve list of administrators (AD 7) in the following fields: 1. Financial economics and 2. Macroeconomics (OJ 2017 C 386 A, p. 1).
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls the Notice of Open Competition EPSO/AD/339/17 organised to draw up a reserve list of administrators (AD 7) in the following fields: 1. Financial economics and 2. Macroeconomics;
2.
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Italian Republic;
3.
Orders the Kingdom of Spain to bear its own costs.