WRITTEN QUESTION E-0843/99

by Ursula Stenzel (PPE) to the Commission

(7 April 1999)

Subject: General competition COM/A/10/98/Option 2

On 16 September 1998 the Commission conducted a general competition which was cancelled on the grounds of irregularities. On 6 February 1999 the test was repeated.

Can the Commission rule out the possibility that participants living outside the Union were told too late of the exact conditions under which the test was to be repeated?

Can the Commission also rule out any possibility that potential participants might have been deterred from taking part in the repeated competition by the absence of adequate information from the Commission on the reimbursement of the extra travel costs they would incur?

What criteria governed the reimbursement by the Commission of the extra travel costs incurred by participants in the repeated competition travelling from outside the Community?

Participants enquiring about the reimbursement of their extra travel costs were told by the Commission that reimbursement would be "towards" them and "according to set ceilings". How does the Commission interpret this answer?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 1999)

Competition COM/A/10/98 was organised by the Commission in order to constitute a reserve of administrators (A 7/A 6) in the fields of external relations and management of aid to non-member countries. The notice was published(1) together with that for four other competitions, the preselection tests for all five competitions being held simultaneously.

The preselection tests held on 14 September 1998 were cancelled following the discovery of a leak in relation to one of the tests. From 10 to 14 December 1998, depending on the candidates and because of the numbers involved, the Commission sent out letters to everyone who was registered for competition COM/A/10/98, inviting them to take part in fresh preselection tests to be held on 6 February 1999. The invitations to candidates in non-member countries were where possible sent by fax or, failing that, by express mail. The tests took place under tighter conditions of security and discipline. The second call to attend preselection tests contained a copy of the new rules on discipline, together with some information on the payment of travel expenses. All candidates were informed that, subject to certain requirements, they were eligible for a contribution towards their travel expenses on condition that they had taken part in the preselection tests for competitions COM/A/8-12/98 of 14 September 1998, that they attended the new preselection tests on 6 February 1999 and that they sent in an application before that date.

The rules applicable to candidates differ depending on whether the address they gave, i.e. the one in their file as at 14 September 1998, was in the Community or in a non-member country. They take into account the fact that for certain candidates, in particular those participating in competition COM/A/10/98, the test centre was in many cases some considerable distance away from their place of residence.

The Commission accordingly rules out any possibility that candidates in non-member countries were not told in good time of the arrangements regarding the payment of travel expenses. It does not know of any candidates who did not take part in the new preselection tests owing to a lack of information on the rules applicable.

Altogether, 1 400 claims for travel expenses were submitted by participants in the five competitions COM/A/8 to 12/98. Each application has to be processed individually and, above all, be checked against the file. This scrutiny began early in February 1999 and the successive phases leading to payments to candidates are under way. Payment takes place as and when the processing of each case is completed.

(1) OJ C 97, 31.3.1998.