WRITTEN QUESTION E-1681/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Vacancies in the European Commission's Socrates Technical Assistance Office

In December 2000 and March 2001, the Socrates Technical Assistance Office posted two vacancies in The Bulletin(1) (see below) for the recruitment of various members of staff. In the recruitment procedure, non-English and non-French speakers were discriminated against. They were excluded in advance from the selection procedure, even when their command of English or French was more than adequate. Other language speakers manifestly did not come in for consideration for these duties. It is astonishing that Socrates, a technical assistance office of the European Commission, should be guilty of this kind of discrimination.

I therefore ask the Commission the following:

1. Who is responsible for the discriminatory notices of vacancy in The Bulletin?

2. Will Socrates pursue a non-discriminatory personnel policy in future? If not, why not?

3. How many applicants were of English mother tongue?

4. How many applicants were of French mother tongue?

5. How many applicants were of neither English nor French mother tongue?

6. How many applicants had studied for more than one year at an English-language university?

7. How many applicants had studied for more than one year at a French-language university?

8. How many applicants had studied at neither an English- nor a French-language university?

9. How many of the applicants interviewed were of English mother tongue?

10. How many of the applicants interviewed were of French mother tongue?

11. How many of the applicants interviewed were of neither English nor French mother tongue?

12. How many of the applicants interviewed had studied for more than one year at an English-language university?

13. How many of the applicants interviewed had studied for more than one year at a French-language university?

14. How many of the applicants interviewed had studied for more than one year at neither an English- nor a French-language university?

15. Of what mother tongues are the members of staff recruited?

(1) The Brussels-based Socrates, Leonardo and Youth Technical Assistance Office assists the European Commission At present the following opportunities (m/f) exist: Assistants The major requirements are language knowledge (English mother tongue, excellent French and German and another Union language Administrative Officer English mother tongue, excellent command of French and another Union language Bulletin, 7/12/00, p. 66. Socrates, Leonardo and Youth Technical Assistance Office assists the European Commission has a vacant post for a (m/f) Communications Officer Excellent command of spoken English and French mother tongue a plus. Bulletin, 01/03/01, p. 59.

Joint answerto Written Questions E-1681/01 and E-1682/01given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 2001)

The Honourable Member's attention is drawn to the Commission's answers to the Honourable Member's Written Questions E-4100/00(1), E-0779/01(2) and E-1356/01 by Mr Gemelli(3) on this same subject.

Organisations performing services under contract for the Commission, such as the Socrates, Leonardo and Youth Technical Assistance Office, are required to operate in a wide range of languages and the staff recruited by such organisations is composed of a wide range of nationalities and mother tongues. They may from time to time require to recruit staff with a very high level of knowledge of a specific language or languages. In so doing, they are bound to comply with all legal and administrative provisions applicable in Belgium, including Community regulations on the free movement of workers.

The Commission has drawn the attention of the Socrates, Leonardo and Youth Technical Assistance Office to the fact that the use of expressions such as mother tongue or native speaker in recruitment advertisements might be considered as discriminatory and, thus, incompatible with Community law. The organisation's management has informed the Commission that it will ensure such terms do not appear in future vacancy notices.

(1) OJ C 174 E, 19.6.2001, p. 233.

(2) OJ C 235 E, 21.8.2001, p. 245.

(3) OJ C 350 E, 11.12.2001, p. 132.