WRITTEN QUESTION E-2900/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 October 2001)

Subject: Procedure for recruiting staff for the Socrates Technical Assistance Office

The Commission has not answered the detailed set of questions in Written Question E-1681/01(1) concerning the procedure for recruiting staff for the Socrates Technical Assistance Office. Would it therefore now provide answers to the following questions:

1. Who is responsible for the discriminatory notices of vacancy in The Bulletin(2)?

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) OJ C 93 E, 18.4.2002, p. 18.

(2) '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 & 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.

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2001)

Further to the joint answer given to Written Questions E-1681/01 and E-1682/01 on the same subject, the Commission would point out that the Socrates, Leonardo and Youth Technical Assistance office is a private-law body which, naturally, must comply with the national and/or Community rules applicable in this area, but which conducts its recruitment policy under its own responsibility depending on language needs, which can sometimes be very specific.

As far as the organisation of the recruitment procedure for the two job vacancies in question is concerned, the Technical Assistance Office has informed the Commission that these vacancies:

- gave rise to 88 applications from 21 English-speakers, 25 French-speakers and 42 people whose mother tongue is neither English nor French;

- led to the recruitment of five people: one English-speaker, one French-speaker and three people whose mother tongue is neither English nor French.

These figures suggest that the expressions in question in the notifications of a vacancy did not have any significant discriminatory effect. Moreover, the Technical Assistance Office has made it clear that it will ensure that the forthcoming employment vacancies contain no expressions that may be considered to be discriminatory.

More detailed statistics on these two recruitment procedures will be sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat of the Parliament.