WRITTEN QUESTION No. 829/98 by Jesús CABEZÓN ALONSO to the Commission. Qualifications for Commission competitions
Date: 1998-03-26
Institutions: CABEZON ALONSO, European Parliament
Subjects: European official, Spain, administrator, competition (EU), diploma, equal treatment, equivalence of diplomas, recognition of studies, recruitment

19. 11. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 354/29

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 1998)

The Commission is conducting a detailed investigation of the problem raised by the Honourable Member and
will inform him of the outcome as soon as possible.

(98/C 354/60)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0829/98

by Jesu·s Cabezo·n Alonso (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Subject: Qualifications for Commission competitions

Does the Commission(cid:146)s requirement that candidates for competitions to fill category A posts in the European
civil service should have a university diploma apply equally to all countries of the European Union?

Is  the  Spanish  qualification  (cid:145)Licenciatura(cid:146)  (bachelor(cid:146)s  degree)  treated  as  a  homogeneous  qualification  with
equivalent status in all the countries of the European Union for the purposes of eligibility for the European civil
service?

Does  the  Commission  not  consider  that  the  expression  (cid:145)university  diploma(cid:146)  might  lead  to  differing
interpretations since not all university diplomas have equivalent status in the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 1998)

In its answer to similar previous questions, (1) the Commission gave a full statement of its general approach to
qualifications giving access to A/LA posts in the European public service. It can only emphasise clearly that in all
notices of A competitions it is specified that, with regard to qualifications, (cid:145)The selection board will allow for
differences in the education systems(cid:146).

(1)  Question E-2749/97 by Ms Garcias Arias › OJ C 82, 17.3.1998.

Question E-4186/97 by Ms Du¤hrkop Du¤hrkop › OJ C 304, 2.10.1998, p. 15.
Questions E- 0635/98 to 0645/98 by Mr Hernandez Mollar, questions E-0669/98 to E-0679/98 by Mr Gutierrez Diaz, questions E-0724/98 to
E-0728/98 by Mr Me·ndez de Vigo › See page 11.

(98/C 354/61)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0835/98

by Francisca Sauquillo Pe·rez del Arco (PSE) to the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Subject: Recognition of the Spanish qualification (cid:145)ingeniero te·cnico(cid:146) (technical engineer) for the purposes of

Commission competitions

The  differences  in  the  national  education  systems  lead  to  cases  of  discrimination  between  nationals  of  the
Member States as regards eligibility for A/LA category posts in the European civil service, a problem which
affects Spanish technical engineers in particular. Will the Commission propose that an objective system be set up
for  the  recognition  of  minimum  qualifications,  since  otherwise  Spanish  technical  engineers  will  suffer
discrimination compared to their counterparts in other Member States, because although their qualifications are
of the same standard they have a different title?