WRITTEN QUESTION E-0286/02 by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Clairvoyance at the Commission.
Date: 2002-02-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, administration of the Institutions, administrative procedure, administrator, civil servants’ union, competition (EU), institutional activity

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/107

(2002/C 205 E/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0286/02

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 February 2002)

Subject: Clairvoyance at the Commission

When competitions are held to fill management posts at the Commission (heads of unit, directors and
directors-general) the trade union R & D issues a leaflet claiming that it knows the precise characteristics
enabling it to identify the successful candidate, and can supply the name on request.

How is it possible that the union R & D has managed, on every occasion, to guess who the successful
candidate will be?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(25 March 2002)

The principles of the new procedures for filling senior management positions at the Commission (1) were
set out in the Communication on the appraisal, selection and appointment of senior Commission officials
adopted and published on December 23, 2000 (2). The Commission follows those rules and procedures
with the intention of ensuring that those appointed to management positions have high qualification and
merit and a good record of performance in management. Furthermore, and consistent with the
Communication, changes were introduced to allow these procedures to be carried out in full transparency
(i.e. more clear and detailed vacant post notices and assistance from external consultants).

In particular, all appointment procedures for middle management are now followed by ‘Rapporteurs’, who
are senior officials that are independent of the appointing Directorate General. These ‘Rapporteurs’ are
involved throughout
the appointment procedure and for the interviews with shortlisted candidates,
together with the relevant Director General (or, for Director General’s appointments), Member of the
Commission.

The ‘Rapporteurs’
the pre-selection procedure to the
Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA), a neutral body set up to recommend to the Commission
a list of suitable candidates for any post.

then make a presentation of

the results of

The final decision on appointment
is made by the Commission, acting on a
recommendation from the Member of the Commission with the relevant policy portfolio, in agreement
with the Commissioner with responsibility for Personnel and Administration, currently me, and with the
President.

to senior posts

Approximately 270 management vacancies were filled at the Commission in 2001. The Commission
understands that on some 7 but not all 7 of those occasions the trade union referred to by the
Honourable Member claimed to know who the successful candidate would be. However, as the
organisation did not publish details, the Commission is unable to determine whether the guesses proved
to be correct.

If, as his question implies, the Honourable Member has always obtained the name that the union was
tipping, if the union offered a tip relating to every post, and if it proves to be true that the union has
correctly guessed the name of a successful candidate on every occasion, the Honourable Member is advised
to ask the union how this is possible since only they are likely to know.

(1) Positions of A1 and A2 rank: Directors General, Deputy Directors General, Directors, Principal Advisors and Chefs

de Cabinet.

(2) SEC(2000) 2305, following SEC(1999) 1485.