WRITTEN QUESTION E-3786/02 by Johannes Swoboda (PSE) to the Commission. Language discrimination in advertisements for vacant posts at European level.
Date: 2003-01-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: administrator, competition (EU), equal treatment, exchange of information, linguistic discrimination, regulations for civil servants

C 222 E/106

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

Reply

(13 May 2003)

The Council has been informed that the printing of the certificates provided for in Article 2 of Council
Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002 of 20 December 2002 implementing the Kimberley Process certification
scheme for the international trade in rough diamonds was finalised on 20 January 2003.

As regards the implementation of the system and in accordance with its forecasts, the Council would ask
the Honourable Member to refer to Council Regulation (EC) No 254/2003 of 11 February 2003 amending
the
Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002 implementing the Kimberley Process certification scheme for
international
trade in rough diamonds, as also to Commission Regulation (EC) No 257/2003 of
11 February 2003 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002.

(2003/C 222 E/124)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3786/02

by Johannes Swoboda (PSE) to the Commission

(6 January 2003)

Subject: Language discrimination in advertisements for vacant posts at European level

Is it the Commission’s view that the wording ‘English mother tongue or equivalent’ in advertisements

1.
for vacant posts with European organisations is discriminatory?

If not, how does the Commission reconcile the principle of non-discrimination with the criterion that

2.
applicants must have ‘English mother tongue or equivalent’?

3.

If so, what steps will the Commission take to put an end to this discriminatory procedure?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2003)

The EC Treaty and the Staff Regulations of the officials of EU Institutions prohibit any discrimination on
the basis of nationality and, naturally, the Commission respects the provisions of the Treaty and the
Regulations in full.

Clearly, a specific language requirement in the publication of a post may have the effect of discriminating
against nationals of other Member States. However, such differenciation could be objectively justified, for
instance by the nature of a specific post and the precise functions to be performed.
In particular,
appointments to translators and interpreters posts necessitate a depth of knowledge of specific languages,
depending on the needs of the Institution.

In order to judge whether the inclusion of a language requirement in a publication of a particular post
could be considered to be discriminatory it is therefore necessary to obtain more information about the
post in question. If the Honourable Member would be kind enough to provide me with details of the
advertisement/s to which he is referring in his question, I will ensure that the material receives thorough
attention in order to establish whether unwarranted discrimination is evident in this case.

(2003/C 222 E/125)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3788/02

by Bruno Gollnisch (NI) to the Council

(6 January 2003)

Subject: Labelling in French of consumer products sold in France

The Law of 4 August 1994 relative to the use of the French language made it obligatory for French to be
used in ‘all documents intended to inform the user or consumer: labels, leaflets, catalogues, brochures and
other information documents, etc.’.