Notice of open competition – EPSO/AD/396/21 – Irish-language (GA) lawyer-linguists (AD 7)
Date: 2021-11-18
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: Ireland, administrator, competition (EU), information profession, legal profession








CA2021466EN.01000101.xml










18.11.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 466/1






NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION
EPSO/AD/396/21 – IRISH-LANGUAGE (GA) LAWYER-LINGUISTS (AD 7)
(2021/C 466 A/01)


Deadline for registration: 21 December 2021 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time


The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising an open competition, based on qualifications and tests, to draw up a reserve list from which the Court of Justice of the EU, based in Luxembourg, may recruit new members of the civil service as 
‘lawyer-linguists’
 (function group AD 7).
This Notice of Competition and its annexes form the legally binding framework for this selection procedure.
Please see ANNEX II for the general rules governing open competitions.
Number of successful candidates sought: 35

Throughout the selection procedure, you will be invited to take several tests, as indicated in this Notice of Competition (hereinafter, ‘Notice’). EPSO will ensure that the conditions under which you take such tests are in line with the recommendations established by the relevant Public Health Authorities (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, other International, European and/or national authorities).

WHAT TASKS CAN I EXPECT TO PERFORM?

The Court of Justice of the EU recruits highly qualified lawyers, who must be able to translate often complex legal texts into the language of the competition from at least two other languages. The work of a lawyer-linguist involves the use of standard IT and other office-technology tools.
The duties involve translating legal texts (judgments of the Court of Justice and the General Court, Opinions of the Advocates General, written pleadings of the parties, etc.) into the language of the competition from at least two of the other official languages of the European Union, reviewing such translations, and providing legal analysis in cooperation with the Registries and the other departments of the Court of Justice.

AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

You must meet ALL of the following general and specific conditions on the closing date for online applications.
1)   General conditions

A candidate must:






—


enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State of the EU,










—


meet any obligations imposed by national laws on military service,










—


meet the character requirements for the duties concerned.




2)   Specific conditions — languages

You must have thorough knowledge of 
at least three official EU languages:







1.


Irish (language 1). Required knowledge level: C2.










2.


English, French, German, Italian, Polish or Spanish (language 2). Required minimum knowledge level: C1.










3.


Another official EU language (language 3), different from language 1 and language 2. Required minimum knowledge level: C1.




Please note that the level required above for language 1 must apply to each linguistic ability (speaking, writing, reading, and listening) requested in the application form. This competition is intended for candidates who have a perfect command of Irish (mother tongue or equivalent).
For languages 2 and 3, the level required above must apply at least to the linguistic abilities relevant for the purposes of translating legal texts, i.e., understanding (reading).
The linguistic abilities reflect those of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
In this Notice of Competition, the languages will be used as follows:






—



‘Language 1’ (Irish): language used for the application form, including the Talent Screener, the translation tests (as the target language) and the assessment-centre tests.










—



‘Language 2’ (English, French, German, Italian, Polish, or Spanish): language used for one of the translation tests.










—



‘Language 3’ (any official EU language different from languages 1 and 2): language used for the other translation test.




Due to technical reasons and to guarantee consistency across the tests, the interface of IT systems via which tests are administered will be in English.
The Court of Justice of the EU is a multilingual institution and the language rules under which it operates are defined in its Rules of Procedure.
Irish, which is language 1 of this competition, corresponds to the target language of the translation unit concerned. A perfect command of Irish is required for lawyer-linguists who must translate complex legal texts into this language. Also, on the basis of a perfect, active command of Irish, candidates need to demonstrate, for example, that they will be able to carry out the legal and terminological analysis in Irish of references for a preliminary ruling submitted by national courts in that language. Owing to such specific constraints on lawyer-linguists’ work at the Court of Justice, it is reasonable to require candidates to fill in the application form and take the general and field-related competency tests at the assessment centre in the language 1 of the competition. This offers the best guarantee that the candidates recruited will be of the highest standard in terms of ability and efficiency.
The restriction in the choice of language 2 takes account of the language coverage requirements of the unit in question, meaning that the lawyer-linguists to be recruited in that unit need to be able to translate complex legal texts from one of the languages specified. The six language 2 choices set out in this Notice correspond to French (the language from which judgments and orders are translated for the purpose of publication), and the five ‘pivot’ languages used in the Directorates for Legal Translation of the Court of Justice of the EU.
Language 3 is required for this competition because — for organisational reasons — Irish language lawyer-linguists, like any other lawyer-linguists at the Court of Justice, need to be able to translate legal texts into language 1 from at least two source languages.
In communication between the candidates and EPSO, the following will apply:






a)


In communication — 
via the EPSO account or by email
 — between EPSO and candidates who submitted a valid application, EPSO will address the candidate concerned in at least one of the languages that the candidate has declared to have knowledge of at level B2 or higher in the ‘Ability to read’ section in the application form.










b)


Considering the specific nature of this competition, by way of 
derogation from points 4.2.1, 4.2.2, and 4.3.1 of the General rules
 governing open competitions (in Annex II to this Notice), candidates may submit requests and complaints in their language 1 or language 2 and EPSO will reply as stated under point (a).










c)


For all other 
questions from candidates to EPSO
, the usual rules on communication via the online contact form (https://epso.europa.eu/contact) will apply. Candidates can address EPSO in any of the 24 official EU languages and EPSO will reply to the candidate concerned in one of the languages in which the candidate has indicated to be willing to receive a reply.




3)   Specific conditions — qualifications and work experience

You must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by one of the following diplomas in law:






—


Leibhéal oideachais arb ionann é agus cúrsa ollscoile a bheith críochnaithe agus deimhnithe le dioplóma sa dlí, nó a comhionann, nó cáilíocht mar abhcóide nó aturnae a baineadh amach in Éirinn; féadfar dioplómaí nó cáilíochtaí coibhéiseacha a baineadh amach sa Ríocht Aontaithe a chur san áireamh.










—


Taithí ghairmiúil iomchuí bliana ar a laghad i gcás iarrthóirí a rinne cúrsaí trí bliana.




To determine whether a candidate has attained a level corresponding to completed university studies, the Selection Board will take into account the rules in force at the time when the diploma was awarded.


No professional experience is required to be eligible for this competition if the required university studies lasted 4 years or more.


Please see ANNEX III for examples of minimum qualifications

HOW WILL I BE SELECTED?

1)   Application process

You must fill in your application form in 
Irish.


By validating your application form you declare on your honour that you meet all the conditions mentioned under the section ‘Am I eligible to apply?’ Once you have validated your application form, you will no longer be able to make any changes. 
It is your responsibility to ensure that you complete and validate your application within the deadline.


2)   Eligibility checks

The eligibility requirements laid down in the section ‘Am I eligible to apply?’ above will be checked against the data provided in candidates’ online applications. EPSO will check whether you meet the general eligibility conditions while the Selection Board will check compliance with the specific eligibility conditions under the section ‘Education and training’ and ‘Language skills’ of the candidates’ online application.
3)   Pre-selection based on qualifications (Talent Screener)

If the number of candidates found to satisfy the eligibility criteria is 
less than 20 times
 the number of successful candidates sought, a pre-selection based on qualifications will 
not
 take place and all eligible candidates will be invited to take the preliminary tests.
If the number of candidates found to satisfy the eligibility criteria is 
equal to or higher than 20 times
 the number of successful candidates sought, the Selection Board will carry out the pre-selection based on qualifications, as indicated below, of all the eligible candidates who validated their application form by the deadline.
In the latter case, and in order to allow the Selection Board to carry out an objective assessment of the comparative merits of all candidates in a structured way, all candidates must have answered the same set of questions in the ‘Talent Screener’ section of the application form. The pre-selection based on qualifications will be carried out, 
only for those candidates deemed eligible
 as described above in point 2, using 
solely
 the information provided in the Talent Screener section. 
You should therefore include, before validating your application, all relevant information in your Talent Screener answers, even if already mentioned in other sections of your application form. The questions are based on the selection criteria included in Annex I to this Notice.
Please see ANNEX I for the list of criteria.
To carry out the pre-selection based on qualifications, the Selection Board will first assign each 
selection criterion
 a weighting that reflects its relative importance (1 to 3) and each of the candidate’s responses will be awarded between 0 and 4 points. The points are multiplied by the weighting for each criterion and added up to identify those candidates whose profiles best match the duties to be performed.
Only the candidates with the highest overall marks in the pre-selection based on qualifications (Talent Screener) will go through to the next phase.
4)   Preliminary tests: translations



A maximum of 20 times
 the number of successful candidates sought will be invited to this phase. Candidates invited to the preliminary tests will take two computer-based translation tests, 
without the help of a dictionary:







(a)


Translation into Irish of a legal text drafted in your language 2.










(b)


Translation into Irish of a legal text drafted in your language 3.




Candidates will take these tests either in one of EPSO’s accredited centres or remotely. Further details and instructions will be included in your invitation letter.
Each test lasts 110 minutes and each test will be marked out of 80 (pass mark 40/80). 
If you fail test (a), your test (b) will not be marked.

The marks obtained in these tests, together with the marks obtained during the assessment centre, 
will count
 towards your final overall mark.
5)   Assessment centre



A maximum of 4,5 times
 the number of successful candidates sought will be invited to this phase. If you meet the eligibility requirements according to the data in your online application and if you scored one of the 
highest overall marks
 at the preliminary tests, you will be invited to attend an assessment centre (online or in-person) over 1 or several days in your 
language 1
. Further details and instructions will be included in your invitation letter.
In this phase, candidates will take the following tests:






a)


A series of multiple-choice questions tests, organised as follows:








Tests


Questions


Duration


Marking




Verbal reasoning


20 questions


35 min


No minimum pass mark required.
Each question is worth 1 point and the overall score will be out of 40. The marks obtained in these tests 
will count
 towards your final overall mark.




Numerical reasoning


10 questions


20 min




Abstract reasoning


10 questions


10 min














b)


An additional set of tests to evaluate your general and field-related competencies. These competencies will be tested through 
three tests
 (situational competency-based interview, competency-based interview, and field-related interview) as described in the following matrices:






Competency


Tests










1.


Analysis and problem solving






Situational competency-based interview










2.


Communication






Competency-based interview










3.


Delivering quality and results






Competency-based interview










4.


Learning and development






Competency-based interview










5.


Prioritising and organising






Situational competency-based interview










6.


Resilience






Competency-based interview










7.


Working with others






Situational competency-based interview










8.


Leadership






Situational competency-based interview








Each competency will be marked out of 10. There is no pass mark per competency. However, candidates must reach a pass mark of at least 40/80 in total for all competencies combined.







Competency


Test


Pass mark




Field-related competencies


Field-related interview to assess your specialist knowledge and command of the language in the field of national law and European Union law. During the interview, you will be asked to give an oral presentation.


10/20




The marks scored in the translation (preliminary) tests 
will be added
 to those scored during the assessment centre phase to give candidates their final overall score.
Unless instructed otherwise, candidates will have to upload — to their EPSO account — scanned copies of the documents supporting the declarations made in their application form. Further details and instructions will be provided by EPSO.
6)   Check of supporting documents and establishment of a reserve list

The Selection Board will check the candidates’ supporting documents following the assessment centre phase and before establishing the reserve list. This involves verifying whether the declarations made in the candidates’ application form (including in sections ‘Education and training’, ‘Professional experience’, and ‘Talent Screener’) are supported by the documents they have uploaded to their EPSO account.
In order to draw up a reserve list, the Selection Board will check the candidates’ files until the number of successful candidates sought is reached. The files of other candidates will not be checked.
The reserve list will therefore only include the names of those eligible candidates who have obtained all pass marks required, as well as the highest overall marks (out of 300), in preliminary and assessment-centre tests. Names will be listed alphabetically.
The reserve list and the competency passports, giving qualitative feedback from the Selection Board of successful candidates, will be made available to the EU institutions for recruitment procedures and future career development.


Inclusion on a reserve list does not confer any right to or guarantee


of


recruitment
.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

EPSO endeavours to apply equal opportunities, treatment and access to all candidates.
If you have a disability or a medical condition that may affect your ability to take the tests, please indicate this in your application form and let us know the type of reasonable accommodations you need.
Discover more about our equal opportunities policy and procedure to request reasonable accommodations on our website (https://epso.europa.eu/how-to-apply/equal-opportunities) and in the General rules of Annex II (under point 1.3).

WHEN AND WHERE CAN I APPLY?

In order to apply, you will first need to create an EPSO account. Please note that you must create only one account for all EPSO applications.
Apply online on the EPSO website https://epso.europa.eu/job-opportunities by:


21 December 2021 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.






ANNEX I
SELECTION CRITERIA
The Selection Board will consider the following criteria for the selection based on qualifications:

1.   

Professional experience in legal translation.



2.   

Professional experience in drafting legal texts.



3.   

Professional legal experience acquired as a self-employed lawyer, or legal experience in a law firm, in a business, in a national administration, in an intergovernmental or in an international organisation, in one of the EU institutions, agencies or other bodies, in a non-governmental organisation or in a university.



4.   

Diploma/certificate/qualification in translation or linguistic/language studies in relation to the languages required for the competition (language 1, 2 or 3).



5.   

Proven knowledge of EU official languages, other than those required/selected for the competition.


End of ANNEX I, click here to return to main text.





ANNEX II
GENERAL RULES GOVERNING OPEN COMPETITIONS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Any reference, in the framework of selection procedures organised by EPSO, to a person of a specific gender must be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of any other gender.
Where candidates tie for the last available place at any stage of the competition, they will all go through to the next stage of the competition. Any re-admitted candidates following a successful appeal will also be invited to the next stage.
Where candidates tie for the last available place on the reserve list, they will all be included on the reserve list. Any re-admitted candidates following a successful appeal at this stage of the procedure will also be added to the reserve list.
1.   WHO CAN APPLY?

1.1.   General and specific conditions

The general and specific conditions (including knowledge of languages) for each field or profile are indicated in the section ‘Am I eligible to apply?’.
Specific conditions regarding qualifications, professional experience and knowledge of languages vary depending on the profile requested. In your application, you should include as much information as possible regarding your qualifications and professional experience (where required) as described in the section ‘Am I eligible to apply?’ of this Notice 
that is relevant to the duties
.






(a)




Diplomas and/or certificates:
 Diplomas, whether issued in EU or non-EU countries, must be recognised by an official EU Member State body, e.g. an EU Member State’s education ministry. The Selection Board will allow for differences between education systems.
For post-secondary education and technical, professional or specialist training, indicate the subjects covered, the duration and whether it was full-time, part-time or an evening class.










(b)




Professional experience
 (if required) will be taken into account only if it is relevant to the required duties and:






—


constitutes genuine and effective work,










—


is remunerated,










—


involves a subordinate relationship or the supply of a service, and










—


subject to the following conditions:






—




voluntary work:
 if remunerated and involving similar weekly hours and duration to a regular job,










—




traineeships:
if remunerated,










—




compulsory military service:
 completed before or after the required diploma for a period not exceeding the statutory duration in your Member State,










—




maternity/paternity/adoption leave
: if covered by an employment contract,










—




doctorate:
 for a maximum of 3 years, provided the doctorate was actually obtained, and whether or not the work was remunerated, and










—




part-time work:
 calculated pro rata on the basis of the number of hours worked, e.g. half-time for 6 months would count as 3 months.












1.2.   Supporting documents

At different steps of the selection procedure, you will need to provide an official document proving your citizenship (e.g. passport or identity card) which must be valid on the closing date of your application (closing date of the first part of your application in the case of a two-part application scenario).
All periods of professional activity must be covered by originals or certified photocopies of:






—




documents from former and current employer(s)
 stating the nature and level of duties performed, and start and end dates, with the official header and stamp of the company, and the name and signature of the person in charge, or










—




employment contract(s) and first and last pay slips
, with a detailed description of the duties performed,










—


(for non-salaried work, e.g. self-employed, liberal professions) 
invoices or order forms
 detailing the work performed or any other relevant official supporting documents,










—


(for conference interpreters where professional experience is required) documents attesting 
the number of days
, and 
languages interpreted
 from and into, relating specifically to conference interpreting.




In general, no supporting documents are required to prove your knowledge of languages, except for some linguist or specialist profiles.
You may be asked for additional information or documents at any stage of the procedure. EPSO will inform you of what supporting documents you need to provide and when.
1.3.   Equal opportunities and special adjustments

If you have a disability or a medical condition that may hinder your ability to sit the tests, please indicate this in your application form and let us know the type of special adjustments you need. If a disability or condition develops after you have validated your application, you must inform EPSO as soon as possible using the information indicated below.
Please note that you will have to send a certificate from your national authority or a medical certificate to EPSO in order for your request to be taken into consideration. Your supporting documents will be examined, so that reasonable accommodation can be made where required.
Should you encounter any accessibility issues, or should you require more information, please contact the EPSO-accessibility team by:






—


email (EPSO-accessibility@ec.europa.eu), or










—


post:





European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)




EPSO accessibility




L107 02/DCS




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË








2.   BY WHOM WILL I BE ASSESSED?

A Selection Board is appointed to compare candidates and select the best ones on the basis of their competencies, aptitudes and qualifications in the light of the requirements set out in this Notice of Competition. Its members also decide on the difficulty of the competition tests and approve their content on the basis of proposals made by EPSO.
To ensure the Selection Board’s independence, it is strictly forbidden for candidates or anyone outside the board to attempt to contact any of its members, except in the context of tests which require direct interaction between the candidates and the board.
Candidates who wish to state their case or assert their rights must do so in writing, addressing their correspondence intended for a Selection Board to EPSO, which will pass it on to the board. Any direct or indirect intervention by candidates that does not comply with these procedures is forbidden and may result in disqualification from the competition.
The existence of a family relationship or a hierarchical link between a candidate and a Selection Board member, in particular, gives rise to a conflict of interest. Selection Boards are asked to declare any such situations to EPSO immediately when they become aware of them. EPSO will evaluate each case individually and take the appropriate measures. The non-respect of the abovementioned rules could make Selection Board members liable to disciplinary action and result in disqualification from the competition for candidates (see Section 4.4).
The names of the Selection Board members are published on the EPSO website (www.eu-careers.eu) before the beginning of the assessment centre/phase.
3.   COMMUNICATION

3.1.   Communication with EPSO

You should consult your EPSO account 
at least twice a week
 to keep track of your progress during the competition. If you are prevented from doing so because of a technical problem on EPSO’s side, you must notify EPSO immediately and exclusively via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en).
EPSO reserves the right not to supply information that is already clearly stated in this Notice of competition, its annexes or on the EPSO website, including under ‘frequently asked questions’.
In all correspondence relating to an application, please mention your 
name
 as given in your EPSO account, your 
application number
 and the 
reference number of the selection procedure
.
EPSO reserves the right to cease any improper (i.e. repetitive, abusive and/or irrelevant) correspondence.
3.2.   Access to information

Candidates have specific rights of access to certain information concerning them individually, granted in the light of the obligation to state reasons, in order to allow for an appeal against rejection decisions.
This obligation to state reasons must be balanced with the confidentiality of the Selection Board proceedings, which ensures the boards’ independence and the objectivity of the selection. Due to confidentiality, attitudes adopted by members of Selection Boards regarding the individual or comparative assessments of candidates cannot be disclosed.
These access rights are specific to candidates in an open competition and legislation on public access to documents may not confer on them rights broader than those specified in this section.
3.2.1.   Automatic disclosure

You will 
automatically receive
 the following information via your EPSO account after each stage of the selection process organised for a given competition:






—




MCQ tests:
 your results and a grid with your answers and the correct answers by reference number/letter. Access to 
the text of the questions and answers is explicitly excluded
,










—




eligibility:
 whether you were admitted; if not, the eligibility conditions that were not met,










—




Talent Screener:
 your results and a grid with the question weightings, the points awarded for your answers and your total score,










—




preliminary tests:
 your results,










—




intermediate tests:
 your results if you are not amongst the candidates invited to the next phase,










—




assessment centre/phase:
 if you are not disqualified, your competency passport showing your overall marks for each competency and the Selection Board’s comment providing quantitative and qualitative feedback on your performance at the assessment centre/phase.




As a rule, EPSO does not communicate to candidates any source texts or test assignments, as these are intended for reuse in future competitions. For certain tests, however, it may exceptionally publish the source texts or assignments on its website if:






—


the tests have been completed,










—


the results have been established and communicated to candidates, and










—


the source texts/assignments are not intended for reuse in future competitions.




3.2.2.   Information on request

You may request an 
uncorrected
 copy of your answers in written tests where the content is 
not intended for reuse
 in future competitions. This explicitly excludes answers to e-tray exercises and case studies.
Your corrected answer papers and the details of the marking, in particular, are covered by the secrecy of Selection Board proceedings and 
will not be disclosed
.
EPSO endeavours to make as much information available to candidates as possible, in accordance with the obligation to state reasons, the confidential nature of Selection Board proceedings and the rules on the protection of personal data. All requests for information will be evaluated in light of these obligations.
Any requests for information should be submitted via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en) within 10 calendar days of the day your results were published in your EPSO account.
4.   COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES

4.1.   Technical and organisational issues

If, at any stage of the selection procedure, you encounter a serious technical or organisational problem, in order to allow us to investigate the issue and take corrective measures, 
please inform EPSO, exclusively
 via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en).
In all correspondence, please mention your 
name
 (as given in your EPSO account), your 
application number
 and the 
reference number of the selection procedure
.


If the problem occurs at a test centre or during remote testing
, please:






—


alert the invigilators immediately so that a solution can be investigated. In any case, ask them to record your complaint in writing, and










—


contact EPSO no later than 3 calendar days after your tests via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en) with a brief description of the problem.




For 
problems occurring outside test centres
 (e.g. issues with test booking, or technical issues during remote testing before you are connected to an invigilator), please follow the instructions in your EPSO account and on EPSO’s website and contact EPSO immediately via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en).
For issues with your application, you must contact EPSO immediately and in any case before the deadline for applications via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en). Queries sent less than 5 working days before the deadline for applications might not be answered before the deadline.
4.2.   Internal review procedures

4.2.1.   Error in the computer-based multiple choice questions (MCQs)

The MCQ database is subject to permanent in-depth quality control by EPSO and Selection Boards.
If you believe that an error in one or more of the MCQs affected your ability to answer, you are entitled to ask for the question(s) to be reviewed by the Selection Board (under the ‘neutralisation’ procedure).
Under this procedure, the Selection Board may decide to cancel the question containing the error and to redistribute the points among the remaining questions of the test. Only those candidates who received that question will be affected by the recalculation. The marking of the tests remains as indicated in the relevant sections of this Notice of Competition.
Arrangements for complaints about the MCQ tests are as follows:






—




procedure:
 please contact EPSO 
only via the EPSO website
 (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en),










—




language:
 in the Language 2 you chose for the competition in question,










—




deadline:
 within 
3 calendar
 days of the date of your computer-based tests,










—




additional information:
 describe what the question was about (content) in order to identify the question(s) concerned, and explain the nature of the alleged error as clearly as possible.






Complaints received after the deadline or that do not clearly describe the contested question(s) and alleged error will not be taken into account.


In particular, complaints merely pointing out alleged issues of translation, and which do not clearly specify the problem, will not be taken into account.


The same review procedure applies with regard to errors in the e-tray exercise.


4.2.2.   Requests for review

You can request a review of any 
decision
 taken by the Selection Board or EPSO that establishes your results and/or determines whether you can proceed to the next stage of the competition or are excluded.
Requests for review may be based on:






—


a material irregularity in the competition process, and/or










—


non-compliance, by the Selection Board or EPSO, with the Staff Regulations, the Notice of Competition, its annexes and/or case-law.




Please note that you are not allowed to challenge the validity of the Selection Board’s assessment of the quality of your performance in a test or the relevance of your qualifications and professional experience. This assessment is a value judgment made by the board and your disagreement with the board’s evaluation of your tests, experience and/or qualifications does not prove that it has made an error. Requests for review submitted on this basis will not lead to a positive outcome.
Arrangements for requests for review are as follows:






—




procedure:
 please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en),










—




language:
 in the Language 2 you chose for the competition in question,










—




deadline:
 within 
10 calendar days
 of the date on which the contested decision was published in your EPSO account,










—




additional information:
 indicate clearly the decision you wish to contest and on what grounds.






Requests received after the deadline will not be taken into account.


You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt within 15 working days. The body which took the contested decision (either the Selection Board or EPSO) will analyse and decide on your request and you will receive a reasoned reply as soon as possible.


If the outcome is positive, you will be re-entered in the selection process at the stage at which you were excluded,
 regardless of how far the competition has progressed in the meantime.
4.3.   Other forms of contestation

4.3.1.   Administrative complaints

As a candidate in an open competition, you have the right to address an administrative complaint to the Director of EPSO acting as the appointing authority.
You may submit a complaint against a decision, or lack thereof, that directly and immediately affects your legal status as a candidate, only if the rules governing the selection procedure have clearly been infringed. 
The Director of EPSO cannot overturn a value judgment made by a Selection Board
 (see Section 4.2.2).
Arrangements for administrative complaints are as follows:






—




procedure:
 please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en),










—




language:
 in the Language 2 you chose for the competition in question,










—




deadline:
 within 
3 months
 of notification of the contested decision or of the date by which a decision should have been made,










—




additional information:
 indicate clearly the decision you wish to contest and on what grounds.






Requests received after the deadline will not be taken into account.


4.3.2.   Judicial appeals

As a candidate in an open competition, you have the right to submit a judicial appeal to the General Court, under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations.
Note that appeals against decisions taken by EPSO rather than by the Selection Board will not be admissible before the General Court unless an administrative complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations has first been made (see Section 4.3.1). In particular, this is the case with the decisions concerning the general eligibility criteria, which are taken by EPSO not the Selection Board.
Arrangements for judicial appeals are as follows:






—




procedure:
 please consult the website of the General Court (https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/).




4.3.3.   European Ombudsman

All EU citizens and residents can make a complaint to the European Ombudsman.


Before you submit a complaint to the Ombudsman, you must first make the appropriate administrative approaches to the institutions and bodies concerned
 (see Sections 4.1–4.3).
Making a complaint to the Ombudsman does not extend the deadlines for lodging administrative complaints or judicial appeals.
Arrangements for complaints to the Ombudsman are as follows:






—




procedure:
 please consult the website of the European Ombudsman (https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/).




4.4.   Disqualification from the selection procedure

You may be disqualified at any stage in a selection procedure if EPSO finds that you:






—


have created more than one EPSO account,










—


have applied to incompatible fields or profiles,










—


do not meet all the eligibility conditions,










—


made false declarations or declarations unsupported by the appropriate documents,










—


have not complied with the terms and conditions for the tests organised remotely,










—


have failed to book or sit one or more of your tests,










—


have cheated during the tests,










—


did not declare in your application form the languages required in this Notice of Competition, or did not declare the minimum level(s) required for those languages,










—


attempted to contact a member of the Selection Board in an unauthorised manner,










—


failed to inform EPSO of a possible conflict of interest with a Selection Board member,










—


submitted your application in a language other than that/those specified in this Notice of Competition (allowances may be made regarding the use of another language for proper nouns, official titles and job titles as indicated in the supporting documents or labels/titles of diplomas), and/or










—


signed or wrote a distinctive mark on anonymously marked written or practical tests.




Furthermore, if you did not participate in the connectivity trial but subsequently took part in remote tests and have connectivity issues, EPSO reserves the right not to reschedule your test.
Candidates for recruitment by the EU institutions must show the highest possible integrity. Fraud or attempted fraud may render you liable to penalty and compromise your eligibility for future competitions.
5.   SECURITY CLEARANCE FOR RECRUITMENT IN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

In accordance with Article 10(2) of Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 (1), all European Commission staff handling sensitive and classified information requiring a high degree of confidentiality (‘EU classified’ information) must have the appropriate level of security authorisation (‘EU SECRET’).
Consequently, successful candidates in a competition may be asked, as a prerequisite for recruitment to certain posts in the European Commission, to submit themselves to the security clearance procedure laid down in the Decision. Such a prerequisite will be clearly indicated in the vacancy notice for the post concerned. Successful candidates shall be prepared to undergo the clearance procedure which is carried out by the national competent authority in the Member State of their nationality. Applicants are advised to inform themselves about the procedure before applying to this competition.
6.   DATA PROTECTION

Your personal data is processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2).
See also the specific privacy statement on personal data protection within the framework of an open competition (3).
End of ANNEX II, click here to return to main text


(1)  Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 of 13 March 2015 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information (OJ L 72, 17.3.2015, p. 53).

(2)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).

(3)  https://epso.europa.eu/content/specific-privacy-statement-personal-data-protection-within-framework-open-competition_en.





ANNEX III
EXAMPLES OF MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER MEMBER STATE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM AND PER GRADE CORRESPONDING, IN PRINCIPLE, TO THOSE REQUIRED BY THE NOTICES OF COMPETITION
Please click here for an easy-to-read version of these examples









COUNTRY


AST-SC 1 to AST-SC 6
AST 1 to AST 7


AST 3 to AST 11


AD 5 to AD 16




Secondary education (giving access to post-secondary education)


Post-secondary education (non-university higher education course or short university course lasting at least two years)


University-level education (lasting at least three years)


University-level education (four years or more)




Belgique — België — Belgien


Certificat de l’enseignement secondaire supérieur (CESS)/Diploma secundair onderwijs
Diplôme d’aptitude à accéder à l’enseignement supérieur (DAES)/Getuigschrift van hoger secundair onderwijs
Diplôme d’enseignement professionnel/Getuigschrift van het beroepssecundair onderwijs


Candidature/Kandidaat
Graduat/Gegradueerde
Bachelor/Professioneel gerichte Bachelor


Bachelor académique (180 crédits)
Academisch gerichte Bachelor (180 ECTS)


Licence/Licentiaat
Master
Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA)
Diplôme d’études spécialisées (DES)
Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS)
Gediplomeerde in de Voortgezette Studies (GVS)
Gediplomeerde in de Gespecialiseerde Studies (GGS)
Gediplomeerde in de Aanvullende Studies (GAS)
Agrégation/Aggregaat
Ingénieur industriel/Industrieel ingenieur
Doctorat/Doctoraal diploma




България


Диплома за завършено средно образование


Специалист по …


 


Диплома за висше образование
Бакалавър
Магистър




Česko


Vysvědčení o maturitní zkoušce


Vysvědčení o absolutoriu (Absolutorium) + diplomovaný specialista (DiS.)


Diplom o ukončení bakalářského studia (Bakalář)


Diplom o ukončení vysokoškolského studia
Magistr
Doktor




Danmark


Bevis for:
Studentereksamen
Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF)
Højere Handelseksamen (HHX)
Højere Afgangseksamen (HA)
Bac pro: Bevis for Højere Teknisk Eksamen (HTX)


Videregående uddannelser
= Bevis for = Eksamensbevis som (erhvervsakademiuddannelse AK)


Bachelorgrad (BA eller BS)
Professionsbachelorgrad
Diplomingeniør


Kandidatgrad/Candidatus
Master/Magistergrad (mag.art)
Licenciatgrad
ph.d.-grad




Deutschland


Abitur/Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife
Fachabitur/Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife


 


Fachhochschulabschluss
Bachelor


Hochschulabschluss/Fachhochschulabschluss/Master
Magister Artium/Magistra Artium
Staatsexamen/Diplom
Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen
Doktorgrad




Eesti


Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus + riigieksamitunnistus
Lõputunnistus kutsekeskhariduse omandamise kohta


Tunnistus keskhariduse baasil kutsekeskhariduse omandamise kohta


Bakalaureusekraad (min 120 ainepunkti)
Bakalaureusekraad (< 160 ainepunkti)


Rakenduskõrghariduse diplom
Bakalaureusekraad (160 ainepunkti)
Magistrikraad
Arstikraad
Hambaarstikraad
Loomaarstikraad
Filosoofiadoktor
Doktorikraad (120–160 ainepunkti)




Éire/Ireland


Ardteistiméireacht, Grád D3, I 5 ábhar/Leaving Certificate Grade D3 in 5 subjects
Gairmchlár na hArdteistiméireachta (GCAT)/Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)


Teastas Náisiúnta/National Certificate
Gnáthchéim bhaitsiléara/Ordinary bachelor degree
Dioplóma náisiúnta (ND, Dip.)/National diploma (ND, Dip.)
Ardteastas (120 ECTS)/Higher Certificate (120 ECTS)


Céim onóracha bhaitsiléara (3 bliana/180 ECTS) (BA, B.Sc, B.Eng)/Honours bachelor degree (3 years/180 ECTS) (BA, B.Sc, B.Eng)


Céim onóracha bhaitsiléara (4 bliana/240 ECTS)/Honours bachelor degree (4 years/240 ECTS)
Céim ollscoile/University degree
Céim mháistir (60-120 ECTS)/Master’s degree (60-120 ECTS)
Dochtúireacht/Doctorate




Ελλάδα


Απολυτήριο Γενικού Λυκείου Απολυτήριο Κλασικού Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Τεχνικού Επαγγελματικού Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Ενιαίου Πολυκλαδικού Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Ενιαίου Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Τεχνολογικού Επαγγελματικού Εκπαιδευτηρίου


Δίπλωμα επαγγελματικής κατάρτισης (ΙΕΚ)


 


Πτυχίο ΑΕΙ (πανεπιστημίου, πολυτεχνείου, ΤΕΙ)
Μεταπτυχιακό Δίπλωμα Ειδίκευσης (2ος κύκλος)
Διδακτορικό Δίπλωμα (3ος κύκλος)




España


Bachillerato + Curso de Orientación Universitaria (COU)
Bachillerato
BUP
Diploma de Técnico especialista


FP grado superior (Técnico superior)


Diplomado/Ingeniero técnico


Licenciatura
Máster
Ingeniero
Título de Doctor




France


Baccalauréat
Diplôme d’accès aux études universitaires (DAEU)
Brevet de technicien


Diplôme d’études universitaires générales (DEUG)
Brevet de technicien supérieur (BTS)
Diplôme universitaire de technologie (DUT)
Diplôme d’études universitaires scientifiques et techniques (DEUST)


Licence


Maîtrise
Maîtrise des sciences et techniques (MST), maîtrise des sciences de gestion (MSG), diplôme d’études supérieures techniques (DEST), diplôme de recherche technologique (DRT), diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS), diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA), master 1, master 2 professionnel, master 2 recherche
Diplôme des grandes écoles
Diplôme d’ingénieur
Doctorat




Hrvatska


Svjedodžba o državnoj maturi
Svjedodžba o završnom ispitu


Stručni pristupnik/pristupnica


Baccalaureus/Baccalaurea (sveučilišni prvostupnik/prvostupnica)


Baccalaureus/Baccalaurea (sveučilišni prvostupnik/prvostupnica)
Stručni specijalist
Magistar struke
Magistar inženjer/magistrica inženjerka (mag. ing)
Doktor struke
Doktor umjetnosti




Italia


Diploma di maturità (vecchio ordinamento)
Perito ragioniere
Diploma di superamento dell’esame di Stato conclusivo dei corsi di studio di istruzione secondaria superiore


Diploma universitario (DU)
Certificato di specializzazione tecnica superiore
Attestato di competenza (4 semestri)


Diploma di laurea — L (breve)


Diploma di laurea (DL)
Laurea specialistica (LS)
Master di I livello
Dottorato di ricerca (DR)




Κύπρος


Απολυτήριο


Δίπλωμα = Programmes offered by Public/Private Schools of Higher Education (for the latter accreditation is compulsory)
Higher Diploma


 


Πανεπιστημιακό Πτυχίο/Bachelor
Master
Doctorat




Latvija


Atestāts par vispārējo vidējo izglītību
Diploms par profesionālo vidējo izglītību


Diploms par pirmā līmeņa profesionālo augstāko izglītību


Bakalaura diploms (min. 120 kredītpunktu)


Bakalaura diploms (160 kredītpunktu)
Profesionālā bakalaura diploms
Maģistra diploms
Profesionālā maģistra diploms
Doktora grāds




Lietuva


Brandos atestatas


Aukštojo mokslo diplomas
Aukštesniojo mokslo diplomas


Profesinio bakalauro diplomas
Aukštojo mokslo diplomas


Aukštojo mokslo diplomas
Bakalauro diplomas
Magistro diplomas
Daktaro diplomas
Meno licenciato diplomas




Luxembourg


Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires et techniques


BTS
Brevet de maîtrise
Brevet de technicien supérieur
Diplôme de premier cycle universitaire (DPCU)
Diplôme universitaire de technologie (DUT)


Bachelor
Diplôme d’ingénieur technicien


Master
Diplôme d’ingénieur industriel
DESS en droit européen




Magyarország


Gimnáziumi érettségi bizonyítvány
Szakközépiskolai érettségi-képesítő bizonyítvány


Felsőfokú szakképesítést igazoló bizonyítvány (Higher Vocational Programme)


Főiskolai oklevél
Alapfokozat (Bachelor degree 180 credits)


Egyetemi oklevél
Alapfokozat (Bachelor degree 240 credits)
Mesterfokozat (Master degree) (Osztatlan mesterképzés)
Doktori fokozat




Malta


Advanced Matriculation or GCE Advanced level in 3 subjects (2 of them grade C or higher)
Matriculation certificate (2 subjects at Advanced level and 4 at Intermediate level including Systems of Knowledge with overall grade A-C) + Passes in the Secondary Education Certificate examination at Grade 5
2 A Levels (passes A-C) + a number of subjects at Ordinary level, or equivalent


MCAST diplomas/certificates
Higher National Diploma


Bachelor’s degree


Bachelor’s degree
Master of Arts
Doctorate




Nederland


Diploma VWO
Diploma staatsexamen (2 diploma’s)
Diploma staatsexamen voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs (Diploma staatsexamen VWO)
Diploma staatsexamen hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs (Diploma staatsexamen HAVO)


Kandidaatsexamen
Associate degree (AD)


Bachelor (WO)
HBO bachelor degree
Baccalaureus of ‘Ingenieur’


HBO/WO Master’s degree
Doctoraal examen/Doctoraat




Österreich


Matura/Reifeprüfung
Reife- und Diplomprüfung
Berufsreifeprüfung


Kollegdiplom/Akademiediplom


Fachhochschuldiplom/Bakkalaureus/Bakkalaurea


Universitätsdiplom
Fachhochschuldiplom
Magister/Magistra
Master
Diplomprüfung, Diplom-Ingenieur
Magisterprüfungszeugnis Rigorosenzeugnis
Doktortitel




Polska


Świadectwo dojrzałości
Świadectwo ukończenia liceum ogólnokształcącego


Dyplom ukończenia kolegium nauczycielskiego
Świadectwo ukończenia szkoły policealnej


Licencjat/Inżynier


Magister/Magister inżynier
Dyplom doktora




Portugal


Diploma de Ensino Secundário
Certificado de Habilitações do Ensino Secundário


 


Bacharel Licenciado


Licenciado
Mestre
Doutorado




România


Diplomă de bacalaureat


Diplomă de absolvire (colegiu universitar)
Învățământ preuniversitar


Diplomă de licenţă


Diplomă de licenţă
Diplomă de inginer
Diplomă de urbanist
Diplomă de master
Certificat de atestare (studii academice postuniversitare)
Diplomă de doctor




Slovenija


Maturitetno spričevalo (spričevalo o poklicni maturi) (spričevalo o zaključnem izpitu)


Diploma višje strokovne šole


Diploma o pridobljeni visoki strokovni izobrazbi


Univerzitetna diploma
Magisterij
Specializacija
Doktorat




Slovensko


Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške


Absolventský diplom


Diplom o ukončení bakalárskeho štúdia (Bakalár)


Diplom o ukončení vysokoškolského štúdia
Bakalár (Bc.)
Magister
Magister/Inžinier
ArtD.




Suomi/Finland


Ylioppilastutkinto tai peruskoulu + kolmen vuoden ammatillinen koulutus – Studentexamen eller grundskola + treårig yrkesinriktad utbildning
Todistus yhdistelmäopinnoista (Betyg över kombinationsstudier)


Ammatillinen opistoasteen tutkinto – Yrkesexamen på institutnivå


Kandidaatin tutkinto – Kandidatexamen/Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto – Yrkeshögskoleexamen (min. 120 opintoviikkoa – studieveckor)


Maisterin tutkinto – Magisterexamen/Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto – Yrkeshögskoleexamen (min. 160 opintoviikkoa – studieveckor)
Tohtorin tutkinto (Doktorsexamen) joko 4 vuotta tai 2 vuotta lisensiaatin tutkinnon jälkeen – antingen 4 år eller 2 år efter licentiatexamen
Lisensiaatti/Licentiat




Sverige


Slutbetyg från gymnasieskolan (3-årig gymnasial utbildning)


Högskoleexamen (80 poäng)
Högskoleexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng
Yrkeshögskoleexamen/Kvalificerad yrkeshögskoleexamen, 1–3 år


Kandidatexamen (akademisk examen omfattande minst 120 poäng, varav 60 poäng fördjupade studier i ett ämne + uppsats motsvarande 10 poäng)
Meriter på grundnivå: Kandidatexamen, 3 år, 180 högskolepoäng (Bachelor)


Magisterexamen (akademisk examen omfattande minst 160 poäng, varav 80 poäng fördjupade studier i ett ämne + uppsats motsvarande 20 poäng eller två uppsatser motsvarande 10 poäng vardera)






—


Licentiatexamen










—


Doktorsexamen




Meriter på avancerad nivå:






—


Magisterexamen, 1 år, 60 högskolepoäng










—


Masterexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng




Meriter på forskarnivå:






—


Licentiatexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng










—


Doktorsexamen, 4 år, 240 högskolepoäng








United Kingdom


General Certificate of Education Advanced level — 2 passes or equivalent (grades A to E)
BTEC National Diploma
General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ), advanced level
Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education, A level (VCE A level)


Higher National Diploma/Certificate (BTEC)/SCOTVEC
Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ)
Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) level 4


(Honours) Bachelor degree
NB: Master’s degree in Scotland


Honours Bachelor degree
Master’s degree (MA, MB, MEng, MPhil, MSc)
Doctorate





NOTE:

UK diplomas awarded in 2020 (until 31 December 2020) are accepted without an equivalence. UK diplomas awarded as from 1 January 2021 must be accompanied by an equivalence issued by a competent authority of an EU Member State.




End of ANNEX III, click here to return to main text