Call for expression of interest for the selection of the standing high-level Chair and standing high-level Vice-Chair of the Panel referred to in Article 145 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council
Date: 2026-02-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Budget, European Commission
Subjects: administrative sanction, competition (EU), financial control, financial regulation, fraud against the EU, job vacancy, management committee (EU), president of an institution, recruitment, vice-president of an institution








C_202600997EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/997


16.2.2026






Call for expression of interest for the selection of the standing high-level Chair and standing high-level Vice-Chair of the Panel referred to in Article 145 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(C/2026/997)


          
      
I.   Introduction

The Commission is seeking suitable high-level candidates of proven competence, independence and integrity for the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, of the Panel referred to in Article 145 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) (‘the Panel’) from 17 November 2026.
The European Commission manages the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES). EDES was set up in 2016 and is rooted in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 (‘the Financial Regulation’) (Articles 137 to 146). EDES is a strong tool for reinforcing the protection of the EU’s financial interests against unreliable persons and entities, in particular by excluding them from participating in award procedures under the Financial Regulation and from implementing Union funds.
As the requirements for the two posts are substantively identical, applicants will be considered for both positions unless they specifically indicate that they are only applying for one of the two positions.
II.   The Panel

The coherence of the EDES procedure is ensured by the Panel.
The key responsibilities of the Panel are the following:






—


to assess requests by authorising officers of the Commission and the other Union institutions and bodies for preliminary classifications in law of conduct on the basis of established facts and findings in relation to conduct that may give rise to an exclusion situation,










—


to adopt recommendations on the administrative measures to be taken with respect to entities in exclusion situations, i.e. exclusion, the imposition of financial penalties and, where applicable the publication of information relating to the exclusion or financial penalties, following a request from an authorising officer by delegation.




The Panel is composed of:






—


a standing high-level independent chair appointed by the Commission (‘the Chair’),










—


a standing high-level independent vice-chair appointed by the Commission (the ‘Vice-Chair’),










—


two joint representatives of the Commission (two permanent members designated by the Commission),










—


one representative of the requesting authorising officer.




Under Article 93 of the Financial Regulation, the Panel is also responsible for assessing cases of financial irregularities involving EU staff. In such cases, the Panel has three additional members (a representative of the competent appointing authority, a member appointed by the competent staff committee and a member of the legal service of the Union institution or body concerned).
Commission Decision (EU) 2025/2024 (2) sets out the rules of procedure that govern the way the Panel organises its work.
The Panel is supported by a permanent secretariat provided by the Commission that is administratively attached to the Directorate-General for Budget. The deliberations and written procedures before the Panel are generally conducted in English.
III.   The Chair

With the assistance of the permanent secretariat, the Chair:






—


represents the Panel and signs recommendations and other formal communications on behalf of the Panel,










—


presides over the Panel’s deliberations, which are normally conducted in a physical or virtual meeting but which may also be conducted in writing,










—


facilitates the decision-making process and fosters consensus between the members of the Panel with a view to establishing preliminary classifications in law and adopting recommendations,










—


organises the work of the Panel and sets the schedule of the Panel’s meetings,










—


invites, as necessary, any other authorising officers to attend meetings of the Panel as observers, and










—


ensures, where appropriate, close cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).




The indicative number of working days per year required to accomplish the tasks described above is as follows:






—


twenty-four (24) working days to attend meetings,










—


ninety-six (96) working days to carry out preparatory and administrative work.




The Chair’s term of office is five years and is not renewable.
IV.   The Vice-Chair

The Vice-Chair actively participates in the Panel’s deliberations and acts as chair of the Panel if the Chair is unable to perform his/her functions.
The indicative number of working days per year required to accomplish the tasks described above is as follows:






—


twenty-four (24) working days to attend meetings,










—


sixty-six (66) working days to carry out preparatory work.




The Vice-Chair’s term of office is five years and is not renewable.
V.   Eligibility criteria (common to the Chair and the Vice-Chair)

The Chair and the Vice-Chair must be former members of the Court of Justice of the European Union or the Court of Auditors or be former officials who have had at least the rank of Director-General in a Union institution other than the Commission.
In addition, candidates must fulfil the following formal criteria by the closing date for applications:






—



Nationality: be a national of a Member State of the European Union.










—



University degree or diploma:






—


Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies, attested by a diploma, for which the normal period of university education is at least four years, or










—


Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies, attested by a diploma for which the normal period of university education is at least three years, and appropriate professional experience of at least one year (this one year of professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below).














—



Professional experience: have at least 15 years’ postgraduate experience acquired after the degree or diploma referred to above was obtained, out of which five years in domains relevant to law, economics and/or finance.










—



Languages: have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union and a satisfactory knowledge of at least one other official language.










—



Independence and conflict of interests: he/she will be independent in the performance of his/her duties. He/she will not have a conflict of interests between his/her duties as Chair or Vice-Chair and any other official duties.




VI.   Selection criteria

The Chair and the Vice-Chair will be selected on the basis of their:






—


personal and professional qualities,










—


extensive experience in legal and financial matters, and










—


proven competence and integrity.




Essential criteria:






—


a thorough knowledge of the legal and financial sectors of the European Union,










—


strong conceptual and analytical skills,










—


excellent written and oral communication skills, particularly in English, in order to be able to communicate efficiently and effectively with internal and external stakeholders and to defend the Panel’s position in European and international fora.




Desirable criteria:






—


thorough knowledge of the EU Financial Regulations and Staff Regulations,










—


knowledge of the European Commission’s Anti-Fraud Strategy,










—


experience in the treatment of cases of fraud and irregularities at Union or national level,










—


an understanding of Union procurement and grant procedures,










—


professional experience in presenting the results of analyses at conferences, seminars or workshops,










—


experience in high judicial functions.




VII.   Independence and declaration of interests (common to the Chair and the Vice-Chair)

The Chair and the Vice-Chair must each act independently and may neither seek nor take instructions from the institutions or bodies of the European Union or any other public or private body.
The Chair and the Vice-Chair will be required to submit:






—


a declaration of their commitment to act independently in the public interest,










—


a declaration listing all other activities that they carry out,










—


a declaration in respect of any interests which might be considered prejudicial to their independence.




Candidates must confirm their willingness to provide these declarations in their application.
VIII.   Terms of appointment (common to the Chair and the Vice-Chair)

The Chair and the Vice-Chair will be appointed following a selection procedure.
Having assessed all applications, the most qualified candidates will be called for an interview.
The Commission will establish a ranking list of the most qualified candidates for the position of Chair and will offer the position to the most highly ranked candidate. Once the successful candidate for the position of Chair has accepted the position, the Commission will establish a ranking list of the most qualified candidates for Vice-Chair, taking into account the need for the Vice-Chair to have a professional profile that is complementary to that of the Chair, including having gained his/her extensive experience in a different EU institution or institutions from that of the Chair.
IX.   Equal opportunities

The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without discrimination on the ground of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.
X.   Conditions of employment of the Chair and the Vice-Chair

The Chair and the Vice-Chair will be appointed for a non-renewable period of five years; however, they may be required to remain in office for up to six months after their terms expires if necessary to ensure the functioning of the Panel until their successor has taken up their functions.
For administrative purposes, the Chair and Vice-Chair will be attached to the cabinet of the Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration as special advisers within the meaning of Article 5 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union. In keeping with human resources policies, the initial employment contracts of the Chair and Vice-Chair will run for two-year periods but will be renewed through the end of their terms of office (including any transitional periods) in order to ensure their independence.
The Chair and the Vice-Chair will receive a fee for each day of work. This fee will be calculated on the basis of the basic salary of an official of the European Union in grade AD 16, step 1. It will be subject to a tax for the benefit of the European Union. The Chair will be expected to work a maximum of 120 days over the course of a year, and the Vice-Chair will be expected to work a maximum of 90 days over the course of the year.
The Panel is based in Brussels (Belgium). Because most of the Panel’s meetings are held virtually on Microsoft Teams, the successful candidates will not be required to relocate to Brussels. Occasional travel to Brussels or other locations may be required. The Chair and Vice-Chair will be entitled to reimbursement of mission expenses on the terms laid down in the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and in the implementing provisions adopted by the Commission.
XI.   How to apply

Please note:
For applications to be valid, prospective candidates must send their CV and a motivation letter (maximum 8 000 characters) in Word or PDF format to the following address:

BUDG-AVIS-DE-VACANCES@ec.europa.eu.
Prospective candidates also need to indicate clearly in their CV and/or motivation letters a valid email address. This address will be used to confirm that we have received your application and to keep you informed about the outcome of the selection procedure. Please inform the European Commission of any change of email address by sending an email to:

BUDG-AVIS-DE-VACANCES@ec.europa.eu.
To facilitate the selection process, all communication with candidates concerning the selection procedure will be in English.
If you require more information, please send an email to:

BUDG-AVIS-DE-VACANCES@ec.europa.eu.
XII.   Deadline

The closing deadline for applications is 
               17 March 2026.

The Commission reserves the right to extend the closing date of this call for expression of interest by publication in the Official Journal of the European Union only.
XIII.   Protection of personal data

The Commission will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(1)  Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj).

(2)  Commission Decision (EU) 2025/2024 of 9 October 2025 on the rules of procedure of the panel referred to in Article 145 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L, 2025/2024, 10.10.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/2024/oj).

(3)  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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/997/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)