Malta among 15 countries underrepresented in EU Commission roles
Commission to implement new recruitment measures in 2026 to improve geographical diversity
Malta is one of 15 EU member states currently underrepresented in the European Commission’s Administrator (AD) function group, according to new figures.
The Commission said that 15 out of 27 nationalities are underrepresented among administrative officials. Alongside Malta, these include Austria, Czechia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.
On November 6, the Commission adopted new measures aimed at improving the geographical diversity of its staff including a revised methodology to ensure a better balance between all member states in recruitment.
As part of the initiative, candidates from underrepresented countries will be prioritised during selection. Measures will include interviewing at least one national from an underrepresented country, giving preference to equally qualified candidates from those states, and setting recruitment targets.
Peter Agius, MEP and appointed rapporteur on the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) reform, welcomed the changes.
“I welcome the Commission’s decision to strive to increase the number of Maltese officials at administrator level. We need to open up more opportunities for Maltese in Brussels. This helps to make European decisions more in touch with island realities and contributes to a wider EU-knowledge community for Malta to be better geared to tap into EU opportunities," he said.
Director-General for Human Resources, Stephen Quest, said the reforms would not disadvantage candidates from well-represented countries.
“We will uphold merit-based recruitment as our guiding principle," Quest said.
"While the decision encourages the recruitment of underrepresented nationals, our focus remains on hiring the most qualified candidate for each position, regardless of nationality."
He added the EU will continue to seek candidates and staff from all 27 member states.
"This is why we're expanding our outreach efforts to help us attract top talent from across the EU," Quest said.
The new measures will come into effect in early 2026.