Three Maltese candidates pass EU head-of-unit exam

Three Maltese candidates have been successful in an examination for prospective heads of unit within the European Commission.

The three Maltese are among 80 successful candidates. In all about 30 Maltese sat the exam. A head of unit is among the highest posts in the hierarchy of the EU administration.

The EU does not give out the names of the successful candidates until they are called to fill their post. The names will be placed on a reserve list and they will be called to occupy the post when a DG asks for heads of specific units to be appointed. The candidates will have to sit for an interview before being appointed.

The positions of head of unit are expected to be filled within the coming 12 months.

No Maltese candidate has yet been chosen to occupy the post of director general or deputy director general within the Commission. At this level, the European Commission will recruit one official from each of the 10 new member states.

Maltese candidates, including current and former ambassadors, university professors and top civil servants are known to have applied for these posts although none has so far been selected.

Five out of 10 nomination decisions in this category have been made with one candidate each from Cyprus, Slovenia and Hungary and two from the Czech Republic.

The selection process of heads of representation is continuing with the first nomination decisions expected by July. Nine candidates have been short-listed for the Maltese post.

The Commission yesterday gave details on the general recruitment results.

Commission Vice President Sim Kallas said during a press conference that the Commission has largely met its ambitious plans and that the procedure has reached "cruising speed".

The Commission set an overall indicative recruitment target from the new member states over a seven-year transitional period (2004 - 2010) at 3,441 establishment posts.

Mr Kallas explained that at the beginning of this month, the Commission had recruited 1,081 officials and temporary staff from the new member countries out of a target of 1,529 posts set for 2004 and 2005.

Of these, 43 were Maltese, 31 of them as officials and 12 for secretarial duties.

Asked how the Commission is ensuring that there is a balance between the nationalities of the new recruits, Mr Kallas said the aim of the Commission is to strike an appropriate balance of staff from each of the new member states across all grades and staff categories. The main factor in determining recruitment is individual merit.

If the number of officials recruited from a particular member state, at a certain level, falls below two-thirds of the indicative mark, the Commission will take the necessary corrective measures.