Resolution on organisational mismanagement of European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) competitions

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the organisational mismanagement of European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) competitions.

EPSO is responsible for selecting staff for all EU institutions, bodies and agencies, and must uphold the highest standards of professionalism, impartiality and transparency. Petition No 0525/2025 submitted by an EU citizen expressed serious concerns over repeated organisational and technical failures in EPSO competitions over the past two years, including the cancellation of tests and competitions, frequent reruns of test sessions, excessively long timelines and poor communication with candidates. Representatives of the staff committees and the trade unions have also repeatedly expressed their concerns about the malfunctioning of EPSO.

Parliament strongly condemned the repeated technical, organisational and procedural shortcomings in the functioning of EPSO which have had a significant impact on citizens’ trust in the EU recruitment process. It strongly believes that EPSO should prioritise solving all its severe shortcomings in organising selection procedures, to avoid further serious damage to its intended role, which is to secure the services of officials of the highest standards of ability, efficiency and integrity for the EU institutions, recruited on the broadest possible geographical basis from among nationals of the EU Member States.

The resolution stressed the urgent need to restore the integrity, transparency, accountability and predictability of EPSO selection procedures in order to repair the reputational damage done to the EU institutions, ensure proper functioning of the EU civil service and guarantee equal treatment of candidates from all Member States. Parliament expressed its dissatisfaction at the negative impact of the organisational mismanagement of EPSO competitions on candidates’ psychological well-being and their financial and personal circumstances owing to the various shortcomings of the selection process, such as repeated cancellations or over-reliance on digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions without proper human oversight.

Parliament called on the Commission, with input from the Ombudsman and independent experts in digital testing, to carry out a thorough, transparent and independent assessment of EPSO’s management, systems, outsourcing and procedures, particularly with regard to the implementation of remote testing, its technological feasibility, the over-reliance on external contractors, including those using platforms with servers that are based outside the EU, the handling of candidate complaints, and communication practices, with a view to addressing the causes of EPSO’s maladministration and restoring trust in the EU recruitment process.

Furthermore, Parliament stressed that EPSO is responsible for the quality and clarity of the language used in all 24 languages in which tests are available and that it must urgently address shortcomings in this regard.

The ESPO is urged to:

- reintroduce on-site, EPSO-certified test facilities that would be accessible to candidates, in parallel with remote testing, giving candidates the option to choose their preferred mode, ensuring fair and uniform testing conditions, equal opportunities and inclusiveness;

- review its testing methods with a view to making them user-friendly and to put in place a system in which digital technology and AI will be subject to human oversight and verification by competent staff, at every step of the process;

- ensure equal access to testing and recruitment procedures for persons with disabilities, including persons with learning disabilities and neurodivergent conditions;

- make use of systematic anonymous post-test surveys by using an EU-secured platform and structured consultation, to continuously improve selection procedures and address recurring issues;

- enhance its contact point with multilingual capacity and extended availability, so that it can assist candidates in-house and in real time during and after test sessions, with a particular focus on accessibility and inclusion;

- develop a transparent and comprehensive communications policy, including a clear and reliable competition timetable for each phase, and proactive updates, through multiple official channels, about changes to timelines, technical

incidents and corrective measures;

- ensure transparency of the criteria used when shortlisting candidates invited to sit the tests for CAST (Contract Agents Selection Tool) selection procedures; calls on EPSO to clearly communicate forthcoming CAST examination dates on its website with reasonable advance notice.

Parliament considered that the increasing reliance on temporary staff and short-term contracts in the EU institutions is also a direct consequence of EPSO’s inefficiency, and might undermine the necessary stability and quality of EU public service employment. It called for urgent measures to reverse this trend and to guarantee dignified and secure working conditions.

The Commission should report to Parliament on the implementation of the requested reforms, including benchmarks and performance indicators, within six months of the adoption of this resolution.