2019 EPSO Specialists in Law and Finance Competition Released

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has just released the EPSO/AD/374/19 Notice of Competition – calling forward applications for the EPSO Specialists in Law and Finance (AD7) competition.

• Reference Number: EPSO/AD/374/19
• Open for Applications: 6 June, 2019
• Application Deadline: 9 July, 2019 (12-noon Brussels Time)
• Grade: AD7
• This notice covers five fields. You may only apply to one field.
• This competition includes a Talent Screener

Under the EPSO Specialists in Law and Finance competition, the following fields and reserve lists have been advertised, from which the European Commission in Brussels may recruit new members:

Below we will explore the specifics of this competition and the selection process that you will need to undertake.

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Snapshot of the 2019 EPSO Specialists in Law and Finance Competition

The deadline for registrations is 9 July 2019, at 12 midday (CET).

This competition is being held to recruit Specialists in Law and Finance in the following fields of expertise - Competition law, Financial law, Economic and Monetary Union Law, Financial rules applicable to the EU budget, and Protection of euro coins against counterfeiting.

Successful candidates will be recruited as Administrators at AD7 grade.

Those that successfully make it through the EPSO selection process and get recruited will primarily work for the European Commission in Brussels.

Please see ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition for more specific information regarding each field of expertise.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates will need to satisfy the following:

• Have EU citizenship
• Fulfilled any military service requirements
• Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned
• Have knowledge of at least TWO official EU languages:
  
  • Language 1: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the 24 official EU languages - will be defined as your Language 1.
  • Language 2: Have a good command (minimum B2 level) of either English, French, German OR Italian and MUST BE different to your Language 1 choice - will be defined as your Language 2. (Please note that the application's Talent Screener component must be filled out in Language 2)
• Qualifications & Work Experience:
  • Administrators in Competition Law:

1. Must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 6 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of competition rules and procedures OR
2. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 7 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of competition rules and procedures OR
3. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in another field. PLUS a minimum of 8 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of competition rules and procedures OR
4. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in another field. PLUS a minimum of 9 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of competition rules and procedures.

• Administrators in Financial Law:

1. Must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 6 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of financial rules and procedures OR
2. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 7 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of financial rules and procedures.

• Administrators in Economic and Monetary Union Law:

1. Must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 6 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of EMU rules and procedures OR
2. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 7 years' relevant professional experience, related to the application of EMU rules and procedures.

• Administrators in Financial rules applicable to the EU budget:

1. Must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 6 years' relevant professional experience, related to the financial rules and procedures applicable to the EU Budget OR
2. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in Law. PLUS a minimum of 7 years' relevant professional experience, related to the financial rules and procedures applicable to the EU Budget OR
3. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in another field. PLUS a minimum of 8 years' relevant professional experience, related to the financial rules and procedures applicable to the EU Budget OR
4. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in another field. PLUS a minimum of 9 years' relevant professional experience, related to the financial rules and procedures applicable to the EU Budget.

• Administrators in Protection of euro coins against counterfeiting:

1. Must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma. PLUS a minimum of 6 years' relevant professional experience, related to the protection of the euro against counterfeiting OR
2. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma. PLUS a minimum of 7 years' relevant professional experience, related to the protection of the euro against counterfeiting.

Please consult ANNEX IV of the Notice of Competition for examples of minimum qualifications.  

Selection Process

Please note: You must complete the Talent Screener in your Language 2 – this means in either English, French, German OR Italian​.

1. PRE-SELECTION EXAM

This phase of the competition is made up of a series of computer-based multiple-choice questions and reasoning tests. If the number of candidates exceeds a certain threshold, these tests will be held at the start of the competition process otherwise it will be held at the Assessment Centre phase.

The results of the computer-based MCQ tests are eliminatory and will not be taken into account in your final overall marks.

However, you must reach the minimum pass mark in all tests in order to qualify for the next stage of the competition.

2. ELIGIBILITY CHECK

EPSO will check the data provided by each candidate via their online application against the eligibility requirements of this competition. Remember that you can fill out your application in any of the 24 Official EU languages - except for the Talent Screener!

3. TALENT SCREENER

You MUST complete your Talent Screener in Language 2 - English, French, German OR Italian.

The selection board assigns a weighting to each selection criterion and based on the information provided in the Talent Screener each candidate will receive a score. Only those candidates with the highest overall marks will go through to the next stage. Therefore, you should include all relevant information in your Talent Screener answers, even if you have already mentioned it in other sections of your application form. The questions are based on the selection criteria included in this notice - see ANNEX II for the list of criteria.

Need help with your EPSO application or Talent Screener?
Take a look at our Application Assistance service

4. ASSESSMENT CENTRE

Those who scored the highest marks in the Talent Screener will be invited to the Assessment Centre. A maximum of 3 times the number of successful candidates sought for each grade will be invited to this phase.

Please note that the Assessment Centre will most likely take place in Brussels and will need to be completed in your chosen Language 2.

8 general competencies, as well as field-related competencies required for each field, will be tested through 4 tests:

1. Case Study
2. Group Exercise
3. General Competency-based Interview
4. Field-Related Interview

Each competency will be awarded a mark out of 10, with a total pass mark required of 40/80. 

5. RESERVE LIST

After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List (for each grade) of the eligible candidates who obtained the highest overall score, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached.

How Can You Apply?

Make sure to ALWAYS check the official Notice of Competition and understand the rules relating to the exams. For full details on this profile and the selection procedure read the official Notice of Competition and the General Rules Governing Open Competitions to ensure you have the required qualifications and satisfy the eligibility criteria before applying. 

To start the application process, click below for the different fields:

• Administrators in Competition Law
• Administrators in Financial Law
• Administrators in Economic and Monetary Union Law
• Administrators in Financial rules applicable to the EU budget
• Administrators in Protection of euro coins against counterfeiting

Are You New to EPSO Competitions? 

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If you have a question or need additional help in understanding the EPSO processes, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Want to see what these EPSO Pre-Selection exams look like? 
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Unsure how the EPSO selection process works? 
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Useful reading:

The Motivation Challenge - What To Write In Your EPSO Application?

How To Make The Most Of Your EPSO Talent Screener

13 Best EPSO Preparation Resources - Free and Paid

What EU Job Applicants Should Always Keep in Mind

6 Reasons Why EU Exam Candidates Fail