*Update 10.11.2024 the European Court of Auditors, Special report 24/2024: EU Civil service–A flexible employment framework, insufficiently used to improve workforce management, 2024 coincides with many of the issues we have pointed out below. Check it out!*
Original article: For almost two years, Generation 2004 has been flagging* the glaring inefficiencies of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). Now, the European Ombudsman has confirmed our concerns, highlighting how EPSO bungled candidate complaints about technical issues during remote tests.
Moreover, in a series of cases, EPSO dismissed candidates’ complaints for failing to provide elusive ‘ticket numbers’ from technical support, despite candidates following the proctors’ guidance and only becoming aware of issues post-test, i.e. when it was no longer possible to obtain such a reference number. In other situations candidates were unsuccessful in following EPSO’s convoluted instructions to report technical issues during remote tests, and were subsequently told that they must not have done it correctly, only to have EPSO later admit there were indeed server issues on the test day.
The Ombudsman, which has done several investigations in the past year, found EPSO’s instructions unclear and selectively applied, calling the handling of these complaints maladministration. At the same time, in other cases the Ombudsman pointed out the absurdity of EPSO’s stance, highlighting that candidates couldn’t report certain technical issues that they were not aware of until after the test. The Ombudsman slammed EPSO for not addressing legitimate concerns and for its lack of clarity and flexibility. The Ombudsman noted in another case EPSO’s rigidity and lack of proper investigation.
A simple view shows that EPSO has a very narrow interpretation of instructions, demonstrating its systemic flaws. EPSO is failing to consider individual circumstances and it is proving its robotic insistence on bureaucratic procedures. These rigid and unreasonable responses highlight EPSO’s systemic flaws.
Generation 2004 is demanding again and again:
– more transparent and clearer rules and procedures when describing the process of remotely testing
– more flexible manner when analyzing and investigating different individual cases, taking into consideration the particular aspects of each person
– more coherent and inclusive rules to avoid mishandlings of specific cases
– better and equal testing conditions for all candidates, by offering both remote and testing center options.
From our perspective, EPSO is not just failing candidates: our current and future colleagues are treated disrespectfully, as though they were all by default untrustworthy cheaters, but at the same time, EPSO is also dragging down the public image and credibility of the European institutions, which makes it a less attractive working place. The incoherence and opacity of EPSO’s rules are not just administrative oversights — they are barriers to fairness and transparency. Therefore, we consider that EPSO must:
– Establish coherent and inclusive rules: avoid such mishandlings and ensure fair and transparent selection processes.
– Ensure equal opportunities: guarantee equal testing conditions for all candidates, offering both remote and testing-centre options regardless of financial status.
EPSO, it’s high time you do your job!
The European Commission’s reputation and the trust of future civil servants are at stake. We’ve been sounding the alarm for years — this inefficiency is not just problematic; it’s embarrassing. Reform is not just necessary, it’s overdue.
As always, we would love to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us or leave a comment below.
If you appreciate our work, please consider becoming a member of Generation 2004.
*we have many other articles on the topic: data, language choice, survey, cancellation, etc.
