The European Commission frequently speaks about talent management, competencies, lifelong learning and the need to build a more modern and agile administration. These themes have become increasingly prominent in discussions surrounding the Large-Scale Review and the future of the European civil service.
At the heart of these discussions lies a simple idea: institutions should be able to identify, develop, and retain talent wherever it exists.
Yet recent feedback received by Generation 2004 raises an important question: does the current system of internal competitions truly recognise professional experience and demonstrated competence, or does it still rely too heavily on formal labels and rigid eligibility criteria?
A recent case brought to our attention illustrates this dilemma.
A colleague participated in the internal competition for Financial Risk Management Officers and Funding Operations Officers. This was not a candidate trying to enter a field without relevant qualifications or experience. The colleague had completed university studies, obtained additional postgraduate qualifications, and accumulated several years of professional experience within the European Commission in areas linked to audit, assurance and risk management.
Most importantly, the colleague successfully passed the field-specific multiple-choice examination designed to assess knowledge in the competition domain.
In other words, the candidate demonstrated through the competition itself that they possessed the knowledge required for the role.
Yet despite this, the candidature was subsequently declared ineligible because the Selection Board concluded that the formal educational requirements laid down in the notice of competition had not been met.
Generation 2004 fully respects the independence of Selection Boards and recognises the need for eligibility criteria. Competitions must be organised according to clear rules and equal treatment must be guaranteed.
However, this case raises a broader and entirely legitimate question.
What role should professional experience play in a modern administration?
Across Europe, both public and private organisations increasingly recognise that skills and competencies are not acquired solely through formal education. Experience, training, professional development and years of practical work also contribute to building expertise.
This is particularly true within the European institutions themselves. Colleagues regularly acquire specialised knowledge through years of hands-on work, often in highly technical fields. They develop expertise by managing files, drafting legislation, conducting audits, negotiating with stakeholders, and solving complex operational problems. In many cases, their practical experience becomes far more relevant to their daily work than the academic qualifications they obtained years or even decades earlier.
This is why cases such as this resonate with so many colleagues.
The issue is not whether formal qualifications should matter. Of course they should.
The issue is whether demonstrated competence, successful performance in a competition and years of relevant professional experience should also carry meaningful weight.
For many colleagues, the message currently circulated appears contradictory. On the one hand, the institution encourages mobility, continuous learning, and skills development. On the other hand, candidates who have already demonstrated the required knowledge may still find themselves excluded because their educational background does not perfectly match predefined categories.
The concern extends beyond individual disappointment.
At a time when the Commission is facing growing recruitment challenges, an ageing workforce and increasing competition for specialised talent, it seems reasonable to ask whether the institution is making full use of the expertise already available within its own services.
The debate is therefore not about one candidate or one competition.
It is about the broader direction of talent management within the European Commission.
If the institution genuinely wishes to move towards a modern, skills-based administration, then professional experience and demonstrated competence cannot remain secondary considerations. They must become an integral part of how talent is identified, assessed and promoted.
Otherwise, there is a risk that the institution continues to overlook precisely the people it is seeking to attract, develop and retain.
The question is simple: in a modern European administration, could colleagues’ abilities matter at least as much as the labels attached to the qualifications they obtained years ago?
It is a question that deserves serious discussion.