European Administrative School

Decision 2005/118/EC establishing the European Administrative School

Decision 2005/119/EC — organisation and operation of the European Administrative School

Decision 2005/118/EC sets up the European Administrative School with the purpose of providing professional training to the staff of the signatory institutions (the European Parliament, the Council, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions and the European Ombudsman).
Decision 2005/119/EC sets out the rules for the organisation and running of the school.Both Decision 2005/118/EC and Decision 2005/119/EC have applied since 10 February 2005.

Purpose

This interinstitutional school organises training activities to improve skills and knowledge of people working in the signatory organisations. The purpose is is to transmit values common to all the EU institutions. It is responsible for:

designing, organising and evaluating training activities;
facilitating participating in training activities organised externally;
carrying out any tasks related to or in support of its duties.

Types of training

The school offers the following types of training:
management courses for those who have (or are likely to have) a management role;
induction courses for newly recruited staff members;
compulsory training who are transferring between function groups, for example, moving from a clerical or secretarial role to an executive role.

The institutions are free to supplement these courses with courses more in line with their specific needs.
The school may also offer courses requested by other EU bodies, agencies or offices so long as these do not hinder the organisation of courses for the institutions.

Trainers and training venues

Officials are made available from the signatory institutions to serve as trainers.
As a general rule, the courses are organised in Brussels and Luxembourg, but training may take place at other locations.

Organisation of activities

The school’s management board must ensure balanced access to courses for staff in the different institutions.
The school must ensure that a minimum number of places are available where training is obligatory or is a precondition for exercising a given function, particularly a management one.
The school may be required to deal with temporary or special situations which may require it to admit more training participants than normal. In this case, the relevant institutions must transfer the necessary financial resources.
The school may cooperate with other colleges, institutes and universities active in the same field.

Management

The school is attached to the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). This means that:
the office’s management board acts as the school’s management board;
the office’s head is also the principal of the school and is responsible for appointing staff;
the school’s staff are assigned to posts belonging to the office;
the school’s revenue and expenditure are an integral part of the office’s budget.
The management board takes decisions on:
the operation of the school,
its structure,
its budget and annual management report,
its work programme,
the rates the school charges for its services, and
how each institution is to provide the school with an adequate number of officials to serve as trainers.

DOCUMENTS

Decision 2005/118/EC of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Ombudsman of 26 January 2005 setting up a European Administrative School (OJ L 37, 10.2.2005, pp. 14-16)

Decision 2005/119/EC of the Secretaries-General of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions and the Representative of the European Ombudsman of 26 January 2005 on the organisation and running of the European Administrative School (OJ L 37, 10.2.2005, pp. 17-20)

Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

Decision 2002/620/EC setting up a personnel selection office for the EU institutions

Decision 2002/621/EC on the organisation and operation of the personnel selection office for the EU institutions

Decision 2002/620/EC sets up the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) responsible for recruiting staff for the EU institutions, agencies and bodies.
Decision 2002/621/EC sets out the rules on the organisation and operation of EPSO.

Duties

EPSO is responsible for operating the staff selection process for EU institutions, agencies and bodies. It does this by organising open competitions, the results of which permit it to draw up reserve lists of suitable candidates.
It works closely with the institutions so as to assess future staffing needs and prepares a programme of competitions to meet those needs.
It develops selection methods and techniques that are based on best practice and are in line with the required skills profiles.
It manages and monitors the use of the reserve lists drawn up following the competitions.

Selection procedures

Each EU institution has to make a sufficient number of selection board members, examiners and supervisors available to EPSO to allow the selection procedures to proceed smoothly.
The decision to nominate successful candidates is taken by the appointing authorities of the relevant EU institutions, agencies and bodies.

Additional services

EPSO may also do the following.

Agree to organise selection procedures for staff recruited by any body, office or agency. Before agreeing to do so, the head of EPSO needs the approval of EPSO’s management board. Any such agreement must cover the financial arrangements relating to the services provided by EPSO.
Provide technical support for internal competitions organised by individual institutions, offices, agencies and bodies.
Organise selection procedures for categories other than officials, such as contract agents and temporary agents, and draw up reserve lists of suitable applicants.

Management board

EPSO has a management board which comprises one member per institution and three staff representatives with observer status appointed by the institutions’ staff committees (trade unions).
The management board’s main tasks include:
approving the rules governing EPSO’s operation and its organisational structure;
approving the principles governing EPSO’s selection policy;
approving the rates chargeable for EPSO’s additional services;
agreeing rules whereby each institution is to make a suitable number of selection board members, examiners and supervisors available to EPSO.

Appointment of EPSO staff

The European Commission appoints the head of EPSO once the management board has issued a favourable opinion in regard to the candidate. The head is responsible for EPSO’s smooth operation and for appointing its staff. The head is appointed for a 5-year term which may be renewed once.

Budget and accounts

EPSO’s budget falls within the section of the EU’s budget relating to the European Commission. EPSO’s accounts must be drawn up in line with the Commission’s accounting rules and methods. It must keep separate accounts of revenue from payments for services provided.

Decisions 2002/620/EC and 2002/621/EC have applied since 26 July 2002.

DOCUMENTS

Decision 2002/620/EC of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Ombudsman of 25 July 2002 establishing a European Communities Personnel Selection Office — Declaration by the Bureau of the European Parliament (OJ L 197, 26.7.2002, pp. 53-55)

Decision 2002/621/EC of the Secretaries-General of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, the Registrar of the Court of Justice, the Secretaries-General of the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, and the Representative of the European Ombudsman of 25 July 2002 on the organisation and operation of the European Communities Personnel Selection Office (OJ L 197, 26.7.2002, pp. 56-59)

Successive amendments to Decision 2002/621/EC have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

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