Commission ‘hits target’ for recruitment of officials from Bulgaria and Romania

The European Commission announced yesterday (8 February) that it had exceeded its target for recruiting to its ranks officials from Bulgaria and Romania.

In total, since those countries joined the European Union in 2007, 1,205 recruits from Bulgaria and Romania have been hired, exceeding the Commission’s target of 977. Of those hired, 727 posts will be filled by Romanian nationals and 478 by Bulgarians. A large majority of the recruits have filled lower-level posts as assistants and administrators.

All 63 posts open to the two countries in middle-management positions have been filled.

In the ranks of senior managers, 15 posts were reserved for candidates from Romania and Bulgaria: one director-general, one deputy director-general post and 13 directors.

But the two most senior posts have not been filled.

A spokesman for Maroš Šefc?ovic?, the European commissioner for inter-institutional relations and administration, blamed a lack of suitable candidates, adding that two candidates had pulled out at the last minute for the director-general and deputy director-general openings. Those two posts will now be opened to candidates from any member state.

Click Here: Cheap Golf Golf Clubs

Šefc?ovic? said the Commission had managed to hire “some of the brightest and best people” from both countries.

A spokesman said the Commission had met a self-imposed deadline of the end of last year to ensure there was a fair representation of officials from the two member states within the Commission.

He added that the recruitment from the two countries had also improved the gender balance at management level, because women had filled 60% of the posts in middle management and 46% of the posts in senior management.