Watchdog attacks ageist institutions

Date: 22/11/01

By Martin Banks

OMBUDSMAN Jacob Soderman has warned the heads of EU institutions that it is "totally unacceptable" for them to apply upper age limits when recruiting staff. The Council of Ministers, European Court of Justice, Court of Auditors and the Economic and Social Committee, all admit imposing an age limit of 45.

But Soderman says this flies in the face of the EU's own Charter of Fundamental Rights which bans age discrimination. He has written to European Commission President Romano Prodi and Parliament President Nicole Fontaine saying: "The institutions that still have age limits argue that young workers are more productive and adaptable, more willing to travel and less likely to be absent from work. These are not, however, objective justifications for discrimination on grounds of age, but derogatory remarks directed against older people."

He has asked Prodi and Fontaine to reply on the issue by the end of this month.

European Ombudsman Jacob Soderman has warned the heads of EU institutions that it is 'totally unacceptable' for them to apply upper age limits when recruiting staff.