Watchdog questions age limit on EU jobs

Date: 29/05/1997

By Leyla Linton

THE European Ombudsman looks set to launch a formal investigation into the EU institutions' policy of barring the over-35s from applying for many of its jobs.

Jacob Soederman says he has received a large number of complaints about the policy, especially from women and would-be applicants for posts from the EU's three newest member states: Austria, Finland and Sweden.

“They cannot understand why you are less qualified when you are 36 years old than at 35,” he said.

Soederman, who is due to decide next month whether to begin an own-initiative inquiry into the policy, added: “I do not think there is anything unlawful about it, but we could always propose that the administration be better.”

A spokesman for Personnel Commissioner Erkki Liikanen defended the policy.

He pointed out that the institution had already lifted the age limit on applications for specialist positions and was considering ways of extending this, but added: “It is in our staff regulations. It is a long tradition.

It happens in other foreign services. It is not something extraordinary.”

Those who support the rule argue that it allows employees to build up pensions and gives younger candidates a chance to compete against older applicants with more experience. They also claim that older people are less likely to move countries and changing the rules could therefore result in some member states being better represented in the EU institutions than others.

But critics say the rule is discriminatory and hypocritical, especially in the light of proposed changes to the Maastricht Treaty which would outlaw age discrimination.

“The EU making pious declarations against discrimination in the new treaty will not mean anything if it is itself practising blatant discrimination,” said British Socialist MEP Thomas Megahy.

“I think it is totally wrong to place arbitrary age limits on recruitment, particularly at a time when the demographic nature of the Union is shifting. There are many people who have a lot of experience and a lot to contribute to the EU institutions.”

Elizabeth Drury, a European Parliament consultant for Eurolink Age, agreed that appointing men and women from industry would bring a great deal of much-needed practical experience and enthusiasm to the EU. She dismissed the pensions argument, pointing out that older candidates for jobs could simply transfer their existing arrangements.

One practical benefit of the age limit for the Commission is that it cuts down on the number of candidates applying for jobs, thereby reducing costs.

In the early Nineties, the institution was handling up to 55,000 applicants for each competition.

The introduction of more specific requirements cut the overall number of candidates in 1996 to 18,000. A total of 100 competitions were organised, which cost the institution 3 million ecu.