Commission delays plans to scrap age limit on jobs

Date: 02/11/00

By John Shelley

THE European Commission has re-affirmed a two-year-old pledge to abolish age limits for new staff, but is warning that older job-seekers may have to wait another two years before the measures come into effect.

Responding to EU Ombudsman Jacob Söderman's complaint that it is taking too long to scrap its ban on applicants over the age of 45, the Commission insists it still intends to change the rules. But it says the reluctance of other Union institutions, such as the European Parliament and Council of Ministers, to fall into line means new rules may not be introduced until wide-ranging reforms of staff working conditions have been agreed, probably in 2002.

"Proposals for modifying staff regulations have to be approved by member states and before we can put it to them, we have to consult the staff on a whole manner of issues," said a spokesman. "This takes time."

The Ombudsman wrote to the Commission in July asking it to explain why it had not fulfilled the promise it made in 1998 to scrap age limits in recruitment competitions, and calling for officials to discuss the issue with other institutions as soon as possible.

In its response, the Commission apologises for leaving Söderman in the dark but says it organised a meeting between top officials in May at which all EU institutions agreed to consider abolishing age limits but decided to wait for the results of a detailed legal analysis of the effects of doing so. That report is still being carried out, with no deadline set for its completion.

A spokesman for Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock said this week it would be technically very difficult for the administration to go it alone on this issue, because it was responsible for organising inter-institutional competitions and not just exams for positions in its own offices. However, officials say an informal agreement between institutions may no longer be the best way forward and suggest it might be better to wait until planned changes to personnel policy in all EU institutions have been formally agreed.

The European Commission has re-affirmed a two-year-old pledge to abolish age limits for new staff, but is warning that older job-seekers may have to wait another two years before the measures come into effect.