‘Narrow’ strategy blamed for weak response to EEA post

Date: 21/02/02

By David Cronin

STAFF at the European Environment Agency (EEA) blame a 'narrow recruitment procedure' for a dearth of applications for the top job with the Copenhagen-based body.

The EEA's executive director, Spanish civil servant Domingo Jiménez-Beltrán, is due to retire from his post in May and only 37 people have sought to be his replacement.

Insiders claim the reason for the low number of applications was that the vacancy was notified only in the EU's Official Journal. 'A lot of people don't read that publication at breakfast,' remarked one, who added that the best way to ensure a highly qualified candidate fills the vacancy is to advertise widely.

Officials have contrasted the recruitment procedure with that used by the fledgling European Food Safety Authority. It has invited applications for its top post by three methods: circulating a note among the EU institutions, advertising in a range of newspapers and magazines and placing a notice in the Official Journal. About 900 responses were received via the first route alone.

The officials also point out that 1,300 people applied for the job before Jiménez-Beltrán was appointed in 1994. He is the first director of the EEA, which assesses EU environment laws.

The European Commission, which is handling the recruitment, has now produced a short-list of four for the post.

The EEA board is due to discuss the contenders at its meeting on 13 March.

One EEA insider suggested that the reason why the EU's executive has chosen a 'minimalist' procedure is that 'from time to time it gets up the nose of the Commission'.

'The agency is legally independent of the Commission, Parliament and Council [of Ministers],' the official said.

'Some would say that the Commission doesn't want it to be independent, that it would prefer it if it is like the Joint Research Centre, which is somewhat under its thumb.'

But a Commission spokeswoman said the recruitment followed a procedure which is 'standard and firmly established in a Council regulation'.

Staff at the European Environment Agency (EEA) blame a 'narrow recruitment procedure' for a dearth of applications for the post of executive director.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/ http://www.eea.europa.eu/

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