An open competition, also called a concours, is the standard EPSO route to becoming a permanent EU official. It is a public, merit-based selection open to any eligible EU national, and it produces a reserve list from which the institutions recruit for permanent posts.
Open competitions are the backbone of EU recruitment for permanent staff. They start with a notice of competition published in the Official Journal, which fixes the profile, grade, eligibility conditions and test structure. Candidates then work through the stages the notice defines: computer-based pre-selection tests of reasoning and, for specialists, a talent screener assessed by the selection board, followed by the assessment centre that scores the general competencies. Candidates who pass every stage and rank within the number of laureates sought are placed on the reserve list, and the institutions recruit from that list when matching vacancies arise. Open competitions differ from internal competitions, which are restricted to serving staff, and from the direct selection procedures agencies use to hire temporary and contract agents. They also differ from CAST, the open-ended contract-agent database, in that they lead to established, permanent official status rather than fixed-term contracts. Generalist AD 5 competitions for recent graduates and specialist competitions for experienced professionals are both run as open competitions. Because the process is competitive and standardised, thorough preparation for each stage, and close reading of the notice, are what separate laureates from the rest of the field.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between an open competition and CAST?
- An open competition leads to permanent official status via a reserve list, with a fixed notice, tests and number of laureates. CAST is an open-ended database used to recruit fixed-term contract agents, with no calendar and no permanent status at the end.
- Who can apply to an open competition?
- Any national of an EU member state who meets the eligibility conditions in the notice of competition, covering diplomas, professional experience and languages. Open competitions are public, unlike internal competitions, which are restricted to staff already serving in the institutions.