Legal Officer - European Commission (AD5, Brussels)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Commission on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Enforce the Foreign Subsidies Regulation
• Identify and assess whether subsidies granted by non-EU countries are distorting competition in the EU internal market
• Work on cases and policy matters
• Analyze economic and legal aspects of subsidies in companies and economies

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma
• Experience: Practical experience in the enforcement of competition instruments, in particular enforcement of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation
• Languages: One of the 24 official EU languages (C1), A second official EU language (B2)
• Key skills: Legal background and knowledge, Proactive, diligent, responsible and flexible, Strong analytical and conceptual approach, Creative and pragmatic thinking, Good economic and legal understanding, Strong sense of teamwork, Ability to work on cases and concepts in a holistic way
• Eligibility: Citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen; have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service; be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post; produce appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

• Submit CV and completed application form
• Selection panel chooses limited number of candidates for interview based on CV and application form
• Interview conducted in English and possibly in another language

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Temporary agent position.

Hiring unit: Unit COMP.K.3 - Foreign Subsidies III, Directorate-General Competition (DG COMP).

Position details

Reference

COMP/COM/2026/1607

Directorate-General

COMP – Competition

Vacancy Notice

Download PDF

Last Verified

6 August 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Legal Officer at European Commission based in Brussels at the AD5 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is COMP/COM/2026/1607. It is hosted by COMP – Competition, the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area. The role falls under the Competition domain.

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> COMP /COM/20 26 /1607

# MAKE A DIFFERENCE - JOIN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Do you want to help shape the future of the European Union? Make the planet greener,

promote a fairer society, or support businesses and innovation across the EU ? Then come and

work for the European Commission where you can really make a difference!

Commission staff are a diverse group of people, who are motivated to help make Europe – and

the world – a better place. They come from the 27 Member States of the European Union.

Different nationalities, backgrounds, languages and cultures make the Commission a vibrant and

inclusive place to work .

WE OFFER GREAT JOBS AND GREAT WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Interesting and challenging jobs with plenty of opportunities for training and acquiring

new skills and competencies throughout your whole career

• Opportunities to move between different policy areas throughout your career

• A package of flexible working conditions including the possibility of teleworking – we

care about your work -life balance

• A competitive financial package, including comprehensive healthcare , accident and

pension schemes

• A multilingual, multicultural workplace where personal and career development are

strongly promoted

• Multilingual schools for your children

We recruit from a wide range of backgrounds and actively promote diversity and

inclusion:

We do not only recruit political scientists and lawyers but are also looking for all kinds of

profiles, including scientists, linguists , IT experts, data analysts and economists, as well as drivers

and engineers.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to foster ing a rich, diverse and inclusive working

environment. We aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly

welcome applications from all qualified candidates . We actively seek to create a workplace where

each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full

potential. 2

COMP /COM/20 26 /1607

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates , we strongly

encourage applicants from Member States which are currently underrepresented in the European

Commission workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, the Czech

Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg,

Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden 1. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the

merits of all applicants and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member

State.

For more information ec.europa.eu/work -with -us

STAFF RECRUITED ON CONTRACTS

In addition to permanent officials, the European Commission offers non -permanent positions .

There are two categories of non -permanent staff:

> •

temporary agents are recruited to fill vacant positions for a set amount of ti me or

to perform highly specialised tasks .

> •

contract agents may provide additional capacity in specialised fields where an

insufficient number of officials is available or carry out a number of administrative or

manual tasks. They are generally recruited for fixed -term contracts (maximum 6 years in

any EU Institution), but in some cases they can be offered contracts for an indefinite

duration (in offices, agencies, delegations or representations).

For more information on different staff categories

> 1Please note that the list of underrepresented Member States may be subject to future amendment based on potential > data changes over time.

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COMP /COM/20 26 /1607

# Legal Officer - Competition Policy - Foreign

# Subsidies

# Directorate - General Competition (DG COMP ) of the European

# Commission

Selection reference: COMP /COM/202 6/1607

Domain*: Competition

Where : Unit COMP.K .3 - „Foreign Subsidies III “, Brussels

Staff category and Function Group : Temporary agent 2b – Administrator

Grade range: AD5 -7

Publication deadline : 18.08 .202 6 - 12.00 (Brussels t ime)

WE ARE

The Foreign Subsidies Directorate K of DG Competition consists of three units working as a single

team to enforce the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Its task is to identify and assess whether

subsidies granted by non -EU countries are distorting competition in the EU internal market. We are

a highly motivated team of colleagues who are enthusiastic to put this Commission competence

into action .

WE PROPOSE

We are offering a position for a new member in the foreign subsidies team, a dynamic and

cooperative working environment with excellent team spirit across the Directorate. We are a team

of colleagues who are responsible to enforce the Foreign Subsidies Regulation which is at the

intersection of EU’s competition and trade policy. Due to the novelty of the legal framework, the

work requires creative and pragmatic thinking in combination with a sound analytical and

conceptual approach. The new colleague will be involved in cases and policy. The work requires both

a good economic and legal understanding of the role of subsidies in companies and economies. The

precise scope of the work will depend on the needs of the Directorate, the skills of the colleague,

for example in terms of educational and professional background and sectorial experience, and her/

his interests. The Directorate has a friendly and stimulating working atmosphere with management

and colleagues who pay attention to human relationships. We encourage discussions and exchange

of opinions and experience. Colleagues are given a high degree of autonomy in carrying out their

tasks. 4

COMP /COM/20 26 /1607

WE LOOK FOR

We are looking for a motivated and dynamic colleague with legal background and knowledge and

practical experience in the enforcement of competition instruments, in particular enforcement of

the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. S/he needs to be proactive, diligent, responsible and flexible to

work on cases and concepts in a holistic way involving different economic and legal aspects.

Moreover, the new colleague should have a strong sense of teamwork to cooperate within the

Directorate team, across DG COMP as well as with other Commission services. The main working

language of the Directorate is English, but knowledge of other EU or non -EU languages would be an

advantage .

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:

1. your CV 2. completed application form.

Please send these documents by the publication deadline to COMP -TA -APPLICATION@ec.europa.eu

indicating the selection reference COMP /COM/202 6/1607 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline. 5

COMP /COM/20 26 /1607

## ANNEX

## 1. Selection

➢ Am I eligible to apply?

You must meet the following eligibility criteria when you validate your application :

Our rules provide that you can only be recruited as a temporary agent at the European Commission if you:

General criteria:

• Are a citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen

• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service

• Are physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post

• Produce the appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties.

Qualifications:

In order to be recruited for this position, you must have at least a level of education which

corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma.

Only qualifications issued or recognised as equivalent by EU Member State authorities (e.g. by the

Ministry of Education) will be accepted. Furthermore, before recruitment, you will be required to

provide the documents that corroborate the eligibility criteria (diplomas, certificates and other

supporting documents).

Languages:

> •

have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1) of one of the 24 official languages of the

EU 2

• AND a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2) of a second official language of the EU,

to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

➢ What about the selection steps?

The post was published internally within the Commission, inter -institutionally, and brought to the

attention of competition laureates.

> 2The official languages of the European Union are: BG (Bulgarian), CS (Czech), DA (Danish), DE (German), EL > (Greek), EN (English), ES (Spanish), ET (Estonian), FI (Finnish), FR (French), GA (Irish), HR (Croatian), HU > (Hungarian), IT (Italian), LT (Lithuanian), LV (Latvian), MT (Maltese), NL (Dutch), PL (Polish), PT (Portuguese), RO > (Romanian), SK (Slovak), SL (Slovenian), SV (Swedish).

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COMP /COM/20 26 /1607

In accordance with Article 29 of the Staff Regulations, applications from Commission officials,

officials from other Institutions , and laureates of competitions have priority 3. If these candidates do

not best fit the requirements for the position, the Commission can recruit a temporary agent.

For temporary agents under Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants , the

post is published directly on the EPSO website, without mandatory prior internal publication .

A selection panel will choose a limited number of candidates for interview, based on the CV and

application form that they submitted. Due to the large volume of applications , we may receive,

only candidates selected for the next step of the selection phase will be notified.

For operational reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in

the interest of the candidates and of the institution, the selection procedure will be carried out in

English a nd possibly in a nother language.

## 2. Recruitment

The candidate selected for recruitment will be requested to sup

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AD5 runs from €6,153 (step 1) to €6,961 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €73,836 to €83,532 before tax and allowances. Steps increase automatically every two years; the figures here are taken from the salary grid in the EU Staff Regulations.

Eligible staff posted away from their country of nationality also receive an expatriation allowance worth 16% of basic salary (around €984 per month at step 1 of AD5) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for Brussels. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 5 August 2026, today.

The application deadline is 18 August 2026, 11 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 6 August 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AD5 see our AD5 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at European Commission see the European Commission institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Brussels see our Brussels location page; for related vacancies in the Competition field browse our Competition domain page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.