Members of public encouraged to make written submissions by 5 November
Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D. today launched a public consultation on the Government’s new EU jobs strategy.
The Minister said:
“The development of a new EU jobs strategy is an integral part of ensuring that Ireland maintains its influence within the EU’s institutions. It is imperative that Irish citizens continue to serve the EU institutions. By doing so, Irish people will remain at the heart of Europe and maintain influence over the course that it will take in the years to come.”
Submissions from the public will feed into the development of the new strategy, which will look at ways in which we can support and encourage Irish people to succeed in securing posts within the institutions.
The call for submissions comes at a time when Ireland faces a “demographic cliff” in its representation among the staff of the EU’s Institutions, as many senior Irish officials will soon retire.
Minister Byrne said:
“At the minute, Ireland is adequately represented across the EU Institutions’ staffing body. However, we have fewer officials at the entry and mid-management levels than should otherwise be the case. This is going to have an impact on our representation into the future unless we act now, which is why we have committed to the development of the new strategy in our Programme for Government.”
The new strategy will look at ways to improve awareness of EU careers in Ireland, increase the number of Irish people applying for jobs in the EU institutions, and provide improved and targeted support to Irish candidates who are preparing for an EU jobs competition.
Input is sought in particular from people who have an interest in working for the EU, who have participated in past EU jobs competitions, and those who have been involved in promoting EU careers.
The new strategy will look at ways in which we can improve Irish participation rates in EU jobs competitions, and help Irish people secure roles in the EU Institutions. The strategy will also take into account factors that currently affect success rates, including the language regime governing the recruitment process and the high-level of competition for posts from candidates across the EU.
Written submissions with views on the EU’s recruitment processes, the challenges Irish applicants face, and the ways in which Irish people can be assisted in securing posts in the EU, are welcome.
Submissions should be provided by e-mail to: eujobs@dfa.ie
The closing date for receipt of submissions is 5pm on 5 November 2020.
Those interested in learning more about careers in the EU and the supports that the Department of Foreign Affairs currently provides to Irish candidates for EU jobs can find out more at: www.dfa.ie/eujobs
Note for editors:
EU Jobs Campaign
The EU Jobs campaign was established in 2013 and is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Its mission is to provide Irish citizens with information about the types of jobs that are available in the EU and advise on how to set about securing them.
The campaign also provides targeted support to Irish applicants for competitions, including training in Computer Based Testing and coaching in preparation for the later stages of the recruitment process.
More information on the campaign can be found at: https://www.dfa.ie/eujobs
European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)
In general, the EU institutions recruit staff by holding annual competitions (called ‘concours’) to identify panels of qualified candidates, who can then be recruited by the institutions as the need arises.
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), the recruitment service of the EU institutions and agencies, manages this process. The EPSO website contains information on all aspects of EU careers, including detailed profiles of available jobs and upcoming competitions.
More information on EPSO can be found at: https://epso.europa.eu/
Public consultation process
The deadline for receipt of written submissions is Thursday 5th November 2020. Submissions must be provided via e-mail, to eujobs@dfa.ie. Those interested can access more information on EU jobs at https://www.dfa.ie/eujobs