Brussels, 31/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Mission accomplished: the target of recruiting at least 3,500 nationals from new member states to the European institutions over the 2004-2010 period has been achieved. This announcement was made on Wednesday 2 February by the Commission vice president, Maroš Šefèoviè.
On Wednesday, the Commission adopted its final report on the 2004 enlargement and the subsequent recruitment to the Commission. They even went further than their objective and there are now more than 4,000 officials from the 10 countries that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 (Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia). This figure is slightly above 4,000 and accounts for 50% of all current Commission officials and temporary agents. The Commission set itself the target of recruiting a director-general for each of the new EU countries, a target that was also attained.
All European Union recruitment requires recruitment of nationals from new member states to the European institutions. The Council therefore adopted the derogation presented by the Commission to facilitate the preferential recruitment of candidates from the 10 new member states during the transition period. The transition period planned for the 10 new member states that joined in 2004 expired on 31 December 2010. This recruitment process was a considerable challenge to all of the European Union institutions, particularly the Commission, which employs the biggest workforce.
The transition period planned for Bulgaria and Romania (they joined the EU on 1 January 2007) expires on 31 December 2011. Recruitment will continue and will also be subject to a different report in 2012. (L.C./transl.fl)