Strasbourg, 11/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Mediator, Jacob Söderman, decided to reopen the age limit dossier, considered discriminatory, in the framework of the recruitment of European Union civil servants. He gave the European Commission until next 31 October to be informed of the concrete measures adopted so as to put an end to the age limits imposed within the recruitment procedures. The Mediator recommends to the Commission to organise a meeting between the various institutions so as to reach an interinstitutional agreement on the abolition of age limits.
EUROPE recalls that the abolition of age limits was called for by the Mediator in March 1998 following the investigation carried out on his own initiative, given the number of complaints made by citizens. Following this investigation, the Parliament and Commission have accepted to political principal of abolition the age limits, but only intends implementing it in an interinstitutional framework.