25/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - Approving the report by the Italian MEP Guiseppe Gargani (PPE-DE) on Tuesday, the European Parliament gave a favourable opinion on the draft Council regulation to institute special, temporary measures on the recruitment of European Community officials when Bulgaria and Romania accede to the EU. The draft regulation aims to authorise the organisation of competitions for the recruitment of officials from Bulgaria and Romania before their countries' accession in January 2007. The EP acknowledges that it is necessary to make exceptions to various provisions of the staff regulations in order to permit non-EU nationals to apply for posts as Community officials. Another exception concerns the fact that the competitions are organised on a national basis and that the vacant posts are not necessarily advertised within the institutions. (hb)