With the CAST Permanent procedure the EU institutions, bodies and agencies may recruit contract agents to work in various professional fields.

The word CAST stands for Contract Agents Selection Tool. Permanent means that there is no deadline, so candidates can submit an application at any time.

Contract Agents are recruited to perform temporary manual or administrative support tasks or to provide additional capacity in specialised fields whenever there is an insufficient number of officials with the required skills.

When recruiting needs arise, the EU institutions, bodies and agencies may select a number of candidates from the CAST applications database whose qualifications match the professional profile being sought.

These pre-selected candidates are invited to sit a series of computer-based, multiple-choice reasoning tests organised by EPSO. These tests are remotely proctored. Please read our information page on the IT requirements for passing EPSO’s remotely proctored tests.
You may also wish to have a look at our page on "Why can't I use my corporate computer for EPSO's online selection tests?" in this testing context.

Those candidates who successfully pass the reasoning tests will be invited to an interview and/or other forms of evaluation organised directly by the recruiting services of the EU institutions according to the applicable procedure in place.

Find more information about CAST Permanent selection tests on our sample tests page.

Candidates who succeed in all steps of the selection may receive an offer of employment.

Contract Agents are recruited for a fixed maximum period of 6 years, often with a shorter initial but renewable contract of 6 months to 12 months, depending on the type of job. In some agencies, representations and delegations this temporary opportunity may lead to an indefinite contract.

For additional information and details, you can also check our CAST Permanent FAQs section.

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Function groups

In order to be considered for a CAST selection, applicants are invited to follow all the instructions indicated in the CAST Permanent Call for Expressions of Interest. The procedure requires creating an EPSO account and inserting personal, professional and educational information into a CAST application database.

For more information on the application procedure, you can check our How to apply section.

Contract staff positions are available for a wide range of jobs, requiring different levels of qualifications. They are divided into four function groups:

I. Manual and administrative support service tasks
II. Clerical or secretarial tasks, office management and other equivalent tasks
III. Executive tasks, drafting, accountancy and other equivalent technical tasks
IV. Administrative, advisory, linguistic and equivalent technical tasks

Candidates may choose to apply for one or more function groups, as long as they fulfil the eligibility requirements.

Please refer to the Call for Expressions of Interest for a complete list of the general and specific eligibility conditions that apply per profile and function group (languages, educational qualifications and professional experience). 

Respect for cultural diversity and promotion of equal opportunities are founding principles of the EU and the European Selection Office endeavours to apply equal opportunities, treatment and access to all candidates. You can find out more about our equal opportunities policy and how to request special adjustments for selection tests in our dedicated page.

Profiles

CAST Permanent includes several profiles in function groups I, II, III and IV. Please remember that you are always applying for a profile and not for a specific job position.

Find below the list of CAST Permanent profiles. Click on each section and read more about what you can be expected to do. You may apply for one or more profile(s) and/or function group(s). You are strongly advised to choose only those profiles and function groups for which you have the most relevant education and experience.