The EU institutions select candidates for permanent contracts through the organisation of open competitions. Each of these competitions is announced by the publication of a Notice of Competition in the Official Journal of the European Union, as well as on EPSO’s website. The Notice of Competition contains a full description of the profile sought, the minimum requirements as regards education (and sometimes work experience) and indicates the tests and other assessment exercises (designed to measure your professional skills and a number of core competencies) that will take place during the competition. The Notice of Competition also includes information and instructions on how to apply for the open competition. In general, the Notice of Competition is published on the first day of the application period.

In view of the very large number of applicants, EPSO deems that this is the fairest and most transparent method for selection procedures. Spontaneous applications cannot therefore be taken into account.