EU considers reforming or scrapping its civil service exam board

The European Union is considering far-reaching changes to how it recruits civil servants, with officials reportedly weighing the possibility of scrapping the exam board known as EPSO altogether, according to Politico Europe.

An EU official said the current recruitment model is "reaching its limits," noting that hiring new staff currently takes between two and three years. The official indicated that upcoming proposals for overhauling the system would be significant in scope. A spokesperson for the European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the plans.

Background of failures

The reform discussions come after a series of high-profile problems with the current system. Last year, a technical error invalidated exam results for nearly 10,000 aspiring EU civil servants, forcing them to retake the test.

Union pushes back on full abolition

Cristiano Sebastiani, who represents the Renouveau et Démocratie EU staff union, acknowledged that EPSO has fallen short of its goal to increase hiring from underrepresented regions and among younger candidates. However, he argued the board should be reformed rather than eliminated entirely.

Sebastiani noted that EPSO still plays a valuable role by providing recruitment expertise to various EU services. He warned that abolishing it completely would send the wrong message to EU citizens.