Selection process
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is responsible for the selection of staff for permanent and contract positions in the institutions, bodies and agencies of the European Union. Learn more about the different selection procedures below.
Permanent staff selection
Permanent staff are members of the EU civil service appointed for an indefinite period. They form the core workforce and are selected through open competitions organised by EPSO. These competitions are designed to draw up reserve lists – pools of successful candidates from which the institutions, bodies, and agencies of the European Union can recruit when they have job openings.
Each competition includes several steps, from publication of the competition to the establishment of a reserve list.
Contract staff selection
Contract staff play a key role in supporting the work of the institutions, bodies, and agencies of the European Union. They help with temporary administrative tasks or supplement in specialised fields where additional skills are needed. Contract staff are generally recruited under fixed-term contracts of up to six years within any EU institution. In certain cases, particularly in agencies, delegations or representations, contracts of indefinite duration may be offered.
Discover how to register in the contract staff database.
Selection procedures for other staff categories
The EU institutions, bodies and agencies also offer job opportunities for temporary agents, seconded national experts and other categories of staff.
Check current opportunities.