Dear Mr X,

On 7 June 2025, you submitted a complaint to the European Ombudsman against the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) concerning the above issue.

On 22 August 2025, my Office informed you that your complaint was admissible, that I had already opened inquiries into the matter raised in your complaint, and that I therefore may take a decision on your complaint based on the findings made in the context of those other inquiries.

Based on the information gathered and the findings made in the context of those other inquiries, I have decided to close the inquiry into your case with the following conclusion:

EPSO’s decision to re-run tests in selection procedures EPSO/AD/414-421/24 did not amount to maladministration.

Whilst recognising that the incident that occurred constituted an irregularity in the selection procedure, I have concluded that EPSO conducted a thorough analysis of the possible options, carefully weighing their respective legal, technical, and administrative implications. The decision to re-run tests for all candidates appeared proportionate to the goal of ensuring equal treatment of all candidates.

For your information, please find enclosed to this decision the report on the meeting held with EPSO in relation to this matter, as well as my joint decision setting out the detailed reasoning that led the me to conclude that there was no maladministration by EPSO.

In addition, I note that in your complaint, you took issue with the fact that my Office could not deal with your previous complaint into this matter[1] in the absence of a reply by EPSO. Whilst acknowledging that the work of the European Ombudsman is governed by certain rules, you took the view that in this precise situation, the requirement to have contacted and received a reply from EPSO did not allow my Office to tackle the urgency of the situation. You consider that there should be a way for complainants to “channel information” about such circumstances without having to submit a formal complaint.

I take note of your remark, and I am appreciative of the frustration that the situation may have caused. However, as you pointed out in your complaint, the European Ombudsman may act only within the rules governing its Office. These rules require complainants to make the appropriate administrative approaches to the institution or body concerned prior to turning to the European Ombudsman[2].

Yours sincerely,  

Tina Nilsson 
Head of Inquiries Unit I 

Strasbourg, 27/10/2026 

 

[1] Complaint 969/2025/JUM

[2] Article 2(3) of the Statute of the European Ombudsman “Before the complaint is lodged, the complainant shall make the appropriate administrative approaches to the Union institution, body, office or agency concerned” https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/legal-basis/statute/en