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Decision in case 1851/2018/LM on clerical errors made by the European Personnel Selection Office in dealing with a candidate’s file during a selection procedure for the recruitment of EU civil servants
Határozat
Ügy 1851/2018/LM - Vizsgálat megindítása Kedd | 18 december 2018 - Határozat Kedd | 18 december 2018 - Érintett intézmények Európai Személyzeti Felvételi Hivatal ( Nem történt hivatali visszásság ) - Ország Olaszország
The complaint to the European Personnel Selection Office
1. The complainant took part in a selection procedure organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) to recruit nurses for the EU administration[1]. On the day of the tests, EPSO provided the complainant with two sets of documents: a copy of the documents that he had submitted to prove his education and professional experience, and a proof of participation. The two sets of documents were marked with a candidate number which was not that of the complainant.
2. The complainant complained to EPSO. He claimed that this error meant his test results may also have been registered in a different candidate’s file, thus invalidating the selection procedure.
EPSO’s response to the complaint
3. EPSO replied to the complainant that the incorrect number appearing on the two sets of documents given to him on the test day was due to a clerical error when producing documents to be used on that day. EPSO apologised for the mistake and informed the complainant that it had corrected it as soon as he had pointed out the error. The complainant’s supporting documents had been registered under the correct candidate number and the correct candidate number had been used throughout the procedure. EPSO stated that the selection board confirmed that there had been no mistake in how the tests were marked, and that the tests results communicated to the complainant were his results.
4. Dissatisfied with EPSO’s reply, the complainant turned to the Ombudsman in October 2018, arguing that the selection procedure (or at least its final stage) should be annulled and carried out again.
The European Ombudsman’s findings
5. EPSO has apologised for the clerical error and it has given a coherent and reasonable explanation. The complainant has not put forward any argument or evidence to call into question EPSO’s explanations.
6. Based on the information provided by the complainant, the Ombudsman thus finds no maladministration in this case.[2]
Tina Nilsson
Head of Inquiries - Unit 4
Strasbourg, 18/12/2018
[1] The notice of competition is available here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2017:123A:FULL&from=EN
[2] This complaint has been dealt with under delegated case handling, in accordance with Article 11 of the Decision of the European Ombudsman adopting Implementing Provisions