Frequently asked questions about the procedure for recruitment

Is EIGE a European Union (EU) institution?

Yes. Under European public law, it is an independent EU agency with its own legal personality. EIGE was established when the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006 of 20 December 2006. The Institute’s first Director was appointed on 16 April 2009 and its first Annual Work Programme was adopted on 28 April 2010.

How many people work does the Institute employ?

As of 1 December 2018, EIGE has 51 members of staff, including seconded national experts and trainees.

Where is the Institute located?

EIGE has been based in the capital city of Lithuania (LT) since March 2010. In January 2013 it moved to new premises. Its official address is Gedimino pr. 16, Vilnius LT-01103.

What do its recruitment procedures consist of?

EIGE selection procedures and conditions for recruitment are clearly set out in each of its vacancy notices. New members of staff are appointed by the Director on the basis of Reserve Lists that are drawn up at the conclusion of a selection procedure. Applications which do not meet the requirements specified in a vacancy notice (e.g. incomplete applications, submitted after the deadline or which do not meet the noted eligibility criteria) are rejected.

What selection criteria are applicable?

Applicants are shortlisted on the basis of the eligibility criteria and essential requirements including specific competences and skills noted in the vacancy notice.

I am a citizen of a country that is not a member State of the European Union (EU). Could my application still be considered

To apply for a position at EIGE it is a pre-requisite to be a citizen of a Member State of the EU before the closing date for applications. In cases when some positions are open to applicants from EU pre-accession and EFTA countries this is specified in the vacancy notice.

Are all applications treated in the same way?

Yes. The Institute promotes a policy of equal opportunities and treats all applications in the same way. EIGE is committed to extending equal opportunities to its staff through its employment practices, policies and procedures. It undertakes to provide a working environment that is sensitive to differences in sex as well as civil status, age, disability (physical and/or sensory differences that do not affect work performance), sexual preference, ethnicity and religious or philosophical beliefs.

My degree is from a country that is not a Member State of the EU. Am I still eligible to apply for a vacancy advertised by the Institute?

Yes as long as your degree is officially recognised in an EU Member State.

Is there an age limit for applying for a post at EIGE?

The Staff Regulations stipulate a mandatory retirement age of 65. Candidates who have not reached this age yet are eligible to apply.

What language should I use in my application for a post at the Institute?

English is the main working language at the Institute and therefore applicants are invited to submit their application in English even if they may also use any of the official languages of the EU when applying.

How long does a selection procedure take?

From the announcement of a new vacancy until a decision to appoint a candidate is taken, a period of about 90 days is typically required. This estimate is conditioned by the number and quality of the applications that have been submitted.

Will I receive an acknowledgement that my application for a post at the Institute has been received?

An automatic reply will be sent to each email message sent to the indicated mailbox in the vacancy announcement. If you have experience any problems while sending your application please request a verification of the arrival of your application by sending an email to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu.

Due to the large volume of applications, the Institute regrets that only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted.

I am interested in applying for more than one vacancy appearing on EIGE’s website. Can I complete one application form that will cover all vacancies?

No. Candidates are required to complete an application form for each post they apply for.

When may I expect to receive an invitation for an interview?

The time it takes to invite applicants to an interview depends on the number of applications that have been submitted each of which is carefully reviewed. It needs to be kept in mind that sometimes multiple vacancy announcements are released at the same time. This notwithstanding, invitations are generally sent out within a month after the closing date for applications.

Will my travel expenses be reimbursed if I am invited to an interview?

Candidates whose official residence is located more than 150km away from Vilnius are reimbursed according to EIGE's rules on travel reimbursement. These shall be made available to candidates invited to an interview.

May I submit an unsolicited/spontaneous application?

The Institute does not consider such applications. Only applications for its published vacancies can be taken into consideration. EIGE publishes all vacancies on its website as and when these become available.

Where are EIGE vacancy notices published?

EIGE vacancy notices are posted on its website. Other sites may also be used to enhance the exposure of the vacancies.

Where can I find more information related to grades and salaries and benefits?

Salaries depend on the category and grade of each post. The basic monthly salaries are shown in the following tables.

Temporary agents

01/07/2017

Category	Grade	Basic salary in EUR, step 1	Basic salary in EUR, step 2
AD	12	11.173,35	11.642,86
AST	11	9.875,37	10.290,33
AST	10	8.728,19	9.094,95
AST	9	7.714,25	8.038,42
AST	8	6.818,11	7.104,61
AST	7	6.026,07	6.279,29
AST	6	5.326,04	5.549,85
AST	5	4.707,34	4.832,65
AST	4	4.160,50	4.905,14
AST	3	3.677,17	4.335,32
AST	2	3.250,01	3.386,58
AST	1	2.872,47	2.993,17

Contract agents

01/07/2017

Function Group	Recruitment grade	Basic salary in EUR, step 1	Years of experience required for the grade
IV	16	4.930,71	More than 20 years of professional experience
IV	14	3.851,61	More than 7 years of professional experience
IV	13	3.404,15	Professional experience of up to 7 years
III	9	3.008,68	More than 7 years of professional experience
III	8	2.659,17	Professional experience of up to 7 years
II	5	2.350,09	More than 7 years of professional experience
II	4	2.077,02	Professional experience of up to 7 years
I	1	1.999,73	-

The basic salary which is exempt from national tax, is subject to various allowances as well as tax, social security and other deductions set out in the staff regulations.

To reflect the cost of living in Vilnius compared to Brussels, the basic salary is weighted by applying a coefficient based on the cost of living in Vilnius. Basic salaries indicated in the tables above are the amounts before the adjustment.

Does the Institute offer traineeships?

Yes. The Institute initiated a traineeship programme in March 2011 and it offers a limited number of traineeships each year. Applications for traineeships are announced on the Institute's website. Traineeships typically last for up to 24 weeks.

Does the Institute engage Seconded National Experts?

Yes. Calls for applications from national experts to be seconded to the Institute are announced on the Institute's website. It is important that applicants have the support of their employer for the secondment to take place.

What is a Temporary Agent?

This is a category of staff whose employment falls within the Staff Regulations and CEOS. As a Temporary Agent your salary, working conditions and benefits are essentially the same as those of permanent officials. These include an expatriation allowance and family allowances, social security benefits such as medical insurance and pension rights, tax conditions, annual and family related leave, working hours and access to professional and language training.

A contract for a Temporary Agent post is initially for five years. The contract can be renewed. If it is renewed a second time this will be for an indefinite period.

What is a Contract Agent?

This is a different category of staff whose employment also falls within the Staff Regulations and CEOS. The career path of a Contract Agent is on a different scale to that of the Temporary Agent. Whilst grading upon entry into service takes into account qualifications and experience, new contract agents are normally recruited into the first step of the applicable grade. For function groups II, III and IV, considerable professional experience may lead to being assigned to a higher grade within the same group. Contract Agents may also be entitled to receive the various allowances applicable to Temporary Agents depending on their personal circumstances as referred to above.

Contract Agents are engaged under their first contract for a fixed period of at least three months and not more than five years. The renewal of a contract in function groups II, III and IV shall be for another fixed period of at least three months and not more than five years. The contract can be renewed. If it is renewed a second time this will be for an indefinite period.

What recruitment procedures are possible in the case of Contract Agent positions?

The Institute may recruit Contract Agents either through an open selection procedure carried out by the Institute or via a selection procedure based on the database of candidates of the European Communities Personnel Selection Office (EPSO).

When will the next vacancy notices be published?

Anyone interested in working for the Institute can consult the career opportunities and traineeships pages of EIGE's website for further information

If I have any further questions relating to recruitment matters who can I contact?

For further information you may write to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu.