Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 8 September 2021 –
Spain v Commission

(Case T‑554/19)

(Rules on languages – Notice of open competition for the recruitment of administrators in the fields of competition law, financial law, economic and monetary union law, financial rules applicable to the EU budget, and protection of euro coins against counterfeiting – Restriction of the choice of language 2 of the competition to four languages – Regulation No 1 – Article 1d(1), Article 27 and Article 28(f) of the Staff Regulations – Discrimination based on language – Interests of the service – Proportionality)

1.      European Union – Rules on languages – Regulation No 1 – Scope – Relations between the institutions and their staff – Included in the absence of specific regulations

(Council Regulation No 1, Art. 6)

(see para. 27)

2.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Limitation of the choice of second language – Discrimination based on language – Justification having regard to the interests of the service – Observance of the principle of proportionality

(Council Regulation No 1, Art. 1; Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 1d(6))

(see paras 32-34)

3.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Limitation of the choice of second language – Judicial review – Scope

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 1d)

(see paras 35-37)

4.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of communication between the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) and the candidates – Restriction – Whether permissible – Statement of reasons – Justification having regard to the interests of the service – Observance of the principle of proportionality

(see paras 47-49)

5.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Equal treatment – Requirement of specific linguistic knowledge – Statement of reasons – Justification having regard to the interests of the service – Observance of the principle of proportionality

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 27, first para,. and 28(f))

(see paras 64-71)

6.      Officials – Competitions – Holding of an open competition – Languages of participation in tests – Limitation of the choice of second language – Discrimination based on language – Justification based on the interest of the service in recruiting staff that are operational immediately – Not permissible

(see paras 102-105, 122, 123)

7.      Actions brought by officials – Judgment annulling a measure – Effects – Annulment of a notice of open competition – Legitimate expectations of the candidates selected – No effect on candidates already recruited

(see para. 158)

Re:

Application under Article 263 TFEU for annulment of notice of open competition EPSO/AD/374/19 for the establishment of a reserve list in the fields of competition law, financial law, economic and monetary union law, financial rules applicable to the EU budget, and protection of euro coins against counterfeiting (OJ 2019 C 191 A, p. 1).

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls notice of open competition EPSO/AD/374/19 for the establishment of a reserve list in the fields of competition law, financial law, economic and monetary union law, financial rules applicable to the EU budget, and protection of euro coins against counterfeiting;

2. Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Kingdom of Spain.