Fifteen of the European Union’s 27 nationalities are underrepresented among European Commission administrators at grades AD5 to AD8, the usual entry levels for the roles. Recruitment measures are intended to widen the pool of candidates without reserving jobs by nationality or lowering selection standards, Euronews reported.
The Commission assesses representation using a “guiding rate” that combines a country’s share of seats in the European Parliament, weighted at 80%, with its share of the EU population, weighted at 20%. A nationality is considered underrepresented when its share of staff falls below 80% of that benchmark.
Participation gaps begin before hiring
Differences in the number of applicants are one factor. In European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) administrator competitions from 2015 to 2021, Swedish candidates accounted for 0.8% of participants, compared with 2.3% of the EU population. Their pass rate was 1.6%, slightly above the EU average of 1.5%.
Complex selection procedures, strong job opportunities in candidates’ home countries, reluctance to relocate and limited awareness of EU careers are among the reasons cited for low participation. Since 2023, Joint Action Plans have provided outreach, application guidance and test coaching, but do not set quotas.
EPSO runs competitions and creates pools of qualified candidates; the Commission makes hiring decisions. Rules adopted on November 6, 2025, allow the Commission to interview at least one suitable candidate from an underrepresented nationality for each post and to set nationality-based targets. The measures apply after candidates pass the EPSO selection stage, during interviews, according to a related Euronews report.
Posts cannot be reserved for particular nationalities, and qualification standards cannot be lowered. It remains unclear whether the outreach and recruitment changes have improved representation.
Nicole French