JOB DESCRIPTION

MAKE A DIFFERENCE – JOIN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Do you want to help shape the future of the European Union? Make the planet greener,
promote a fairer society, or support businesses and innovation across the EU? Then come and
work for the European Commission where you can really make a difference!

Commission staff are a diverse group of people, who are motivated to help make Europe – and
the world – a better place. They come from the 27 Member States of the European Union.
Different nationalities, backgrounds, languages and cultures make the Commission a vibrant and
inclusive place to work.

WE OFFER GREAT JOBS AND GREAT WORKING CONDITIONS:

•

Interesting and challenging jobs with plenty of opportunities for training and acquiring
new skills and competencies throughout your whole career

• Opportunities to move between different policy areas throughout your career
• A package of flexible working conditions including the possibility of teleworking – we

care about your work-life balance

• A competitive financial package, including comprehensive healthcare, accident and

pension schemes

• A multilingual, multicultural workplace where personal and career development are

strongly promoted

• Multilingual schools for your children

We recruit from a wide range of backgrounds and actively promote diversity and
inclusion:

We do not only recruit political scientists and lawyers but are also looking for all kinds of
profiles, including scientists, linguists, IT experts, data analysts and economists, as well as drivers
and engineers.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to fostering a rich, diverse and inclusive working
environment. We aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly
welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We actively seek to create a workplace where
each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full
potential.

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates, we strongly
encourage applicants from Member States which are currently underrepresented in the European
Commission workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden1. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the
merits of all applicants and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member
State.

For more information ec.europa.eu/work-with-us

STAFF RECRUITED ON CONTRACTS

In addition to permanent officials, the European Commission offers non-permanent positions.
There are two categories of non-permanent staff:

•

temporary agents are recruited to fill vacant positions for a set amount of time or
to perform highly specialised tasks.

• contract agents may provide additional capacity in specialised fields where an
insufficient number of officials is available or carry out a number of administrative or
manual tasks. They are generally recruited for fixed-term contracts (maximum 6 years in
any EU Institution), but in some cases they can be offered contracts for an indefinite
duration (in offices, agencies, delegations or representations).

For more information on different staff categories

1 Please note that the list of underrepresented Member States may be subject to future amendment based on potential
data changes over time.

(Selection reference COMP/COM/2025/2085)

Case Handler officer

Directorate-General Competition (DG COMP) of the European
Commission

Selection reference: COMP/COM/2025/2085
Domain: Law
Where: Unit COMP F2, Brussels
Staff category and Function Group: Temporary agent 2b – Administrator
Grade range: AD5-7
Publication deadline: 22.10.2025 – 12.00 (Brussels time)

WE ARE

Unit COMP.F.2 is in charge of State aid control in the field of transport (in particular aviation & rail).
Under the Treaty, State aids are in principle prohibited. They can exceptionally be allowed (by
Commission decision) or block exempted (by virtue of a Block Exemption Regulation) if certain
conditions are met. The work of COMP.F.2 consists in assessing whether a measure involves State
aid and, if so, in assessing its compatibility. Working with us gives an opportunity to learn more
about State aid policy, to work on many interesting State aid cases and to understand how our
work links to the wider effort to ensure open, competitive and sustainable transport markets. The
unit is part of the wider State Aid Network within DG COMP, whose mission it is to develop and
enforce State aid control in the EU.

WE PROPOSE

A position as case handler in a friendly and team-oriented working environment.
The work consists in analysing State aid cases and policy issues in the transport sector (in
particular aviation & rail) in order to prepare a proposal as to what the Commission’s position
should be in relation to these cases and issues. In that context, interesting and challenging
economic, legal and regulatory issues are often raised. An important work stream for the unit in
recent years has been the control of public support to aviation and rail in the context of the COVID-
19 outbreak, aiming to help transport companies to meet their liquidity needs and preserve
connectivity, while avoiding undue distortions of competition. Other significant cases dealt with by
the unit in the last years are the Commission decisions concerning Trenitalia, La Rochelle Airport,
SAS and the Corsica public service contracts. The unit is also in charge of policy work. It has
prepared proposals for fully fledged new State aid Guidelines to the Land and multimodal transport
sector and a Transport Block Exemption Regulation. The Unit is also currently working on the review
of the 2014 Aviation Guidelines which set out how the Commission applies State aid rules in the
aviation sector.
The work is carried out either individually or in a small team, depending on the size and importance

(Selection reference COMP/COM/2025/2085)

of the case. It consists in the analysis of State aid measures to assess their compatibility with the
internal market and the preparation of decisions setting out the Commission’s position on these
measures (authorisation or prohibition). It involves discussions with Member States, contacts with
interested parties, competitors and complainants. There is real scope for professional and personal
development given the economic and strategic importance of the sectors we cover. The relatively
short case cycle in notified aid cases allows case handlers to quickly gain significant professional
experience as regards the typical legal and economic issues arising in State aid cases and to gain
valuable insight into the particular features of the different industries within the sectors concerned.
The work also involves horizontal tasks such as analysing past Commission decisions and case-law,
doing public consultations, performing market analysis etc. as a basis for the review of the
applicable State aid rules. The unit has a great working atmosphere and a well-structured
organization.

WE LOOK FOR

We are looking for a candidate with a legal background, good knowledge of the transport sector
and a solid experience in the enforcement of European State aid rules. She/he should have strong
analytical, drafting and communication skills, a sense of initiative, the ability to deliver within tight
deadlines and to work autonomously as well as in a team. Fluent English is essential. A good
command of French and German would also be very useful.

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:
1. your CV
Please send these documents by the publication deadline to [email protected]
indicating the selection reference COMP/COM/2025/2085 in the subject.

2. completed application form.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.

(Selection reference COMP/COM/2025/2085)

ANNEX

1. Selection

 Am I eligible to apply?

You must meet the following eligibility criteria when you validate your application:

Our rules provide that you can only be recruited as a temporary agent at the European Commission if you:

General criteria:

• Are a citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service
• Are physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post
• Produce the appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties.

Qualifications:
In order to be recruited for this position, you must have at least a level of education which
corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma.

Only qualifications issued or recognised as equivalent by EU Member State authorities (e.g. by the
Ministry of Education) will be accepted. Furthermore, before recruitment, you will be required to
provide the documents that corroborate the eligibility criteria (diplomas, certificates and other
supporting documents).

Languages:
•

have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1) of one of the 24 official languages of the
EU2

• AND a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2) of a second official language of the EU,

to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

 What about the selection steps?

The post was published internally within the Commission, inter-institutionally, and brought to the
attention of competition laureates.

2 The official languages of the European Union are: BG (Bulgarian), CS (Czech), DA (Danish), DE (German), EL
(Greek), EN (English), ES (Spanish), ET (Estonian), FI (Finnish), FR (French), GA (Irish), HR (Croatian), HU
(Hungarian), IT (Italian), LT (Lithuanian), LV (Latvian), MT (Maltese), NL (Dutch), PL (Polish), PT (Portuguese), RO
(Romanian), SK (Slovak), SL (Slovenian), SV (Swedish).

(Selection reference COMP/COM/2025/2085)

In accordance with Article 29 of the Staff Regulations, applications from Commission officials,
officials from other Institutions, and laureates of competitions have priority3. If these candidates do
not best fit the requirements for the position, the Commission can recruit a temporary agent.

A selection panel will choose a limited number of candidates for interview, based on the CV and
application form that they submitted. Due to the large volume of applications, we may receive,
only candidates selected for the next step of the selection phase will be notified.

For operational reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in
the interest of the candidates and of the institution, the selection procedure will be carried out in
English and possibly in another language.

2. Recruitment

The candidate selected for recruitment will be requested to supply documentary evidence in
support of the statements made in their application.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a mandatory pre-recruitment medical check-
up, carried out by the Commission.

 Type of contract and working conditions

The place of employment will be Brussels.

In case the successful candidate is not an official or a competition laureate, they will be recruited
as a temporary agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants,
in function groups AD.

3 Officials from the Commission or other Institutions are invited to use the standard channels (Sysper or inter-
institutional vacancy portal).

(Selection reference COMP/COM/2025/2085)

 Grade

The recruitment grade, as well as the step in that grade, will be determined in accordance with
Commission Decision C(2025)4716 on policies for the engagement and use of temporary agents
and with Commission Decision C(2013)8970 laying down the criteria applicable to classification in
step on engagement.

The recruitment grade will be calculated based on the qualifications and the number of years of professional
experience, according to Art. 13 of the Commission Decision C(2025)4716. Higher grades may be granted
exceptionally.

The duration of the 1st contract will be of 1 to 4 years. The contract might then be extended
only once for a maximum of 2 years and in the interest of service, in accordance with Commission
Decision C(2025)4716 on policies for the engagement and use of temporary agents.

All new staff have to successfully complete a 9-month probationary period.

The pay of staff members consists of a basic salary supplemented with specific allowances,
including, where applicable, expatriation and family allowances. The provisions guiding the
calculation of these allowances can be consulted in the Conditions of Employment of Other
Servants. As a member of staff of the European institutions, your pay is subject to a tax raised by
those institutions.

The European Commission applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in
accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations.

Should you need further information on working conditions, please refer to Working conditions and
benefits of EU Careers.

For information related to Data Protection, please see the Specific Privacy Statement under “7.
Information to data subjects on their rights”, to find your rights and how to exercise them in
addition to the privacy statement, which summarises the processing of your data.

(Selection reference COMP/COM/2025/2085)