We are:

The European External Action Service (EEAS), which supports the work of the High Representative in defining and implementing an effective and coherent EU foreign policy. The EEAS supports his tasks of conducting the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and chairing the Foreign Affairs Council. It also supports the High Representative in his capacity as Vice President of the Commission with regard to his responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field including the coordination of other aspects of the EU’s external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with Member States, the Council and relevant services of the European Commission.

The Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) is the permanent structure supporting the Civilian Operations Commander. The Civilian Operations Commander is the overall commander at the strategic level of currently 11 civilian CSDP crisis management missions and provides strategic guidance and direction to the Heads of Mission. The Civilian Operations Commander reports directly to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and through him to the Council of the EU. Under the political control and strategic direction of the Political and Security Committee and the overall authority of the High Representative, the Civilian Operations Commander ensures the effective planning and conduct of civilian CSDP crisis management operations, as well as the proper implementation of all mission-related tasks.

The Missions Operational Support Division (CPCC.4) is responsible for CIS, IT applications as well as logistics and procurement at Headquarters level. The Division manages the delivery of equipment to the 11 civilian CSDP Missions, ensuring that all the financial and legal rules are adherent to in the procurement and usage of such equipment. In this function, CPCC.4 also liaises with the civilian CSDP Warehouse located in Southern Sweden and managed by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Furthermore, CPCC.4 assists the civilian Missions in defining and managing their budgets with the relevant stakeholders (EU Member States and Foreign Policy Instruments). CPCC.4 is the contact point of the CPCC for the RELEX Working Group of the Council.

We propose

The position of Communication and Information Systems Assistant in the Missions Operational Support Divison (CPCC.4) – contract agent FGIII as per article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).

We look for

The person to be recruited will work under the supervision of the Head of the Missions Operational Support Division within the CPCC.4. We are seeking a highly motivated colleague who is expected to perform the following tasks:

• To support in the planning and implementation of technical aspect of CIS projects for central services for CSDP Missions in cooperation and coordination with other members of the team.
• To configure and implement Mission Support Platform IT infrastructure in cooperation with other IT colleagues.
• To implement all technical aspects of Mission Support Platform IT projects.
• To perform tasks in coordination with consultants, external experts, and outsourced services in support of the development and maintenance of the Mission Support Platform IT Infrastructure.
• To assist in the planning, support, repairs and installation of Mission Support Platform IT equipment in several locations including for desktop, laptop, printers and servers.
• To advise the Head of Division and the Team Leader in IT and InfoSec on matters related to the information systems used within CSDP missions and the central IT infrastructure in Brussels.
• To produce precise reports for the hierarchy concerning CIS issues and recommend improvements for future developments.
• To participate in fact-finding missions and technical assessment missions.

Other specific requirements:

• Assist in the overall implementation of IT Projects.
• First and second level end-user support in Office 365 and Windows 10 environment.
• Technical administration of the existing Azure data center and the future SharePoint online infrastructure.
• Maintenance of end-user hardware and software.
• Ethernet infrastructure, routers and switches configuration, cabling and maintenance.
• Technical experience in designing and implementing IT centralized services based on public and private cloud solutions and virtualisation techniques, including installation and maintenance of server environments.
• To undertake any other related tasks as requested by the Head of Division.

Legal basis

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). ¹

The successful candidate will be offered a contract agent position (Function group III); renewable contract for a maximum duration of 6 years (with a valid CAST exam).

Eligibility criteria

Candidates for this contract agent III post should:

• (i) have passed a valid EPSO CAST in a valid FG for this post

or

• (ii) be registered in the EPSO Permanent CAST in a valid FG for this post https://epso.europa.eu/apply/job-offers_en?keyword=&contract=37&grade=Al…
• have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma or a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education and appropriate professional experience of three year;
• have the capacity to work in languages of CFSP and external relations necessary for the performance of their duties. Knowledge of other EU languages would be an asset.
• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

Selection criteria

• After having fulfilled the above requirement, at least 3 years of relevant and proven full-time professional experience in Information and Communication Technology support and implementation
• Have experience on providing first and second level user support in Office 365 and Windows 10 environment (Training and/or certification in Microsoft technologies is a strong asset)
• Have a good knowledge on Cloud Services (Azure, AWS, …) and virtualization (VMware), if possible attested by relevant certification and/or training
• Good knowledge of client administration in Windows environments and demonstration of technical skills and hands-on experience in troubleshooting of related information systems issues.
• Have a good experience in drafting technical procedures for the use and management of computer systems and networks.
• Have a good knowledge in project management and ITIL standards (certifications are an asset).
• Have a good knowledge of different products, services, technologies and commercial actors related to the IT sector and their possible applications in European public administrations.

Specific conditions of employment

The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service.

The successful candidate might be required to undergo security vetting if she or he does not hold already a Personal Security Clearance to an appropriate level, in accordance with relevant security provisions.

Equal opportunities

The External Action Service applies an equal opportunities policy.

Application and selection procedure ²

Please send your CV and cover letter (with your EPSO CAST number) via email to

cpcc.administration@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending applications: 25/09/2020 at 18.00 (CET).

Candidates shall draft their CV following the European CV form which can be found at the following internet address: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv.

Late applications will not be accepted.

The selection panel will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and professional experience described in the CV and motivational letter, and will produce a shortlist of eligible candidates who best meet the selection criteria for the post. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be informed about the outcome of the pre-selection phase.

The candidates who have been preselected will be invited for an interview by a selection panel. The panel will recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the Authority Empowered to Conclude Contracts of Employment. The Authority may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision.

Place of employment: EEAS Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

Post available: as of 01/10/2020

CONTACT: Mohamed Tabit, Deputy Head of Division CPCC.4 Tel: +32 2584 3181 Email: Mohamed.Tabit@eeas.europa.eu

¹ Staff Regulations of Officials (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). For reference, see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CE…

² Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as implemented by ADMIN(2019)8 Decision of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The privacy statement is available on the Europa website: (http://eeas.europa.eu/data_protection/rights/index_en.htm) and on the EEAS Intranet: (https://intranet.eeas.europa.eu/page/eeas-work/data-protection/privacy-s…).

Polish EPP member Ewa Kopacz, who is the Parliament coordinator on children’s rights, said: “While we should strive for the prevention of paediatric cancer, we must also work to ensure that all children facing a cancer diagnosis have equal access to treatment and proper care throughout their treatment and recovery.”

The Parliament Vice-President, who is a former paediatrician and health minister, added: “”By lightning the European Parliament in gold we send a strong signal of solidarity and support to children and adolescents fighting cancer, their families, childhood cancer survivors and professionals serving them. “

Montenegro held parliamentary elections, and local elections in five municipalities, on 30 August, under an electoral legal framework largely unchanged since the last elections, in the challenging context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The elections were peaceful and competitive, with high turnout, and were observed by local and international observers accredited by the State Electoral Commission.

The preliminary findings and conclusions of the international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly highlight that the elections were managed transparently and efficiently, but note intensely polarised debate over issues of church and national identity and a number of concerns in relation to undue advantage for the ruling party and the unbalanced media coverage.

Once the OSCE/ODIHR final report and recommendations are issued, all political actors and relevant institutions need to engage in a transparent, decisive and inclusive dialogue on the implementation of these recommendations to address long-standing electoral shortcomings well ahead of the next elections.

We now look forward to the constitution of a new parliament and the formation of a new government that will continue Montenegro’s steady path towards the EU. Montenegro is well advanced in its EU accession process and the months ahead must be used to deepen and speed up political and economic reforms, particularly on the rule of law area, where the next milestone ahead is meeting the Interim Benchmarks for the Rule of Law Chapters 23 and 24.

The European Union is fully committed to continue supporting Montenegro’s EU accession process as well as economic recovery following the COVID-19 crisis, including through the upcoming Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.

• Christian Kettel Thomsen joins as Vice-President on the EIB’s Management Committee.
• Thomsen will serve a four-year term on behalf of Denmark

Christian Kettel Thomsen has been appointed Vice-President and Member of the Management Committee of the EIB. He takes up his duties today, succeeding Andrew McDowell, whose mandate on behalf of Ireland ended at the end of August.

The EIB’s Board of Governors appointed Mr Thomsen, a Danish national, on a proposal from the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark and with the agreement of the EIB-shareholder constituency the country shares with Ireland, Greece and Romania.

Upon joining the EIB, Christian Kettel Thomsen remarked: “It’s exciting to be here, and perhaps even more exciting to join this European Institution in such challenging times. The European Investment Bank will have a crucial role to play in making the rebound from the current crisis a ‘green recovery’, it will be my focus to contribute to that.””

Prior to becoming EIB Vice-President, Mr Thomsen was the Permanent Secretary of State in the Danish Prime Minister’s office, as well as a Secretary to the Queen in Council, positions he has held since 2010. Holding an MSc in Economics, which he obtained in 1991, he built up a long track record working at the Danish Ministry of Finance ever since graduation, climbing through the ranks to become deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry in 1997. As of the early 2000’s, Mr Thomsen was Permanent Under-Secretary of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, before serving as Permanent Secretary of state for Finance in 2005-2010.

The Management Committee is the EIB’s permanent collegiate executive body, consisting of a President and eight Vice-Presidents. The members of the Management Committee are appointed by the Board of Governors – the economy and finance ministers of the 27 EU Member States.

Under the authority of Werner Hoyer, President of the EIB, the Management Committee collectively oversees the day-to-day running of the EIB as well as preparing and ensuring the implementation of the Board of Directors’ decisions, notably regarding borrowing and lending operations.

The EU welcomes the legal reforms introduced by Qatar on 30 August ending the requirement for migrant workers to obtain their employer’s permission to change jobs, while also adopting a non-discriminatory minimum wage.

Once these reforms enter into force, Qatar will become the first country in the Gulf region to dismantle the kefala (“sponsorship”) system governing the employment of migrant workers, which gives employers excessive control over them.

The EU strongly supports these labour legislation reform efforts, which it has long advocated and discussed with Qatar, especially in the informal Human Rights Dialogue.

We also commend the International Labour Organisation for its supportive and crucial role accompanying the Qatari government on its labour law reform agenda. The EU looks forward to the swift implementation of Law No. 18/2020 and further improvements of the legal framework covering workers’ rights in Qatar.