Fairness and transparency in recruitment is essential to building a high-quality, inclusive European civil service - MEP Peter Agius

The European Parliament Office in Malta today hosted MEP Peter Agius for a public discussion entitled “Take a Seat - EU Jobs and Opportunities.”

Addressing participants, MEP Peter Agius underlined the importance of a credible and inclusive recruitment system: “EPSO is an important entity for the EU to ensure objective recruitment through open competitions. The EU institutions need to rely on a high-level European civil service that is inclusive and that gives everyone a fair chance.”

He also stressed on the need for the EU to continue investing in EPSO and in schemes to offer invaluable experience to young Europeans such as Erasmus+, the DiscoverEU programme, and so many other initiatives addressed to youths. These ought to remain well-funded in the next long-term budget of the EU, which will be taking shape throughout the next year, he said. 

The event also served as an opportunity for young people, students, and youth organisations to learn more about career paths within EU institutions, as well as to gain insights into the skills, training, and preparation required to succeed in EU recruitment competitions. Agius spoke about the importance of traineeship experiences with EU institutions and called on interested youths to be proactive about showing their interest in similar opportunities.

Saturday’s discussion followed closely on the Resolution on organisational mismanagement of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) adopted by the European Parliament during its November II Plenary Session on 27 November 2025. The resolution calls for a reform of EU recruitment procedures and of EPSO’s operations, including improvements in transparency, processes, and geographical balance in selection and staffing.

MEP Agius served as Shadow Rapporteur for the European People’s Party (EPP) in the Committee on Petitions (PETI), the committee responsible for the motion leading to the resolution. The PETI Committee had previously examined a petition raising concerns about repeated organisational and technical failures in EPSO competitions over the past two years, prompting calls for corrective action to safeguard fairness, quality, and accessibility for all EU citizens.

The event forms part of the Office’s ongoing series that brings Maltese Members of the European Parliament together with stakeholders, youth organisations, and the general public to discuss key issues and highlight the direct impact of European Parliament decision-making on Malta.

The European Parliament Office in Malta will continue to organise open events with Maltese MEPs to promote direct dialogue on EU policy and the relevance of the European Parliament’s work to Maltese citizens.