The European Mediator, Jacob Söderman, has refused to sign the decision relating to the creation of the recruitment Office of the European Communities, subject to the elimination of the provision that permits discrimination on grounds of age. The refusal of the Mediator is based on article 21 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union, which prohibits any kind of discrimination, including that of age. The Office will be responsible for the organization of competitions for the recruitment of officials and all the institutions and organs of the European Union (Parliament, Commission, Council, Court of Justice, etc.) will draw from the reserve list of candidates registered in it. Thus the current system in which each institution organizes its own competitions will be replaced. The Office will presumably be instituted by the end of 2002, and be in a position to organize competitions in 2003.
