The EU has suspended all competitive processes in job applications following a court decision which could lead to Maltese being accepted in the application procedure.

The competitions have been suspended while European Commission lawyers examine a verdict by the EU Court last Thursday.

The court ruled that Epso, the Commission’s recruitment office, was breaking its own rules by forcing applicants to use English, French, or German.

It said job applicants should be free to use any of the 23 EU official langauges in their correspondence and as their “second language” in Epso exam papers.

The court said the current practice constitutes discrimination because it “favours certain potential candidates, namely those who have a satisfactory knowledge of at least one of the designated languages”.

In a statement, the Commission said it was still examining the verdict. Unless it chooses to appeal, it will be forced to change its application procedures to accommodate all 23 languages. 

The case was brought by Italy and Spain, focusing on three Epso job competitions in 2012 and 2013, on auditors, science consultants, and security experts.

The court annulled the outcome of the job competitions, although the Commission said successful applicants would not be affected by the decision.