By Christos Bezirtzoglou who has joined the European Commission where he occupied different posts both in policy Directorates-General (Environment, Competition, Regional Policy & Trade) as well as in policy coordination (Secretariat-General & Cabinet of Commissioner Diamantopoulou).

Aims

This book is designed to provide a thorough understanding of the EU Oral Examinations process. The oral examinations are probably the most subjective and difficult stage in the EU concours, since candidates have to answer a series of questions with precision in a limited amount of time. It is particularly relevant for:


1. Candidates preparing themselves for the final and more decisive part of the examinations for entry to the EU civil service. 

2. Candidates applying for positions in EU-related organisations who wish to gain a working knowledge of the EU issues. 


Scope

The book covers the principles, techniques and methods involved in the EU Oral Examinations process. To succeed in the oral examinations, candidates need to prepare and cope with the EU concours, aka to follow the FFPE way. Remember that only the best prepared candidates are succeeding

The book should be studied in the sequence of chapters presented as it has been arranged so that there is a progressive explanation of the issues surrounding the oral examinations and any given chapter either includes all the principles necessary or draws upon previous chapters and makes references to specialised annexes. The main body of the text has been explicitly kept to the minimum number of pages in order not to dissuade the candidates. 

However, the annexes should be used as a complementary learning resource either for revision or for knowledge deepening as well as an information resource for planning the future steps of the candidates whose names appear in the reserve list.

The book includes a series of questions are closely modelled on those put forward in the EU Oral Examinations, while the brief indicative answers pinpoints the purpose behind the questions. Readers should always attempt to give their version of the answers in the common list of interview questions. The provided answers should be considered as typical but not necessary comprehensive replies.