Appointment of MEP Markus Pieper as the new ‘EU envoy for small and medium-sized enterprises’

Subject: Appointment of MEP Markus Pieper as the new ‘EU envoy for small and medium-sized enterprises’

On Wednesday 31 January, the Commission announced the appointment of Markus Pieper – a German MEP and member of the European People’s Party – as the new ‘EU envoy for small and medium-sized enterprises’.

It emerged from press reports that Pieper was not awarded the top score by the independent selection committees. According to external advisers and the advisory committee, Czech MEP Martina Dlabajová and Swedish MEP Anna Stellinger both outperformed Pieper, with assessors scoring them 30% higher.

Pieper’s appointment would also seem to fly in the face of President von der Leyen’s comments on the need to promote more women to top positions and strengthen the voice of under-represented EU countries.

In view of the above, and in line with the principles of transparency and impartiality in administrative procedures, can the Commission answer the following:

1. Is it true that Mr Pieper was not the top-scoring candidate competing for the position?

2. What assessments and criteria formed the basis for this appointment decision?

3. Given the legal relevance of the appointment, will it disclose the documents that concern this appointment and the assessments of the three candidates?

Submitted:15.3.2024

Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission

(6 March 2025)

1. Mr Pieper was appointed for the function of Hors Classe Adviser — EU SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) Envoy following a thorough procedure, based on merit and conducted in full compliance with the applicable rules. For any selection procedure that involves several stages, the results obtained by a candidate who is successful in one stage of the process do not prejudge the outcome of the subsequent stages. The preselection panel and the Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA) identified the candidates with the necessary qualifications and competences to proceed to the subsequent stage. There was no ranking between the candidates shortlisted by the CCA and the candidate considered best by the College was chosen after the CCA stage and the interviews with the relevant members of the Commission.

2. The criteria for the selection were laid down in the vacancy notice as published. The selection procedure is laid down in the policy on senior officials (1) and includes several stages: a pre-selection stage, an assessment centre with external human resources consultants, interviews with the CCA and interviews with the relevant members of the Commission.

3. The individual assessments of candidates in a selection procedure are confidential and covered both by the secrecy of panel deliberations, as recognised by the case-law of the EU courts (2) and by data protection rules.

For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that Mr Pieper decided not to take up his post as EU SME Envoy on 16 April 2024 as planned.

1 ∙ ⸱ https://commission.europa.eu/jobs-european-commission/job-opportunities/managers-european-commission_en

2 ∙ ⸱ See, for instance, the judgment of 4 July 1996, Parliament v Angelo Innamorati, Case C-254/95 P, EU:C:1996:276, paragraphs. 24-30 and, more recently, in

the context of a selection procedure for a post in the Regulatory Scrutiny Board, the judgment of the General Court of 21 December 2022, OM v Commission, T-118/22, EU:T:2022:849, paragraph 24 and the case-law cited.