VACANCY NOTICE FOR TEMPORARY AGENT SELECTION
| Job title | Case Handler Officer |
|---|---|
| Reference | COMP/COM/2026/1930 |
| Application deadline | 03.11.2026 - 12.00 (Brussels time) |
| Directorate-General | DG COMPETITION |
| Unit | COMP.F.4 Mergers |
| Place of assignment | Brussels |
| Grade range | AD5/7 |
| Domain * | Law |
| Contract type | Temporary Agent 2b |
About us
Unit COMP.F.4 is responsible for the control of concentrations (merger control) in Directorate F: Transport, Post and other services of DG Competition (DG COMP); for developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating competition policies and legislation in the field of transport and other services sectors; and for coordination, negotiation, and representation, including at international level, of competition policy in the field of transport and other services sectors.
Transport and logistics are part and parcel of all economic activities and directly affect the prices of goods at different levels of the value chains. Ensuring competitive market structures in these industries therefore contributes to the performance of the overall economy and is essential to protect the interests of European consumers.
A core task of our unit is the assessment of mergers in the sector of air, water, land transport, logistics and related services – among them chiefly the container shipping and airline sectors. In addition, we deal with mergers in a large number of other service industries which includes for instance the hospitality and tourism sector, the real estate sector, and the new mobility and e-mobility sectors.
We are a relatively young team composed of 14 case handlers responsible for investigating cases and drafting decisions, 4 case assistants responsible for secretarial and organizational support, usually 2 trainees and 2 case managers coordinating the case work. The unit is part of DG COMPs Merger Network, whose mission is to enforce merger control rules at EU level across the whole economy.
About the role
A position as an AD case handler. The work consists of (i) investigating cases and drafting decisions for the Commission on concentrations; (ii) developing policy and legislation in the field of competition enforcement in transport and other services; (iii) implementing, monitoring and evaluating existing competition policies and legislation in transport and other services; (iv) coordination, negotiation, and representation, including at international level, of competition policy in transport and other services.
On merger cases, case handlers work in teams composed of at least two case handlers, a case assistant and a case manager. The teams carry out a legal and economic assessment of the likely impact of a concentration on competition. Case handler work includes meetings with the parties and their lawyers, site visits, review of internal strategy documents, market investigations on the basis of questionnaires, interviews with customers, suppliers and competitors, cooperation with competition authorities in other jurisdictions (e.g. the US or China), as well as contacts with regulatory bodies. Case handlers are also responsible for ensuring that procedures are correctly applied, preparing negotiations with the parties and drafting the final Commission decisions.
On policy and legislative issues in the transport and other services sectors, case handlers work in close cooperation with other units of the Directorate and other colleagues of DG Competition. They develop the Commission position and make suggestion to improve the Commission competition policy framework.
In addition to their work for unit COMP.F.4, case handlers may be asked to work on mergers in other sectors within DG Competitions merger network, to draft speeches and briefings or to participate in cross-unit working groups on policy issues and legislation.
Case handler work is dynamic, varied and interesting. A case handler may be involved in up to 20 different cases per year in addition to policy work
Qualifications, experience and skills
The ideal candidate is an experienced, curious, dynamic individual with lots of common sense, who enjoys a fast-paced working environment. Strong analytical and proven drafting skills are a requisite, together with a sense of initiative and the ability to deliver output within tight deadlines. The candidate must also be open-minded and a real team player and have a track record of passing on her/his knowledge and experience to other colleagues. A background in law is highly desirable, a significant working experience in merger control in private practice would be a strong comparative advantage. A very good command of English, both written and oral, is essential; a good knowledge of German and/or Italian would be an asset.
How to express your interest?
You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:
- your CV
- completed application form.
Please send these documents by the publication deadline to
COMP-TA-APPLICATION@ec.europa.eu indicating the selection reference
COMP/COM/2026/1930 in the subject.
No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.
Eligibility
For eligibility, please consult this page with all the information needed.