The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) is an international organisation which monitors compliance with the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, enabling those States to participate in the Internal Market of the European Union.
ESA's work helps remove barriers to trade and opens up new opportunities to over 450 million Europeans, creating jobs and growth and adding to the international competitiveness of the States.
ESA currently employs staff members of 18 different nationalities from across the EEA. Based in Brussels, ESA is collocated with in the EFTA House with its sister organisations the EFTA Secretariat and the EEA and Norway Grants (FMO).
Job Reference 16/2024
ESA is recruiting a Legal Officer to join its Internal Market Affairs Directorate (IMA), in the ENFIP Unit.
ENFIP was created in 2021 to promote synergies across the financial services, public procurement environment/climate and energy sectors, where EU/EEA legislation has grown at an unprecedented pace over the last few years, bringing new enforcement and regulatory challenges for ESA.
The Legal Officer will be assigned responsibility for general surveillance work and case handling regarding the implementation and application of EEA law relating to the Environment in the participating EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).
In the area of the Environment, ESA is responsible for ensuring that the EEA EFTA States comply with their obligations to protect, preserve and improve the quality of the environment and ensure a high level of environmental protection.
Following the European Green Deal and the new/revised legal frameworks in the Environment field, ESA is increasingly vested with tasks of a regulatory nature, for example to follow-up on the EEA EFTA States’ reporting obligations and to assess their progress to achieve more ambitious environmental goals.
Tasks will include the examination of complaints, legal conformity assessments, drafting of decisions, opinions and reports to follow-up on States’ compliance with relevant EEA law targets.
The successful candidate is expected to proactively keep abreast of developments in the field and closely cooperate with internal and external counterparts. In particular, the successful candidate will:
Depending on the needs of the Unit as well as the skills and interests of the successful candidate, the responsibilities may also cover tasks relating to the energy and/or climate fields.
ESA has a dynamic and diverse work environment with the opportunity to work in a team of highly qualified people. We offer:
This position will be filled in accordance with ESA’s policy on Recruitment available at: https://jobs.eftasurv.int. The position is placed at grade A4 of ESA’s salary scale, the precise step being determined depending on the relevant experience of the successful candidate, with a likely starting salary of between €106,700 and €112,250 per annum. Depending on personal situation and family status, additional allowances and benefits may apply. Tax conditions are favourable.
Type and duration of appointment: fixed-term contract of three years, renewable for a further three years if desirable and in the interest of ESA. Candidates must be nationals of the States party to the EEA Agreement (EU + EEA EFTA) at the point of application and the time of any offer being made.
Applications submitted in response to this vacancy notice may also be taken into account for the purpose of filling other vacancies arising for similar positions within ESA.
Questions regarding the post may be addressed to Marco Uccelli, Deputy Director IMA ENFIP on +32 (0)2 286 1895/muc@eftasurv.int.
Questions regarding the recruitment process may be addressed to Emma Thomas, HR & Payroll Officer on +32 (0)2 286 1870/eth@eftasurv.int.