ASEP - Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection of Greece

The Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection (ASEP) was established by Law 2190/1994 (Official government Gazette Issue No. 28/3.3.1994) as an independent authority responsible for securing the implementation of the provisions on public sector staff recruitment. The aforementioned law defines every aspect of the Council’s activities and processes. The role of ASEP has been further enhanced under the 2001 Constitution amendment, as the institutional guardian of the principles of transparency, publicity, objectivity and meritocracy in the civil personnel selection (article 101A of Constitution). The right of access to work in the public sector with absolute transparency, publicity, objectivity and meritocracy imposes the neutrality of the Administration and guarantees equal opportunities for all citizens. As of 15/5/2021, the personnel selection process has changed in accordance with Law 4765/2021 (Official government Gazette Issue No. 6/15.1.2021) “modernization of public sector”. The Law aims at strengthening meritocracy in the recruitment system in the public sector as well as to upgrade and modernize ASEP. The members of ASEP are senior officials who enjoy personal and functional independence. ASEP is subject to parliamentary control according to the Standing Orders of the Hellenic Parliament. Its actions are not subject to hierarchical control in terms of legality but only to judicial control. It has a national scope of work and regulatory authority as well as authority to oversee the legality of acts and limited sanctioning jurisdiction. It also has administrative and financial autonomy with its own budget.