BRUSSELS — The European Commission is considering introducing quotas to boost the number of staff from underrepresented nations such as Ireland and Denmark.

The Commission has resisted taking specific measures to correct geographical imbalances but posts are highly sought-after, with candidates from all countries in the bloc vying for jobs in Brussels in highly competitive examinations.

A Commission document, seen by POLITICO, shows that Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland are among those considered “under-represented” in the EU executive, meaning staffing levels are below a “guiding rate” based on countries’ populations.

Meanwhile, staffers from Belgium, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and France are considered “appropriately represented.” The document does not spell out which nationalities are overrepresented.

A separate internal document, dating from early November, sets out a plan to address and correct these imbalances, which a Commission official — granted anonymity to speak freely — attributed to the fact that the institution’s salary and benefits package may be highly attractive in some countries and less so in others. These benefits include ironclad job security, flexible working arrangements, free access to European schools, and tax-free income.

In the short term, starting in 2026, people recruiting staff to the Commission are instructed to monitor how these imbalances evolve by using “soft” methods that don’t amount to specific hiring targets or preferential policies. If these methods fail to produce the desired effect, then hiring officials will be asked to start implementing stronger measures.

These include interviewing at least one suitable candidate from an underrepresented nationality for each job opening; giving preference to an underrepresented nationality if two people are deemed to be on the same level of competence; taking into account the Commission’s overall hiring needs when launching a recruitment drive; and applying nationality-based recruitment targets for the hiring of both permanent and so-called temporary agents (employees who don’t enjoy full civil servant status in the Commission).

National capitals have long resisted hiring quotas in the Commission, arguing that it’s up to each country to promote work in the Brussels institutions and make sure there is a pipeline of candidates. But despite previous efforts to bolster candidacies from underrepresented states, including a 2022 plan to increase visibility of job vacancies and boost outreach by both the Commission and member states, efforts have so far failed to correct imbalances.

The push is also a factor in an internal tug-of-war over resources, as the Commission’s former secretary-general, Catherine Day, undertakes a “large-scale review” that aims to streamline and modernize the institution. Staff unions are using the imbalance issue to argue against any changes to the Commission’s job status for civil servants, saying this could dissuade candidates from underrepresented states.