The latest trends in EU staff and top administration school selection methods were the focus of a joint conference on best practices in recruitment, organised by the European Commission and the French École Nationale d'Administration (ENA), on 18 October in Paris. Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic outlined the latest reform of selection methods in EU staff recruitment: assessment based more on skills than knowledge; an annual cycle for applications; and a simpler, more efficient structure that has reduced the length of procedures. Bernard Boucault, director of ENA, demonstrated how the school is modernising its selection procedures. Yves Quitin, director-general for human resources at the European Parliament and chair of the EPSO Management Board, said: "This conference is a concrete example of how sharing knowledge between the EU institutions and national governments can help to enhance Europe's administrations".