Abstract. For a large class of linear neutral-type systems the problem of assigning eigenvalues and eigenvectors is investigated, i.e. finding the system that has the given spectrum and, in some sense, allmost all eigenvectors. The solution of this problem enables vector moment problems to be considered using the construction of a neutral-type system. The exact controllability property of the system obtained gives the solution of the vector moment problem.Key words. Neutral-type systems, eigenvalue and eigenvector assignment, moment problems.AMS subject classifications. 93C23, 93B60, 44A601. Introduction. One of the central problems in control theory is that of spectral assignment. This question has been well investigated for linear finite dimensional systems, see for example [27]. It is important to emphasize that the assignment of eigenvalues is not sufficient in several cases. Sometimes, the assignment of eigenvectors or of the geometric eigenstructure is needed (see for example [11,23,26]). This is possible by state or output feedback using the possibility of multivariable control.For infinite dimensional systems (delay systems, partial derivative equations) the problem is much more complicated. However, for some particular classes of infinite dimensional systems, it is possible to assign a part or whole spectrum, see for example [4,15,22,25]. The main motivation is the stabilizability by feedback. However, the assignment is always related to some controllability conditions. For example, the main result in [25] for the spectrum shifting is based on the exact controllability condition.Our purpose is to investigate this kind of problem for a large class of linear delay systems of neutral-type , which may be considered in an infinite dimensional framework.The general properties of systems of neutral-type have been widely investigated, see for example the classic works [2, 6, 9] and references therein.Our subject of study is the system given by the equationwhere z(t) ∈ R n and A −1 , A 2 , A 3 are n × n matrices. The elements of matrices A 2 (·) and A 3 (·) take values in L 2 (−1, 0). The neutral-type term A −1ż (t − 1) consists of a simple delay, while the others include multiple discrete and distributed delays.As shown in [3,18,19], this system can be rewritten in the operator form (1.2)ẋ(t) = Ax(t), x(t) = y(t) z t (·) , * Some results developed here were announced in a short note published by Comptes Rendus Mathématique [24].