European Commission paid traineeships, for 1,300 trainees

Twice a year, the European Commission offers  1,800  paid administrative or translation internships , lasting  5 months .

The internships start  on 1 st  March or 1 st  October , allow students to gain practical experience in the development of EU policies in a multicultural environment.

 General questions

What the work?

Internships are offered throughout the European Commission. The nature of the tasks depends on the service concerned. You can be recruited in the field of competition as well as human resources or the environment, for example.

On a daily basis, interns must mainly:

  • attend or organize meetings, working groups, forums or public debates;
  • conduct research, gather documentation, write reports or conclusions of consultations, respond to requests;
  • manage projects.

What will an internship bring you?

  • knowledge of the EU: becoming familiar with the procedures and policies of the European institutions;
  • practical experience: participate in the daily work of the Commission;
  • putting theoretical knowledge into practice.

What is expected of you?

  • an interest in European affairs;
  • willingness to learn about the working methods of the Commission;
  • the ability to take initiatives.

Some scientific courses are also available at the Joint Research Center ( JRC ).

Who can apply?

Internships are open to students from around the world with:

  • a university degree attesting to at least three years of study (minimum license);
  • very good knowledge of English, French or German (level C1 / C2 in accordance with the common European frame of reference for languages );
  • a very good knowledge of another official EU language (for nationals of an EU country ).

You must hold a diploma attesting to at least three years of study to apply for a “Blue Book” internship. Your application will only be taken into account if you have a diploma or an official confirmation from your university attesting that you have obtained a diploma after at least three years of study.

You can only apply once per session, but as many times as you like until you are selected. If you do not pass the pre-selection phase, or if you are entered in the Blue Book but are not selected for an internship, you will have to submit a new application. It will again be subject to the preselection procedure, with no guarantee of success or registration in the Blue Libre.

Article 2.2.2 of the provisions relating to the official traineeship program at the European Commission should be interpreted as excluding the mother tongue (s), to which (to which) no points are awarded during the first stage of the preselection. Points are awarded on the basis of merit.

Therefore, if your mother tongue is French, English or German (even if you are not an EU citizen) , you must have a very good certified knowledge of at least one of the two ; other working / procedural languages ​​of the Commission.

If you are an EU citizen and if French, English or German is not your mother tongue, you must have a very good knowledge of one of these three languages, in addition to your mother tongue.

The level of linguistic competence must be supported by certified proof and correspond to a “very good level of knowledge” (level C1 / C2 as provided for by the common European frame of reference for languages ).

Benefits of the European Commission Internship

Applicants selected for the European Commission internship will have the following advantages:

  1. Overview of the processes and policies of the European institutions;
  2. An opportunity to contribute to the daily work of the Commission;
  3. The opportunity to put academic theory into practice;
  4. A subsistence allowance of  € 1,220.78 per month  for the 2020 sessions.

Eligibility for the European Commission Internship

To be eligible for the European Commission internship program, applicants must:

  • Have a diploma of at least 3 years of study (at least a license);
  • Very good knowledge of English, French or German (level C1 / C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages);
  • Very good knowledge of a second official EU language (compulsory for nationals of EU countries).
  • The candidate must have completed at least 3 years of study with a diploma to apply for a blue book internship.
  • candidates can apply once per session but as many times as they wish until they are finally selected. If you do not pass the pre-selection stage, or if you are in the Blue Book but not selected for an internship, you will have to resubmit your application. You will again be screened without any guarantee that you will be successful and that you will be in the Blue Book again.

Selection criteria

Applicants will be assessed anonymously using the following criteria and, in the following order of relevance:

  • Education level (minimum – license or equivalent);
  • Level of knowledge of one of the three working / procedural languages ​​of the European Commission (EN, FR, DE);
  • Level of knowledge of any other official / working language of the EU as well as of any other European or non-European language, if applicable (for nationals of third countries, only one language of procedure is compulsory).
  • Relevant work experience, if applicable;
  • International profile (education / work / volunteering abroad, mobility, ability to work in an international atmosphere), if applicable;
  • Motivation and quality of reasoning;
  • Rare fields of study;
  • Documents and publications, if applicable.

NB : if you pass the first phase, you will be asked to upload all of your supporting documents in a single PDF file. These supporting documents will then be checked.

Application instructions for the European Commission Internship

To apply for the internship, candidates must follow the steps below:

STEP 1: Register

Please click the Apply button below to register on the application platform and start your application.

STEP 2: Complete your request

Log in and fill out the application form. You don’t have to complete everything in one session. You can register and reconnect at any time to complete your request.

STEP 3: Submit your application

Before submitting your application, the system will show you an overview, as well as all the remaining sections which must be completed before submission. Once your form is fully and correctly completed, you can submit your application. After submission, you cannot make any changes to your request.

A confirmation message will appear on the screen, with your candidate number. This confirms that your application has been correctly submitted. Please do not wait until the last few days before submitting your application.

NB : the medjouel.com team draws your attention to the fact that you do not need to submit documents with your request. If you pass the first phase, you will be asked to upload all of your supporting documents.

Vouchers

  1. Copy of a valid identity card or passport;
  2. A copy of the university diplomas obtained before the deadline for submission of applications;
  3. Proof of studies in progress, of university exchange programs abroad, participation in European or international programs, seminars or workshops;
  4. All declared language skills (other than mother tongue (s);
  5. Any declared work experience;
  6. All publications declared.

The registration deadline is . For more details on the European Commission internship, please visit the official page.

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