Join the

European Parliament

Opportunities for young graduates

This brochure has been edited by the Internal Organisation and Human Resources Planning Unit, Directorate-General for Personnel, European Parliament.

© European Communities, 2009

The European Parliament – a unique employer 5Careers as an administrator in the general secretariat 6General conditions 7Further information 7Fields of employment 8Administrators in parliamentary bodies 9

Press officers 9

Organisation and human resources advisers 10

Legal advisers 10

Lawyer linguists 11

Translators and interpreters 12

Financial advisers 13

Fixed-term contracts for administrators in the general secretariat 14Further information 14Parliamentary assistance to a Member of the European Parliament 15Further information 15European Parliament political group staff 16Further information 17Traineeships and study visits 18Traineeships in the general secretariat 18Paid traineeships 18

Unpaid traineeships and study visits 19

Further information 20Traineeships with a Member of Parliament of political group 20European Parliament – one institution, so many opportunities 21

Contents

■ The European Parliament – a unique employer

Joining the European Parliament does not necessarily mean taking the road to Strasbourg. What it does mean, however, is that you will be part of a varied and exciting working environment at the heart of European democracy.

Since 1979, the European Parliament has been elected by the citizens of Europe by direct universal suffrage. The Assembly is therefore the voice of some 500 million Europeans from 27 Member States. Whether you are involved in parliamentary business in Brussels or Strasbourg or working at Parliament’s Secretariat in Brussels or Luxembourg, in more ways than one the European Parliament offers an interesting career where excellence is the keyword. Whatever they have studied, graduates can choose from a wide range of different jobs in Parliament. The countless opportunities for career development and the chance to work in a multi-cultural environment where 23 official languages are spoken, while enjoying a harmonious work/life balance, are all part of the attraction of working at the European Parliament.

The jobs offered to young graduates cover a wide range of professions and offer a variety of opportunities, ranging from traineeships to the chance to embark on a career as a European civil servant. Provided they are keen on politics and convinced Europeans, young graduates can look forward to interesting challenges with a direct bearing on European integration.

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■ Careers as an administrator in the general secretariat

Anyone wishing to embark on a career as a civil servant in the European Parliament’s Secretariat must first pass a competition organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). The selection procedure involves various tests making it possible to analyse candidates’ reasoning skills, knowledge of the European Union, professional skills and knowledge of another EU language. Since 2002, EPSO has been organising open competitions for all the European institutions. Future European civil servants are recruited from reserve lists drawn up at the end of these competitions.

Recruitment to the European Parliament Secretariat therefore follows a procedure common to all European Union institutions.

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General conditions

While the jobs and activities involved are many and various, the general conditions for joining the European civil service are the same for everyone. In order to be admitted to a competition, every candidate must:

be a citizen of a Member State of the European Union;

hold a diploma certifying successful completion of university studies of at least three years (a table listing officially recognised diplomas which meet this criterion can be found on the EPSO website);

have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union – generally the mother tongue – and a satisfactory knowledge of one other official language (candidates usually sit the competition in either French, English or German, in addition to their mother tongue);

where appropriate, have the necessary qualifications (e.g. knowledge of other languages for interpreters and translators) and professional experience required for the level of specialisation and grade concerned.

There is no age limit for applications (most competitions, however, provide for recruitment in the basic grade).

Further information

All information on current, new and forthcoming competitions and how to register for them can be found on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) at the following address:

http://europa.eu/epso/

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Fields of employment

Graduates are recruited to the European Parliament Secretariat to work as administrators. Parliament offers a wide variety of jobs in the following areas:

administrationparliamentary assistancecommunicationsfinanceITlegal assistancelanguage assistancemanagementmaterial and logistic support

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In addition to specific professions, such as buildings engineers, website administrators or doctors; where opportunities arise less frequently, there are openings in more traditional areas linked to Parliament’s political activity and

administration:

Legal assistance1%

Language assistance28%

Administration18%Parliamentary assistance

16%

Material and logistic support

9%

Management8%

Finance6%

IT5%

Communications9%

■ Administrators in parliamentary bodies

These administrators directly assist Members of Parliament in their work for parliamentary committees and interparliamentary delegations or other European Parliament bodies. Politically neutral, these specialists ensure that Parliament’s legislative business proceeds smoothly, by preparing agendas and minutes for plenary sittings and committee and delegation meetings. They facilitate Members’ parliamentary work by providing them with the specific skills they may have in particular internal or external policy fields. They draw up background documents, as well as draft reports, opinions or amendments.

As such, administrators in parliamentary bodies are at the hub of the activities of the Secretariat, a body independent of political parties whose job is to provide the professional assistance needed to promote the European Parliament’s institutional activities.

■ Press officers

Press and public relations officers have a job which is as important as it is exciting. They act as an interface between Parliament’s political activities and European public opinion. They are key contacts for the media and the opinion formers in the area of European politics, writing press releases explaining Parliament’s role and activities and getting them published and distributed. They assist Members, particularly rapporteurs, by organising press conferences and other contacts.

Their role as intermediaries means that they are vital in promoting a high-profile public image of the European Parliament.

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■ Organisation and human resources advisers

These advisers deal with staff planning at the European Parliament. Mainly responsible for strategic forecasts in the area of human resources, they identify long- and medium-term staff needs and have the task of meeting the challenges posed by EU enlargements with regard to staffing. As part of their strategic planning brief, they advise decision-makers by drawing up background documents, analysing the way services operate and proposing models for improving administrative procedures.

In addition to strategic planning activities, organisation and human resources advisers provide a career guidance and counselling service. They also organise information programmes for new officials joining Parliament.

■ Legal advisers

Legal advisers have two main tasks: they advise the political bodies and Secretariat of the European Parliament on all legal matters and represent the Institution in external legal cases.

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In particular, they assist Parliament’s political bodies by using their professional skills to draw up recommendations and opinions on legislative reports. In addition, they monitor the legal quality of legislative proposals and texts. They also have to follow developments in Community case law and track the progress of major political projects.

Some of these civil servants are also specially trained to represent the European Parliament in cases referred to national and European courts.

■ Lawyer linguists

Lawyer linguists perform a highly specialised task which is vital for the European Parliament’s legislative work. Their main task is to ensure that multilingualism, one of the fundamental principles of European democracy, does not become a pitfall for European legislation.

It is vital that the legislative texts adopted by the European Parliament, to a greater extent than in other areas of Parliament’s political and legal activity, should be identical from a legal point of view in all languages. To ensure that this is the case, the European Parliament recruits highly specialised staff trained in both law and languages. It is these lawyer linguists who ensure the legal, linguistic and technical concordance and finalisation of legislative and other texts throughout their passage through Parliament.

Acting as intermediaries, this role in providing legislative and linguistic assistance is an essential one.

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■ Translators and interpreters

More than one thousand translators and interpreters work for the European Parliament Secretariat helping to make multilingualism – one of the fundamental principles of European democracy – a reality. Under this principle, all Members of the European Parliament may express themselves in their mother tongue – i.e. in any of the 23 official languages of the European Union. Similarly, all citizens can ask questions in their own language and enjoy right of access to legal texts and official publications in their mother tongue.

The work of a translator consists both in translating documents on various subjects, such as legislative texts and various official publications, and revising translated texts or carrying out terminology projects.

The main task of interpreters is to provide simultaneous interpretation during Parliament’s part-sessions and committee meetings. They also provide ‘chuchotage’ (whispered interpretation) or consecutive interpretation for special events when dignitaries visit.

It should be noted that linguists always translate or interpret into their mother tongue, from at least two foreign languages.

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■ Financial advisers

Financial advisers are mainly responsible for the sound preparation, adoption and implementation of the budget. They therefore play a central role in a variety of disciplines, preparing and monitoring all stages of the budget procedure. In this connection, they provide decision-makers with the information they need on budget resources and staffing.

In addition to internal audit operations, the main task of financial advisers is to help and advise the various services with a view to improving financial management and enhancing spending efficiency.

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■ Fixed-term contracts for administrators in the general secretariat

In addition to career opportunities for administrators, the European Parliament also recruits staff on fixed-term contracts. In the event of staff shortages, Parliament may require contract and/or temporary staff to replace or strengthen its services. This applies to all jobs and professional sectors.

Contract staff are recruited via a selection procedure based on an initial ‘call for expressions of interest’, following which a reserve list known as the ‘CAST’ is drawn up. Applicants are recruited as and when required. Contracts are for a maximum period of three years.

Temporary staff are usually given contracts with a maximum duration of six years. However, in some specific cases, open-ended contracts are given. These jobs are few in number and are connected with the extension of a specific call for tender, with the result that the application procedures concerned may vary considerably.

Further information

Special rules apply to staff recruited under fixed-term contracts. All information on current or forthcoming calls for expression of interest, together with details of application procedures, can be found on the website of the European Personnel

Selection Office (EPSO) at the following address:

http://europa.eu/epso/

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■ Parliamentary assistance to a Member of the European Parliament

Parliamentary assistants help Members of the European Parliament in the performance of their parliamentary duties in Brussels, in the Member’s own constituency, and in Strasbourg during parliamentary part-sessions.

Assistants’ duties in Brussels include the drawing up of background documents on the major political topics dealt with by Members, preparing draft reports, opinions and amendments tabled by the Members. They also write speeches, answer questions from the public and host visitors’ groups.

Parliamentary assistants working in Members’ constituencies assist Members working at grass-roots level with citizens, local associations and political authorities. They serve as an interface between voters, local party organisations and Members.

This kind of work is based on a genuine relationship of trust between the assistant and Member. Indeed, it is for this reason that Members choose their personal assistants themselves. Anyone interested in applying for a job of this kind should contact the office of the Member of Parliament concerned.

Further information

The full list of Members of the European Parliament – broken down by Member State and political group – can be found on the European Parliament’s website at the following address:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry.do

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■ European Parliament political group staff

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Staff working for political groups help the members of their group in carrying out their tasks. Their role is first and foremost a political one.

Essentially, their work involves formulating and promoting the policies followed by the group and the opinions expressed on particular topics. For certain policy areas, they are responsible for preparing the work of the various members, in particular for specialised working groups and prominent group members. They help to prepare the group’s internal political position for committee meetings and plenary sittings and draw up voting lists. They therefore provide extensive professional assistance for the parliamentary activities of their political family. Their role is also to disseminate the political group’s position outside Parliament to the media and the general public.

Working in a political group also entails a relationship of trust and a spirit of loyalty to the group. That is why European political groups organise their own selection procedures to recruit staff on the basis of fixed-term contracts. For further information on recruitment procedures, and to apply for posts, contact should be made with the political group concerned.

GUE/NGL : 35

S&D : 184 ECR : 54

EFD : 32

NA : 27

ALDE : 84 EPP : 265

GREENS/EFA : 55

Results of the 2009 European elections. Seats by political group.

Further information

The following sites provide full information on the activities of the political groups and give the names of the persons to contact:

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Group of European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)http://www.eppgroup.eu

Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliamenthttp://www.socialistgroup.eu

Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europehttp://www.alde.eu

Group of the Greens / European Free Alliancehttp://www.greens-efa.eu

European Conservatives and Reformists Group

Confederal Group of the European United Left / Nordic Green Lefthttp://www.guengl.eu

Europe of Freedom and Democracy Grouphttp://indemgroup.eu

■ Traineeships and study visits

Traineeships in the general secretariat

■ Paid traineeships

Every year Parliament’s Secretariat offers young graduates a limited number of paid traineeships in its directorates-general in Brussels and Luxembourg or in Parliament’s information offices in the 27 Member States. Depending on the option chosen, these traineeships last from three to five months. Obtaining one of these highly sought-after awards offers trainees the opportunity to gain a first impression of the European institutions. The following traineeships are offered:

Robert Schuman scholarships, general option: intended for graduates who have written a thesis as part of their studies, preferably on a European Union- related matter;

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Robert Schuman scholarships, journalism option: intended for graduates with genuine journalistic skills;

traineeships for translators: intended for qualified translators capable of translating into their mother tongue from at least two official languages;

traineeship programme for people with disabilities: this programme is part of a positive action measure aimed at facilitating the integration of disabled people in the workplace and is governed by special arrangements.

The general conditions applicable to paid traineeships are as follows:

university degree after a course of study of at least three years’ duration;

very good knowledge of English and/or French;

monthly allowance currently amounting to EUR 1 169.09 (2009);

Robert Schuman scholarships lasting five months begin in March and October; translator traineeships lasting three months begin in January,

April, July and October.

■ Unpaid traineeships and study visits

During their course of study, students may undertake an unpaid traineeship with Parliament’s various administrative services or language units. In addition to traineeships organised under the official programme, provision is also made for short study visits for research purposes. The arrangements for these have to be determined on a case-by-case basis with the traineeship office and the relevant services.

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The general conditions applicable to unpaid traineeships are as follows:

high school diploma;

traineeship should preferably be a requirement of the study course;

trainees should be aged 18 or over;

trainees should have very good knowledge of English and/or French;

unpaid traineeships of one to four months begin in January, May and September.

Further information

For further information on the various programmes and application details, consult the traineeship office website at the following address:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?language=EN&id=147

Traineeships with a Member of Parliament or political group

Members of the European Parliament and the political groups represented there regularly take on trainees in both Brussels and Strasbourg. Students and young graduates thus have the opportunity to gain an initial impression of the day-to-day political activities of the European Parliament. Some Members may also use the services of trainees in their constituencies.

Unlike those organised by the European Parliament Secretariat, these traineeships are not part of the official programme. They depend on the openings available in political groups and Members’ offices and on the relevant internal rules. The conditions, duration, registration deadlines and remuneration may therefore vary. For this reason, it is preferable to contact the Member of Parliament or political group in question directly.

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■ European Parliament – one institution, so many opportunities

Joining the European Parliament means a chance to embark on an interesting career in a variety of different areas. It is an opportunity for a unique and highly attractive career. The European Parliament is seeking excellence among the young people of Europe. Perhaps you could be one of them.

Don’t hesitate – come and join the European Parliament!

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5344

EN

http://www.europarl.europa.eu

60, Rue Wiertz

B-1047 Bruxelles

Tel: +32 2 284 21 11

60, Rue Wiertz

B-1047 Bruxelles

Tel: +32 2 284 21 11

1, Avenue du Président Robert Schuman

F-67070 Strasbourg

Tel: + 33 388 17 40 01

1, Avenue du Président Robert Schuman

F-67070 Strasbourg

Tel: + 33 388 17 40 01

Plateau du Kirchberg

L-2929 Luxembourg

Tel: + 352 43001

Plateau du Kirchberg

L-2929 Luxembourg

Tel: + 352 43001