European Commission Internship for Young Roma Graduates

The training period involves work experience in one of the Commission’s Directorates-General.

• To give Roma interns a general idea of the objectives and problems of European integration
• To provide them with practical knowledge of the working of the Commissions’ Directorates-General
• To enable them to acquire personal experience by means of the contacts made in the course of their everyday work
• To enable them to enrich and put into practice the knowledge they have acquired during their studies or professional careers
• To promote the active citizenship of young Roma in Central and Eastern Europe by exposing them to community service work

The internship is open to nationals from all new EU member states (excluding Cyprus and Malta), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia who are of Roma origin.

• Candidates should demonstrate willingness to return to their home country after the internship and complete a community-based service project.
• Applications from women are encouraged.
• Candidates must have completed a course of university education and obtained a full degree or its equivalent (for minimum national education qualifications required, see Annex 1) by the closing date for applications. Applications are only accepted if they are accompanied by a photocopy of the candidate’s degree certificate (or, in the absence of this document, an official statement from the university confirming the degree result; see Annex 2 of the full call for applications (attached at right) for a list of university degrees sought by the EC services).
• Preference will be given to candidates with proven experience in civil society work.
• Working knowledge of at least English or French, and the ability to draft reports in one of these languages. Other languages would be appreciated.
• Basic computer literacy.
• The maximum age for interns is 25. However, the Selection Committee may, if there is a good reason, make exceptions to this age limit at the candidate’s request (in which case, a cover letter should be submitted with the application form). As the Commission’s in-service training program addresses young graduates at the beginning of their careers, this age limit should not be considered to be discriminatory.
• The internship scheme at the Commission is open to candidates who have not yet benefited from in-service training in another European institution or body.

Financial assistance for the internship is provided by the Open Society Foundations. The 5-month internship grant covers:

• Travel expenses to and from Brussels will be organized and covered by the Open Society Roma Initiatives (using the cheapest available means of transportation). Actual travel expenses will be covered by the Foundations up to a maximum of 600 Euro.
• Accommodation, subsistence, health and accident insurance: 6,500 Euro (1,300 Euro/month).

Note: The European Commission is not involved in budget management or in making the relevant payments in relation to this program.

Time frame: Five-month internship

Starting date: March 1, 2012

Orientation: Orientation is a one-day event organized prior to the beginning of the internship in Brussels. (Interns will receive further information.)

Note: Candidates should only apply if they seriously intend to take up the offer of an internship within the European Commission. Notification of withdrawal from the program after selection is unacceptable as it precludes others from this opportunity and is a source of inconvenience to both the Open Society Foundations and the European Commission. 

• Health and accident insurance is compulsory and must be obtained by the selected intern before the start of the internship. The grant from the Open Society Foundations will include the cost of health and accident insurance for 5 months.
• Relevant infrastructure (office space, computer, etc.) will be provided by the European Commission.
• Each intern will be assigned a supervisor.

• Job description will be provided by the senior official (supervisor) to whom the intern will be assigned during the period of his/her in-service training. The supervisor will follow the intern’s work. The intern is expected to participate in all the tasks of the team. The type of work will be equivalent to that of a junior executive-grade official, e.g. compiling information and documentation, organising working groups, forums, public hearings and meetings, preparing reports and replying to queries, participation in team meetings, filing, linguistic revision of texts, etc.
• The internship will give an opportunity to become acquainted with /involved in the activities related to Romani issues within the respective Directorate-General.

• While in the European Commission, the interns are required to organize a Roma- related awareness-raising event. The Open Society Foundations will provide support should the interns need any. Interns are encouraged to identify support from other parties as well.
• After the end of the internship, the participants are expected to return home to complete a community-based service project in their own community. The Open Society Roma Initiatives will provide individual guidance about the community-based service project.

• Trainees must hold upon their arrival proper permit/visa in relation to their country of origin as required by the Belgian authorities for a 5-month tourist stay.
• Accommodation expenses are included in the grant from the Open Society Foundations. The interns must arrange accommodation themselves; however, the Open Society Foundations might assist the interns in finding suitable accommodation. The European Commission will provide them with basic information and guidance at the beginning of the internship.