Robert Schuman Traineeships at the European Parlament

Deadline: 15 October 2013
Open to: EU graduates or nationals from applicant countries (general option) or journalists (journalism option)
Remuneration: EUR 1213.55 a month for trainees assigned to Brussels or Luxembourg. For other countries, the amount of the scholarship is weighted to reflect the higher or lower cost of living. Travel cost may be covered

Description

European Parliament offers several options for traineeships within its Secretariat, to provide opportunities for vocational training and for learning more about what the European Parliament is and does. Traineeships for university graduates are intended to enable trainees to supplement the knowledge which they acquired during their studies and to familiarize themselves with the activities of the European Union and, in particular, the European Parliament.

Traineeships for university graduates last five months. This period cannot be extended. The traineeship period is 1 March – 31 July. There are two kinds:

1. Robert Schuman scholarships, general option
2. Robert Schuman scholarships, journalism option.

Eligibility

Applicants for a traineeship for university graduates must:

• be nationals of a Member State of the European Union or an applicant country;
• be aged 18 or over on their traineeship starting date;
• have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union;
• not have been awarded any other traineeship or have been in paid employment for more than four consecutive weeks at the expense of the European Union budget.

Applicants for Robert Schuman scholarships, journalism option, must demonstrate professional experience as evidenced either by works published, or by membership of an association of journalists in a Member State of the European Union, or by a qualification in journalism recognised in the Member States of the European Union or in the applicant countries.

Remuneration

Currently the scholarship is EUR 1213.55 a month for trainees assigned to Brussels or Luxembourg, although the amount is updated on 1 January every year. For trainees outside Belgium or Luxembourg, the amount of the scholarship is weighted to reflect the higher or lower cost of living in the relevant countries.

Trainees are entitled to a flat-rate payment towards the cost of travel between their actual place of residence and their place of assignment at the beginning and end of the traineeship if the distance between the two places is more than 50 km.

The European Parliament takes out supplementary health insurance and accident insurance for trainees and pays the premiums in full. At the request of trainees, the European Parliament may also insure their spouses and children. Trainees who are married and/or have one or more dependent children are entitled to a head of household allowance. In 2013 this allowance is EUR 242 a month.

Application

To apply for the traineeship candidates must fulfil the conditions and complete the online application form.

When applying online, candidates have a maximum of 30 minutes to complete each page of the application form. Please note that if  application form is inactive for 30 minutes, data will be lost. Read the Internal rules governing traineeships and study visits in the Secretariat of the European Parliament before filling in the application form.

Application period finishes next 15 October 2013 for traineeships from 1 March to 31 July 2014. Any incomplete applications will automatically be rejected.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information please see the official webpage