Blue Book traineeships 2025

Twice a year, the Commission offers 5-month paid traineeship

Register for the March 2025 session from 15 July (10:00 a.m.) to 30 August 2024 (10:00 a.m. CEST)

The European Commission proposes 2 types of traineeship: an Administrative Traineeship or a Translation Traineeship with the Directorate-General for Translation (DGT).

The traineeship programme is open to all eligible candidates whatever their citizenship, regardless of their sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief, membership of a national minority, disability, age or sexual orientation.
You can find more about equal opportunities on this page.

Trainees work all over the European Commission, its services and agencies, mostly in Brussels, but also in Luxembourg and elsewhere across the European Union.

Subsequent career opportunities may vary between these different entities.

The nature of your work will depend on the service you are assigned to.

You may, for example, work in the field of competition law, human resources, environmental policy, translation, etc.

What does a trainee’s daily work consist of?

• Attending and organising meetings, working groups, and public hearings
• Researching, drafting and editing documentation – including reports and consultations
• Answering citizens’ inquiries
• Supporting the management of projects
• Translating, revising translations or researching terminology

What do we expect from you?

• An open-minded approach to European issues
• An interest in learning about the Commission’s working methods
• Willingness to work in a multicultural environment
• To contribute to the Commission’s daily work from a fresh perspective
• A proactive attitude

Scientific traineeships are also available at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).

Who can apply

Subject to eligibility criteria, the traineeship is open to all EU citizens, regardless of age. A limited number of places are also allocated to non-EU nationals.

Eligibility

The traineeship programme is open to university graduates who:

1. have completed a standard 3-year higher education degree(minimum EQF 6 level), corresponding to a complete Bachelor’s cycle, or equivalent. Only if you have a certificate or official confirmation from your university that you have such a degree will you be eligible to apply.

   You will have to provide the following documents:

   • diplomas or certificates with final grades clearly indicated
   • and proof of minimum EQF 6 level. Find out more about EQF levels
2. have no prior work experience of any kind, in excess of 6 weeksin any EU institution, body or agency, delegation, with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), or Advocates General at the Court of Justice of the European Union (EUCJ)
3. have a very good knowledge of languages:

• For the administrative traineeship– you must have a very good knowledge of two EU official languages, one of which must be a working language: English, French or German at C1 or C2 level as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and a second one at B2 level at least as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
  For non-EU nationals, only one procedural language is required at C1 or C2 level.
• For the translation traineeshipin the Directorate-General for Translation (DGT) – you must be able to translate into your main/target language (normally your mother tongue), from two other official EU languages (‘source languages’*).:
  • your main/target language must be one of the official EU languages
  • your first source language for translation must be a working language of the EU: English, French or German (C level or mother tongue)
  • your second source language can be any of the official EU languages with at least B2-level proficiency

__________________________

_{* At least one of the source languages you offer must be French, English or German. This is because:}

• _{the EU receives a large volume of translations and documents in French, English or German}
• _{French, English and German are the languages that EU staff members most frequently use in their work}

_{Most documents sent to DGT in languages other than French, English and German come from the Member States. Some documents come from international organisations and national associations that write to the Commission in English.}

_{The Blue Book Traineeship Programme wants to reflects the diversity of Europe today and to maximise equal opportunities, treatment and access to all candidates regardless of their sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief, membership of a national minority, disability, age or sexual orientation. If you are interested in a traineeship at the European Commission, please check our tutorial, you could be who we’re looking for.}

_{Video transcript}

Extra points

No points are awarded for the mother tongue and, therefore, no evidence of this is required.

If you have more than one mother tongue and wish to receive points for them, you can declare these in the ‘Other languages’ section of the application provided you can supply appropriate written evidence of this.

Additional points are given for:

• work experience
• international profile demonstrated through education, work or volunteering experience abroad, and aptitude to work in an international environment
• rare fields of study

If you are not selected you will have to submit your application again. The same process will apply each time but without guarantee that you will make it to the final stage.