The Blue Book program
The European Commission offers twice a year the possibility to start five-month paid traineeship in its Directorate-General, agencies and bodies, an incredible career opportunity for young people interested in EU affairs.
A proactive-attitude together with an open-minded approach and a manifest interest in learning about the working methods employed are the essential ingredients needed to contribute to the Commission’s daily-work with a fresh perspective.
Tasks and duration
The tasks include attending and organizing meetings, working groups and hearings as well as researching, drafting and editing relevant documentation according to the nature of the work and of the field to which people are assigned to. You may also have to answer citizens’ inquiries and support the management of the various projects developed and implemented.
The duration of the traineeships goes from March to the end of July and from October to the end of February of the following year (similar to the Schuman traineeships as already discussed on our blog). Registration is currently open for the March 2022 session, go check it on the Blue Book website (you can apply until 31 August 2021 at 12:00 midday). For the October-February period the applications will open next January.
Eligibility criteria
In terms of eligibility, there is no age limit for participating but a degree is needed (universities diplomas, the Europass Diploma Supplement, or copies of proof enrolment in ongoing studies) and documented written proof of language skills such as language certificates are required too.
Indeed, among the three most relevant pre-selection criteria, other than education there are also language knowledge of one of the three Commission working languages (English, French or German) and of any official/working language of the EU (even though for non EU nationals only one is compulsory) for both administrative and translation traineeships.
However, remember that in case you apply for other EU institution schemes at the same time, when you are selected for a traineeship of more than 42 calendar days in any other institution, body, agency or delegation you will no longer be eligible for the Blue Blook programme. In addition, candidates must not have prior work experience of any kind longer than 6 weeks in those same EU institutions, bodies or agencies.
How it works in practice
It is useful to know that a weighting system is applied to ensure a spread of nationalities and that there exists a virtual Blue Book with around 2000 pre-selected candidates, since there are usually 3 times more candidates than places available (which are around 650 per session). This means that the Directorates-General and the Commission usually consult this Blue Book database to find the best candidates based on their needs.
Candidates can be interviewed by phone (at the initiative of the recruiting entity) and if selected they receive an official placement offer from the Traineeships Office. They can also submit a new application for the next session in case the first is not successful.
Useful links
Here are the steps of the application procedure and the trainees’ testimonials. Looking at the FAQs it is also possible to find information about the living allowance, the accommodation websites, insurance for medical expenses and banks account to open.
Don’t miss this challenging and inspiring experience!
Photo credits: https://payyourintern.com/blue-book-traineeship-at-the-european-commision-2021/