Traineeships at the General Secretariat of the Council (2025-2026 paid traineeships)

Deadline: March 15, 2025

Program Starts: September 01, 2025

Program Ends: January 31, 2026

Internships

Government International Organizations

Location(s)

Belgium

Brussels

Overview

The General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) offers around 100 paid traineeships a year to EU nationals who, by the deadline for submitting applications, have completed at least the first part of their university studies and have a degree certificate or equivalent.

Details

Traineeships are split into 2 different periods, each lasting 5 months:

1 February to 30 June (first period)
1 September to 31 January (second period)

A traineeship at the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) offers:

first-hand experience of the work of the GSC
EU knowledge - insight into the processes and policies of the EU institutions
an opportunity to contribute to the Council's day-to-day business
the chance to work in a multicultural, multilingual and multi-ethnic environment
an opportunity to share your fresh point of view and the knowledge you have acquired during your studies

What does a traineeship involve?

Depending on the needs of the service, your daily work would generally be equivalent to that of junior administrator officials at the beginning of their career, such as:

preparing meetings and drafting minutes
attending meetings of Council preparatory bodies and Coreper (Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the member states to the EU)
researching on a particular project
translating documents
compiling documentation, writing reports

Trainees will also be invited to take part in a study programme that includes visits and conferences at other EU institutions in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg.

Opportunity is About

Administration International Affairs Politics Society

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Eligibility

Candidates should be from:

Albania Austria Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg North Macedonia Malta Montenegro Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom

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Description of Ideal Candidate

Nationality

GSC traineeships are open to:

EU citizens
citizens from candidate countries that have concluded EU accession negotiations

Languages

Candidates must have very good knowledge of at least two EU official languages. Given that English and French are used extensively for internal communication within the GSC, a good knowledge of English or French is required, (*C level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Profiles

The majority of applications currently come from candidates with qualifications in law, political science, international relations, EU studies and economics.

The GSC is also looking for trainees with qualifications in other domains, such as: translation, human resources, communication, education studies, computer sciences (collaboration platforms), archives and document management, civil engineering, graphic design, multimedia, agriculture, biochemical engineering, health and food safety, energy management, environment, aerospace engineering.

Who can't apply?

Applications will not be accepted from candidates who have already benefited from any kind of training (paid or unpaid) or employment for more than 6 weeks within an EU institution, body, agency or office.