Robert Schuman Programme Traineeships at the European Parliament (Fully-funded/Open to Europeans and Non-Europeans)

The Schuman traineeships are paid and can be undertaken at one of the European Parliament’s official places of work – Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg – or in its Liaison Offices in the Member States.

These traineeships are named after Robert Schuman, one of the main architects of the European integration project, responsible for over 70 years of peace and prosperity in Europe. He proposed pooling French and German coal and steel production into what would become the European Coal and Steel Community, the first of the European Communities, which grew to become the European Union.

• Why should I apply?

  A Schuman traineeship will enhance your education and your vocational training. It will provide you with an insight into the work of the EU institutions and the European Parliament, a crucial forum for decision-making and political debate at EU level.

  The Schuman traineeships may be undertaken in a wide variety of fields, such as EU internal and external policies, finance, law, multilingualism, administration, infrastructure and logistics, communication or IT.

  The European Parliament is an equal opportunities employer; candidates without distinction as to gender, sexual orientation, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds or disability are encouraged to apply, with reasonable accommodation available for successful candidates with disabilities who may need them.

  As part of Parliament’s commitment to honouring journalists who were killed during the exercise of their work, the Directorate-General for Communication offers a number of Schuman traineeships in memory of Ján Kuciak, the Slovak investigative journalist who was murdered in February 2018.

• Can I apply?

  Applicants for a Schuman traineeship must:

  • be aged 18 or over;
  • be nationals of a Member State of the European Union or an accession/candidate country (a very limited number of traineeships to nationals of other countries can also be offered);
  • hold a university level diploma;
  • have a thorough knowledge of one of the official EU languages and a very good knowledge of a second (citizens of non-Member States must have a very good knowledge of either English, French or German);
  • provide an eligible criminal record;
  • not have worked, or have benefitted from any other type of traineeship, for more than two consecutive months in an EU institution, body or agency;
  • not have carried out a study visit at the Secretariat of the European Parliament six months prior to the beginning of the traineeship.

• How to apply?

  In order to apply, please visit our traineeship application page:

  1. select and apply for a maximum of three traineeships;
  2. if you are shortlisted, you will be required to provide certain supporting documents to prove your eligibility;
  3. if you are selected, you will get an official Admission Letter via email.

  The Schuman traineeships are awarded for a period of five months:

  • Traineeship period 1 October-28/29 February
    • you can apply from 1 to 31 May
  • Traineeship period 1 March-31 July
    • you can apply from 1 to 31 October

  Spontaneous applications will not be considered.

• Positive Action Scheme for trainees with disabilities

  The inclusion of persons with disabilities is a priority of the European Parliament. In addition to the possibility of being recruited under the general selection procedure for Schuman trainees, persons with disabilities now have a greater opportunity to take part via the Positive Action Scheme for trainees with disabilities.

  Persons who have a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment of at least 20% can apply to this programme. Shortlisted candidates from the Positive Action Scheme who meet the general eligibility criteria for a Schuman traineeship may receive an offer for a traineeship, once the European Parliament’s Medical Service confirms, that they have a disability as described above.

  Successful candidates may receive an additional payment of up to 50% of the Schuman trainees’ monthly grant, to compensate for additional costs incurred.

  Candidates that wish to be considered for the Positive Action Scheme for trainees with disabilities must apply for a Schuman traineeship via our traineeship application page (see "How to Apply?" section above)

• Schuman Recruitment and Development Programme

  The Schuman Recruitment and Development Programme is a new and exciting programme that creates a pathway for a number of high performing Schuman trainees to continue working for Parliament as staff members, following the successful completion of their traineeship.

  The Schuman Recruitment and Development Programme is open to Schuman trainees working in the European Parliament.

  High performing Schuman trainees - endorsed by their hosting Directorate-General - will be invited to sit a series of tests aimed at examining candidates’ competences, motivation, and suitability to work in the European Parliament.

  A final list of 25 trainees, who succeeded the selection procedure, will be drawn up for each traineeship period (two times per year). The successful candidates’ names will remain on the pool list for a period of one year.

  Candidates may be recruited as contract agents. The European Parliament’s recruiting services will regularly consult this list when looking to recruit contract agents. There is no recruitment obligation on the European Parliament at the end of the selection procedure.

• Anything else that I need to know?

  Find out more information:

  • Monthly grant and allowances (183 KB) 
  • Internal Rules (3 MB) 
  • Data protection (421 KB) 
  • Frequently Asked Questions (332 KB) 
  • Info flyer - Schuman Traineeships (2.8 MB) 
  • Info flyer - Schuman Recruitment and Development Programme (457 KB) 
  • Info brochure for newly recruited Schuman trainees (7.5 MB)