The EU institutions employ over 60,000 people from the 27 EU countries. With 24 official languages and 79 institutions, bodies and agencies, the EU offers career opportunities in a range of fields and locations.
There are different ways to work for the EU, depending on your experience, profile and career goals. Permanent positions offer the opportunity to build a long-term EU career and are filled through open competitions organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). You can also join with fixed-term contracts, in roles ranging from administrative support to specialist and managerial positions. Traineeships offer a chance to gain practical experience, develop your skills and discover how the EU works from the inside.
Working for the EU
The EU welcomes applicants from all walks of life, so a career with the EU means working with a diverse and multicultural group of colleagues. For most posts at the EU, you need to speak at least 2 EU languages.
In the EU institutions you can work on the major issues that affect us all: climate change, migration, safety and security, trade, mobile communication, to name but a few. You can also pursue opportunities to work in EU agencies based across Europe and EU delegations around the world.
Why should I consider an EU career?
Working for the EU gives you the opportunity to help shape Europe’s future while building your own. You’ll join a diverse, international community and benefit from opportunities to learn, grow and develop your career, supported by flexible working arrangements and an attractive pay and benefits package.
Types of employment
The EU employs permanent staff (civil servants), contract staff and temporary staff, and offers traineeships (internships). It also maintains databases of experts in relevant fields.
Permanent staff
As a permanent staff member, you can build a long-term career in the EU institutions. Depending on your role, you can work as an administrator (AD), assistant (AST) or assistant-secretary and clerk (AST/SC), with responsibilities ranging from policy and analysis to administrative and organisational support, in a variety of fields.
To be recruited for a permanent position, you must first pass an EPSO competition, with eligibility requirements depending on the role.
Temporary staff
As temporary staff, you can take on specialist, policy or managerial roles, often with responsibilities similar to permanent staff. These positions are offered on fixed-term contracts.
Contract staff
As contract staff, you can work in a range of roles across the EU institutions and bodies. Positions are divided into four function groups (FG I–IV), covering work from administrative support to technical, advisory and specialist roles. These positions are offered on fixed-term contracts.
Trainees
The EU institutions, bodies and agencies offer traineeship programmes in a broad selection of fields, giving the opportunity to develop skills, contribute to real projects and discover how the EU works from the inside. Each year, around 1,900 professionals get the chance to take part in the EU traineeship programmes, usually lasting between 3 and 5 months.
Most EU bodies and agencies offer traineeship programmes and publish calls on their respective websites.
Seconded national experts
As a seconded national expert (SNE), you can bring your public-sector experience and expertise to an EU institution while remaining employed by your national administration or organisation.
Secondments are temporary and usually last 2 to 4 years and give you the opportunity to work alongside EU staff, contribute to projects and policies, and exchange knowledge and experience between administrations.
EU experts
The EU institutions appoint external experts to help evaluate grant applications, projects and tenders, and to provide opinions and advice in specific cases, for example: assessing applications for EU funding, monitoring of EU funded projects and contracts or giving advice on specific issues. The EU maintains databases with the names and qualifications of independent experts who can assist the institutions and agencies in specific areas.
How to apply for one of the EU institutions
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) takes care of applications for most roles at the EU institutions. Nevertheless, individual institutions also offer several specific and temporary positions through their own dedicated platforms. Make sure to check them out before you apply.
European Parliament
If you’re interested in working at the European Parliament, you can find and apply for specific career opportunities or send a spontaneous application via its APPLY4EP platform.
Parliament's political groups also employ temporary agents, who are selected via procedures published on the website of each political group.
The Parliament offers traineeships in its Secretariat. Applications for ‘Schuman traineeships’ open twice a year.
More on careers at the European Parliament
Council of the European Union
You can apply for both permanent and temporary positions at the Council via EPSO and the EU Careers website, respectively. You can also submit a spontaneous application for temporary positions.
The Council offers 5-month traineeships that are open to university graduates looking for experience in EU policymaking.
More on careers at the Council
European Commission
Interested in working at the Commission? Discover all the job opportunities and types of employment available on the Commission’s Work with us website.
The Commission offers the Blue Book Traineeship programme. Traineeships are available twice a year for a 5-month period.