The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union takes on trainees in Brussels twice a year. Each trainee joins a policy or support unit for five months and works alongside EU staff on the day-to-day business of the Council.
The programme runs in three strands: paid traineeships, places reserved for students of national schools of administration, and a positive-action strand for trainees with a disability. Roughly 110 trainees are recruited across the two intakes each year.
Benefits & funding
- Monthly grant of about €1,538 net for paid traineeships.
- A meal allowance for use in the Council restaurants, plus two days of paid leave per month.
- A contribution toward travel costs for trainees recruited more than 50 km from Brussels.
- Five months of hands-on experience inside an EU institution.
Eligibility
- Nationals of an EU member state; a national of a candidate country that has concluded EU accession negotiations also qualifies.
- A university degree at bachelor level or above, obtained by the application closing date.
- Very good knowledge of at least two official EU languages, including a strong command (around C1) of English or French.
- No more than six weeks of previous traineeship or employment at any EU institution, body or agency.
- No age limit is set.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece
+ 15 more
Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden
Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Applications open twice a year in short online windows on the Council careers site: mid-July to mid-September for the February–June term, and February–March for the September–January term.
- 2The current window is open until 15 September 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time, for the term running 1 February to 30 June 2027 — complete the online application form within it.
- 3Candidates are selected between October and December, and shortlisted candidates are contacted directly by the recruiting services.
Program timeline
23 July 2026
Applications opened for the February – June 2027 term.
Application deadline (12:00 Brussels time).
15 September 2026
Candidates are selected.
October – December 2026
The traineeship term begins.
1 February 2027
The traineeship term ends, five months later.
30 June 2027