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INTERNSHIP AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING · BRUSSELS

Council of the EU – traineeship

Council of the EU – traineeship is a paid five-month placement in the General Secretariat of the Council, reserved to eligible EU citizens with a completed degree.

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At a glance

TypePaid traineeship at the General Secretariat of the Council
DestinationBrussels
Duration5 months
FundingPaid monthly grant with session-specific allowances
LanguageC1 English or French, plus very good knowledge of another EU language
Official sourceCouncil traineeship eligibility ↗

Programme highlights

✓ Five-month paid placement✓ EU citizens✓ Completed bachelor required✓ C1 English or French + another EU language

About Council of the EU – traineeship

Council of the EU – traineeship is a paid five-month placement in the General Secretariat of the Council, reserved to eligible EU citizens with a completed degree. The programme is intended to turn international mobility into practical learning, professional exposure or a recognised training experience. Its value depends on clear learning objectives, appropriate supervision and realistic funding, while access may be organised through a school, training body, public service or partner organisation.

Eligibility criteria

  • AudienceGraduates holding a bachelor degree or higher. Apprentices are not eligible merely because they are apprentices.
  • Age limit18 or over; no upper age limit.
  • NationalityCitizens of an EU Member State.
  • QualificationCompleted bachelor degree or higher by the application deadline.
  • ExceptionThe positive-action programme for candidates with a recognised disability accepts graduates and students in at least their third year of higher education.
  • Previous EU experienceNo previous traineeship or employment longer than six weeks in an EU institution, body, agency or office.

Important to know

The main paid programme is a graduate traineeship. The grouped matcher status “student / apprentice / recent graduate” is used only to keep recent graduates discoverable; a vocational apprenticeship alone does not satisfy the degree requirement.

Application information

Last checked: August 2026

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