EU Green Book - Trinity College Dublin

or would like
A very handy book if you happen
to be an Irish stagiaire in Brussels.
Volume 3
winter stage, 2010

Contents
Introduction: Welcome to the world of stage 4
Chapter 1: Stage opportunities 6
So what is a stage? 7
1. European Institutions 9
The Commission 9
The Parliament 13
The Council 17
The Court of Auditors 19
European Court Justice (ECJ) 20
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) 22
European Central Bank (ECB) 24
The European Ombudsman 26
Committee of the Regions (CoR) 28
European Investment Bank (EIB) 31
2. European Agencies 33
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) 33
European Medicines Agency (EMA) 34
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs
and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) 35
European Network and Information
Security Agency (ENISA) 35
European Railway Agency (ERA) 36
European Training Foundation (EFT) 37
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 38
Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market
(Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) 39
Translation Centre for the Bodies of the
European Union (Cdt) 40
page number 1

European Centre for Disease Prevention
and Control (ECDC) 40
European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training (Cedefop) 41
European Foundation of Living and Working
Conditions (Eurofound) 42
Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) 43
Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) 43
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
(EU-OSHA) 44
European Agency for the Management of Operational
Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX) 44
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 44
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) 45
European Environment Agency (EEA) 45
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 46
European Institute for Gender Equality 46
Eurojust 47
European Agency for the Cooperation of the
Energy Regulators (ACER) 47
3. Non-institutional Stages 48
European Movement Ireland 48
European Movement International 49
European University Continuing Education Network
(EUCEN) 50
Central Lobby Consultants Ltd (CLC) 50
Euralia 51
The Amnesty International European Institutions Office 51
International Centre for Financial Regulation (ICFR) 52
Hume Brophy 52
APCO Worldwide 53
IBEC Europe 53
page number 2

4. Writing your CV & cover letter 54
What is a Cover Letter? 54
Tips of Success for Cover Letters 54
Tips for your CV 55
5. Europass 56
Chapter 2: Now that you have one, what do you do? 58
Things to bring with you 59
You’ve arrived. What do you do first? 59
Tips about working in the EU Institutions 69
What happens if… 82
General tips about living in Brussels 83
Eating 87
Going out 90
Outside the Eurobubble 94
Did you know? 95
Should I stay… 96
…or should I go (home) 98
Useful Stuff 99
Useful numbers and Websites 99
Map of Brussels 100
Metro Map 102
page number 3

Introduction:
Welcome to the world of stage
When I travel to Brussels, I am always struck
by a number of things. First is just how much
coffee is drunk in that city, second is how you
should choose your footwear with care as it is a
bumpy place to walk around, but ultimately what
strikes me most of all is how the Irish network
in Europe is something to behold. For a small
country, those Irish people that work in Brussels
do one hell of a good job. Yet not many people
know that there are Irish people in the system
and what they do on behalf of Ireland; and fewer
still know how to get started on that EU path,
know what a stage is or even know how to pronounce the word (Tip on
how to do that is in Chapter 1).
This book is part of the Grad Jobs in Europe campaign that we at
European Movement Ireland run to make Irish graduates more aware
of the opportunities available for them in the EU system. We do this
because we want more Irish graduates to consider the EU as a place
where they could fulfill their career ambitions. We also want Irish
graduates, if successful in securing a place there, to integrate well into
Brussels and Team Ireland. Why do that, you say? Well, we happen to
be really good at the business of the EU; when Irish people get to
Brussels, we do really well. Google Catherine Day, David O’Sullivan,
John Bell, Pat Cox, John Bruton, Frank Wall, Jillian van Turnhout and
Heidi Lougheed if you don’t believe us. And that’s just a few of them.
The fact is that the number of Irish graduates looking to the EU for
employment and career opportunities has reduced since the mid-
1990s. This is due to a number of factors, most importantly Ireland’s
booming economy in the mid-90s and plentiful career opportunities at
home. However there is a real worry that there are not enough Irish
people rising through the ranks of the EU at the moment. Our focus is
to ensure that Irish graduates include Brussels in their post college job
search as much as our European counterparts might.
page number 4

“We happen to be really
good at the business of the
EU; when Irish people get to
Brussels, we do really well”
This campaign does not start and stop with this book – we also run
a series of career talks around Ireland to make students aware of the
EU opportunities that exist, we run the College of Europe scholarship
programme for Ireland and we also advertise all the EU jobs we can
find on our website and Facebook page.
And, most importantly for those who get to Chapter 2 and need to use
that information because they’ve successfully gotten a stage, we also
run a celebratory night in Brussels twice a year to welcome the new
Irish stagiaires to Brussels and to introduce you to the more established
people in the EU system – see those names above if you’re wondering
who we are talking about. So if you get a stage, get in contact with us at
European Movement Ireland and we’ll get you introduced to some good
folk out in Brussels, we promise.
There are a few thank-yous to make – to Cian Mansfield our original
editor, to Joanne Byrne editor of Volume 2, to Jessica O’Flynn for her
help with Volume 3, to Karen at Kaz Productions for her great design
eye and patience, to everyone who has given us a tip or advice on this
Book and to the hard-working team at European Movement Ireland. As
you can tell, there is a lot of research put into this book, and the hours
that went into dotting every ‘i’ and crossing every ‘t’ really shows in
the thickness of this new volume. So to Billie, Jenny, June and all the
stage team, thank you.
We do hope you find this book useful and that you’ll have more tips for
us to include in Volume IV!
Andrea Pappin
Executive Director,
European Movement Ireland
page number 5

page number 6
Chapter 1:
Stage opportunities

So what is a stage?
The short answer to that question is that stage is to
Europe as ‘internship/intern’ is to America.
A stage (not pronounced like the piece of theatre
equipment, but rather ‘staaa-je’’) is a work placement
that is usually around 3 to 6 months long, where you
are able to get real work experience under your belt.
Stagiaires are such a part of life in Brussels that there
are people who work full-time just on handling stage
applications.
The following pages have the details of all the stage
opportunities in all the major institutions and agencies,
along with some other organisations that we know take
stage applications, in the EU. A couple of points before we
get started:
• All applications processes are different. If you want
to apply for more than one our advice is to get an eye
for detail and approach every application like it was
your first time. One slip up or silly typo could mean
the difference between you getting or not getting the
spot on the programme.
page number 7

• There are hundreds of European stage opportunities, more than we
could fit in this book. We’ve collected all the details for stages in the
European Institutions and European Agencies together in one handy
chapter for you, but it doesn’t stop there. Just because a company or
organisation is not in this chapter, it doesn’t mean they don’t accept
stage applications. We’ve found that more Brussels-based organisations
than not have stage opportunities, they just don’t ‘organise’ a formal
stage application. We’re working on collecting more and more of these
kinds of companies for the next Green Book but in the meantime, just
know that many a ‘one-person’ office take stagiaires. So if you find an
organisation or company that you are interested in working for, send
in your CV anyway (we’ve got a handy guide to writing your cover note
and CV in Green Book too).
• Don’t let the competition (or the language thing) get you down. Yes
many of the programmes are competitive, but that does not mean that
you cannot get a place. Sure if you’re not in… Ah, you know the rest
of it. Think of this – there have been only five people to ever hold the
position of chief civil servant in the European Commission. Two have
been Irish – David O’Sullivan and Catherine Day. They fought the odds,
so can you.
• Make sure to keep an eye on our website www.europeanmovement.
ie and our Facebook page for new opportunities as we do our best to
publicise any vacancies that arise. Other useful websites to check out
are www.EuroBrussels.com and www.euractiv.com.
• The final thing to say is that the best approach in exploring stage
opportunities is to ask. Us Irish love talking, so use it to your advantage.
There are many, many Irish people in the European system so if you
want to find out what a stage is like, just ask. Start with our office here
at European Movement, we’d be more than happy to get you started on
your stage road….
The following pages are organized into 5 sections to help guide you
through the available stages and their application processes:
1. European Institutions
2. European Agencies
3. Non-institutional Stages
4. Writing your CV and Cover Letter
5. Europass
page number 8
To save you
getting lost, we’ve
indicated where
in Europe these
stages are too!

1. European Institutions
The Commission
Brussels, Belgium plus some other international locations
The Commission stage is probably the most well-known stage process
in the European institutions – and if someone is talking about ‘doing a
stage’ more often than not, they are talking about the European Commission
stage.
The Commission has two main intakes on their stage programme – usually
known as the Summer stage (1 March to 31 July) and the Winter
stage (1 October to 28 February). Both are five-month traineeships and
they are highly competitive – of the 15,000 annual applications that are
received, around 1,200 people are finally selected. Of these, about 30 Irish
people take up traineeships at the European Commission every year. But
don’t let the numbers put you off, if you are not in, you can’t win.
There are two types of traineeships in the Commission:
• Administrative traineeship. This is the ‘usual’ stage
that the vast majority of stagiaires go on. Opportunities
are available in all the Directorates-General and
Services of the Commission including the Cabinets of
the European Commissioners. The most competitive
stage place has traditionally been in DG COMP, which
handles Competition law.
• Translation Traineeship with the Directorate-General
for Translation (DGT)
Paid?
Yes. Traineeships are paid and as of the
Summer 2010 traineeships, the grant has been
set at €1,066.93 per month. Travel expenses
can also be covered to get you to Brussels.
page number 9

Eligibility
• You must be under 31 years of age
• You must hold a first or upper second class degree from a
University (1st or 2:1)
• You must not have undertaken work experience (paid or unpaid)
in any of the other EU institutions for a period longer than 6
weeks. Note that this includes all delegations, representation
bodies and executive agencies.
• You must have proof of insurance
• Language requirements:
For an administrative traineeship you must have a good knowledge
of a second EU official language;
For a translation traineeship you must be able to translate from
your native language to two other EU official languages (one of
these languages must be English, French or German).
Application process
There is a very clear process for applications, which goes like this:
1. You fill out the stage application form – either online or via
hardcopy. This is available here https://ec.europa.eu/stages/
online/cv/applicant_login_form.cfm?&Lang=2. The most
important elements in your application is the list of the three
areas within the Commission where you would like to work
(e.g. Competition, Foreign Relations, Envrionment etc). There
are a few tips for filling out this form, so contact European
Movement Ireland if you are interested in learning more….
2. After the deadlines (see table for application deadlines),
the applications are whittled down to approximately 5,000
candidates (around 2,500 for each period) which are selected
to go into ‘the Blue Book’ (see box).
3. Commission departments review ‘the Blue Book’ and see who
they would like as their stagiaire for the upcoming six-months.
(see box: So I’m in the Blue Book, what next?)
4. Stagiaires are notified if they are successful.
page number 10

Opening Date
of Online
applications
Closing date of
on-line
applications
Closing date
for sending
your postal
application
March 2011
Traineeship
1 July 2010 in
the afternoon
1 September 2010
(12:00 CEST)
1 September 2010
(as evidenced by
the postmark)
October 2011
Traineeship
3 January
2011 in the
afternoon
31 January 2011
(12:00 CET)
31 January
2011
(as evidenced
by the postmark)
The majority of people who apply to the Commission for a stage
come from backgrounds with qualifications in law, political science,
international relations and economics. However, the Commission is also
looking for people with qualifications in other fields as wide ranging as
aerospace engineering to sports management and nursing.
Note, you can only apply for one type of traineeship per
cycle. The application procedure is the same for both
types of traineeship, except for the address to which the
application files must be sent, which is different.
Useful websites
For more information on stages in the Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/
stages/index_en.htm
The online application form is available at: https://ec.europa.eu/stages/
online/cv/applicant_login_form.cfm?&Lang=2
Some useful answers to FAQ regarding an application can be found here:
http://ec.europa.eu/stages/information/answers_en.htm#pro10
page number 11

What is the Blue Book?
The Blue Book is basically a very large database that contains all the
information of the people who have got through the first stage of
selection in the stage application process.
Commission officials usually look at this database to see your academic
background, what languages you speak and what areas within the
Commission you applied for with the view of seeing if they want you to
work for their department.
The name ‘the Blue Book’ has become synonymous with EU internship
applications – many other institutions also use this name for their
stage selection processes, even if they don’t use a book that is blue.
Note: The Blue Book is only for
Administrative stages in the
European Commission. DG
Translation has its own eligibility
criteria and selection procedure
and does not use the Blue Book preselection
process.
I’m in the Blue Book: what next?
If you make it onto the Blue Book the next thing you need
to do is contact EU officials in the area that you would like to
work in and lobby. Get your name out there and let people
know that you are ready and willing to work. This is where
being part of the Irish Network can help out. Irish people
can be found in roles across the institutions; from Catherine
Day Secretary General of the European Commission to Jim
Morrissey in the Nuclear Inspector at Euratom. For a list of
some Irish people working in Europe:
http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/ireland_in_the_eu/irish_in_
europe/index_en.htm
If you need help finding out who you should be talking to in
a particular sector contact us here in European Movement
and we’ll do our best to help you out.
page number 12

The Parliament
Brussels, Belgium or the parliament offices in EU countries.
The Parliament has several different
traineeships with slightly different
applicant eligibility criteria
(mainly relating to language
requirements), traineeship periods
and maintenance grants. However
there are is a general criteria
covering them all.
The length of stage varies, depending
on what type you get. As there are
so many, we’ve compiled a lot of the information into
one master table.
For a stage in the Parliament you can apply through the official route or
another option is just to contact your MEP and see if they are looking for
anyone. This has worked for a number of Irish stagiaires in the past.
Paid?
Sometimes, it all depends on what type of
stage you get (again, see master table).
Eligibility
• You must be a national of a EU Country or of an applicant country;
• You must be 18 or over on the traineeship starting date;
• You must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages
of the European Union and a good knowledge of a second;
• You must not have been awarded any other paid traineeship, or have
been in paid employment for more than four consecutive weeks, with
a European Institution or a MEP or a political group of the European
Parliament.
Application process
See master table!
Useful websites
Handbook of rules for all Parliament
traineeships:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/
traineeships/general_rules_en.pdf
page number 13

The Master Table
General
Option or
Journalism
Option
(Schuman
Scholarships)
Information Eligibility Procedure
The Schumann
scholarship
traineeship
program in the
parliament is
basically the
paid traineeship
program for this
institution. It
offers scholarships
(paid traineeships)
for both general
traineeships
and journalism
traineeships.
There are two
intakes - one
beginning
on 1 March
(Application Period
15 August- 15
October) and the
other on 1 October
(Application
Period 15 March –
15 May)
In 2010 the
scholarship
amounted to
€1,190.71 a
month.
For general
option
candidates
you need to
submit proof of
written work
(attestation,
cover page,
diploma, etc.)
For journalism
option
candidates: you
need to submit
a publication or
membership of
an association
of journalists in
an EU country
or a diploma
in journalism
recognised in
the EU or in
the applicant
country
The application
form is available
at;
https://www.
secure.europarl.
europa.eu/
parliament/public/
traineeship/
secured/pRequest.
do?tab=1&typ=
paid&
language=en
If selected you
need to provide;
• A copy of your
passport or
identity card
• A copy of your
university
diploma(s) or
documents
(as mentioned
above) that
have qualified
you for the
journalism
option.
• A letter of
reference
page number 14

Unpaid
Traineeships
Information Eligibility Procedure
Unpaid
traineeships
are largely
for those
who need it
to complete
their course
of study.
Any of the
following 3;
• A course at
a university
or equivalent
institution,
• High level
vocational
training
organised by
a non-profitmaking
body
(notably public
institutes or
bodies),
There are three
stage start dates –
1 January, 1 May,
1 September and
for each of these
your application
must be submitted
at least 3 months
in advance.
• A requirement
for access to a
profession.
Un/Paid
Translation
Traineeships
Information
Translation
traineeships
are
assigned to
Luxembourg.
Procedure
• Submit the online application
• Submit a written reference from
a university lecturer or from a
professional person who is able to
give an objective assessment of the
applicant’s aptitudes
For further information;
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
parliament/public/staticDisplay.
do?language=EN&id=147
page number 15

Programme
of
traineeships
for people
with
disabilities
Information Eligibility Procedure
This stage is
open both to
graduates of
universities
or equivalent
institutions
and to
people whose
qualifications
are below
university
level.
Paid
traineeships
are awarded
for a period
of five
months
which
cannot be
extended
• Be national of an
EU country or of an
applicant country
• Be over 18 years
of age on the
traineeship starting
date;
• Have a thorough
knowledge of
one of the official
languages of the
EU and a good
knowledge of a
second;
• Not have been
awarded any other
paid traineeship,
or have been in
paid employment
for more than four
consecutive weeks,
with a European
institution
or a MEP or
political group
of the European
Parliament;
There are two
start dates for
this type of
stage –
• 1 March
(Application
period
15 August –
15 October)
• 1 October
(Application
period
15 March –
15 May)
• Be able to certify
that they have
a disability/ies
(medical certificate
or disability
certificate/card
issued by a national
authority)
page number 16

The Council
Brussels, Belgium
The Council is where ministers of EU countries meet to ultimately
decide what become EU law. Depending on the issue on the agenda,
each country will be represented by the minister responsible for that
subject for example if there is an Agriculture meeting taking place
our Agriculture minister, currently Brendan Smith TD, will attend
that meeting. There are around fourteen of Councils that meet. The
Presidency of the Council (where one country chairs most of these
Councils) is held for six months by each Member State on a rotational
basis and Ireland is next due to host it in 2013.
There are three types of traineeships in the Council;
• paid traineeships
• compulsory training period as part of a student’s studies
• traineeships reserved for national officials
There are two five-month traineeship periods - 1st February to 30th
June and 1st September to 31st January. The Secretariat receives
about 1 500 applications each year for the 95 places and applications
are examined between September and January.
page number 17

Paid?
Mostly, from what we have learnt.
Application process
The online application is available
at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/
showpage.aspx?id=1955&lang=en
Note, if you are selected, you will
be asked to supply quite a lot of
supporting documents (including
a copy of your diplomas or official
certificates, where necessary
copies of attestations of your
professional experience; proof of
your knowledge of the languages
stated on the application form)
so best to have them ready and
include the right information on
your application.
Eligibility
• You must be an EU national
• You must have completed at least the first cycle of a course
of university studies evidenced by a degree certificate or
equivalent
• You must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official
languages of the European Union and satisfactory knowledge
of another of these languages, to the extent necessary to carry
out the duties to be performed. In practice, given the areas
concerned, knowledge of
at least French or English
is necessary.
• You must not have already
completed more than eight
weeks in any department
of a European institution
or body or an agency or
office of the European
Communities.
Useful websites
Application site has most information that you need:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showPage.
aspx?id=321&lang=en
page number 18

The Court of Auditors
Luxembourg
The European Court of Auditors is the external auditor for the EU and
checks that EU funds are correctly accounted for and spent in compliance
with the rules and legislation, while having regard for achieving best
value for money.
The Court of Auditors offers between 15-20 traineeships (19 currently)
depending on budget restraints at any one time. Stages last for 5 months.
Stages in the Court of Auditors don’t all start at the same time.
Paid?
Mostly. While you can get an unpaid stage (3 at the time of print are
in this position) most are paid at a rate of €1,120 per month, with up
to €500 expenses for travel to and from Luxembourg.
Eligibility
• You must be an EU national
• You must hold an accredited university degree
• You must not have benefited from traineeship in the Court before
• You must have a thorough knowledge of one official language of the
European Union and a satisfactory knowledge of at least one other
official European Union language
Application process
All applications are placed in a central folder and then requests are
made to the Stage co-ordinator by Units who need stage resources.
Further details can be found at;
http://eca.europa.eu/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/4090725.DOC
page number 19

European Court Justice (ECJ)
Luxembourg
The job of the European Court of Justice is to make sure that EU legislation
is interpreted and applied in the same way in all EU countries, so that
the law is equal for everyone. It ensures, for example, that national
courts do not give different rulings on the same issue. The Court also
makes sure that EU member states and institutions do what the law
requires. The Court has the power to settle legal disputes between EU
member states, EU institutions, businesses and individuals.
Each year the European Court of Justice offers a limited number of
paid traineeships lasting five months. There are two different types
of traineeships: a general traineeship which involves mostly legal
resaearch and a traineeship in the Interpretation Directorate.
There are two five-month traineeship periods - 1 March to 31 July
(form to be sent before 1 October) and 1 October to 28 February (form
to be sent before 1 May).
Paid?
Yes
page number 20

Eligibility
• You must hold a university degree in law or in political
sciences (with majority content, law) or for traineeships
in the Interpretation Directorate, a diploma in conference
interpreting.
• The ECJ demands a high level of French and the
application form must be submitted in French.
Application procedure
The online application is available at;
http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo2_7008/
It’s a pretty straight-forward and relatively simple application form, in
French.
Just to note, if you are selected, you will be asked to supply the following
supporting documents:
• A copy of your passport or identity card
• A copy of your diplomas or official certificates
• Where necessary, copies of attestations of your professional experience;
proof of your knowledge of the languages stated on the application
form.
• Any other optional document in support of your
application for a traineeship – such as references,
for example – can be included in your file.
Useful websites
For further information;
http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo2_7008/
page number 21

European Economic and Social Committee
(EESC)
Brussels, Belgium
The European Economic and Social
Committee (EESC) is a consultative body
of the European Union and its goal is
to bridge the gap between Europe and
organized civil society.
The EESC generally receives between
800 and 1,000 applications for stages
whilst the number of places available
is about 15. There are two five-month
traineeship periods, one that begins on
16 February and the other beginning on
16th September.
The EESC also offers training periods of
a short duration (from 1 to 3 months)
for university students who are required
to complete degree course by carrying
out a period of in-service training.
Paid?
Yes, in the form of a maintenance grant. Some travel expenses
may be available too if you live over 200km away from Brussels.
Eligibility
• Stages are open to both
EU nationals and non-EU
nationals
• You must have a university
degree
• EU nationals must have
complete command of two
community languages and
non-EU nationals have
command of one.
page number 22

Application process
You will have to fill out an application form giving details of your
academic qualifications and grades and language proficiency.
Application form is available here: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/
resources/docs/form_short_term_en.pdf
Note it’s stressed on their website that any application not filled in
properly is immediately rejected, so fill out carefully!
If you are pre-selected, you will be asked to supply the following
supporting documents:
• A copy of your passport or identity card;
• A copy of your diplomas or official certificates;
• Where necessary, copies of attestations of your professional
experience; proof or a substantiated declaration of your knowledge
of the languages stated on the application form.
• Any other optional document in support of your application for a
traineeship – such as references, for example – can be included in
your file.
Useful websites
Further details of the traineeship can be found at;
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/resources/docs/extract_en.pdf
The online application is available at http://trainee.eesc.
europa.eu/default.aspx?inst=EESC&culture=EN
page number 23

European Central Bank (ECB)
Frankfurt, Germany
The ECB is the central bank for Europe’s single currency, the euro.
The ECB’s main task is to maintain the euro’s purchasing power
and thus price stability in the euro area. The euro area comprises
the 16 European Union countries that have introduced the euro
since 1999.
The ECB traineeship vacancies are published on their website
throughout the year. Therefore as there is no set application dates
yearly, it is recommended by the ECB to register with them and
they will contact you if a position becomes available.
The ECB offers quite specialised traineeships in the form of
their “Student Research Traineeship Program”, which is aimed
at graduates intending to go on and study at MA/Phd level and
“The ECB Statistics Traineeship
Program” aimed at those finishing
their post-graduate studies, both
these programs have the same
application process as the general
traineeship.
Paid?
A grant of either €850 or
€1700 per month is available,
depending on the tasks you
will be expected to perform and
on your relevant qualifications
(unless otherwise stated in
the vacancy). If your place
of recruitment is more than
50km from the ECB, the ECB
will also offer you residence (or
equivalent reimbursement),
and will reimburse you for
your travel expenses at the
beginning and end of your
traineeship.
page number 24

Eligibility
• You must be at least 18 and be fluent in English and in another official
language of the union
• You must be a national of an EU country or an applicant country
• You must have completed at least a first cycle qualification (bachelor’s
degree) and since your most recent qualification -
• you should have a maximum of 12 months’ professional experience
• you should have been a trainee for no more than 6 months
• you must not have been an ECB trainee or worked for the ECB. The
same applies for those who are working or have worked for the ECB
(e.g. as staff members, consultants, agency staff)
Application process
Register online and search for available positions at: https://
gs6.globalsuccessor.com/fe/tpl_ecb01SSL.asp
If pre-selected you will have to provide copies of references and
qualifications. It is also possible that you may be interviewed
for telephone.
page number 25

The European Ombudsman
Strasbourg, France & Brussels, Belgium
The European Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration
in the institutions and bodies of the European Union.
The Ombudsman offers traineeships, twice a year to university law
graduates. The traineeships take place either in Strasbourg
or in Brussels according to
the needs of the Office. The
duration of the traineeship is
four to twelve months.
There are two traineeship
periods, one beginning on
1 September (application
deadline 30 April) and
the other on 1 January
(application deadline 31
September).
Paid?
Seems to be. The website states that “The level of financial
support for trainees receiving external support will be
determined on an individual basis, otherwise there is a
maintenance grant in the form of a scholarship which varies
every year.”
Eligibility
• You must be a national from an EU country
• You must have a university degree in law and be at an advanced stage
of professional training, or research, in Community law
• You must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages
of the European Union and a good knowledge of a second. The main
working languages of the European Ombudsman’s office are English
and French. Knowledge of both languages is therefore required.
page number 26

Application process
The form is available here - http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/
atyourservice/recruitment.faces - if you hunt for the traineeships
area. The form has also got some good information on the application
process and also some other useful data on the stage itself.
This should then be sent to the Office of the European Ombudsman,
together with the following supporting documents:
• A copy of your CV
• A cover letter (preferably typed) explaining in English the reasons for
applying for the traineeship
• Copy of diplomas, degrees, or certificates (publications could be
requested at a later stage if required);
• Copy of ID card/passport
• A financial declaration (if applicable), should be given for the purpose
to obtain the scholarship, stating that you will not receive any external
financial support during the traineeship period.
Useful websites
For more information about the
Ombudsman, find it here http://
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/
page number 27

Committee of the Regions (CoR)
Brussels, Belgium
The mission of the Committee of the Regions is to involve regional and
local authorities in the European decision-making process at the earliest
stage through mandatory consultation by the European Commission, the
European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on key policy areas of
regional concern.
There are two traineeship periods in CoR: from 16 February to 16 July
(application period between 1 April and 30 September of the preceding
year) and from 16 September until 15 February (application period between
1 October and 31 March). The CoR has 20 traineeships available for each
of the two periods. This is one of the most ‘intense’ application processes
of all institutions we’ve looked at, so make sure you know the system and
prepare well with all your documentation.
They also have ‘unpaid study visits’ see box.
Paid?
Yes. Trainees on a paid internship
currently receive €1,000 per month.
Eligibility
• You must be a national of an EU country or an applicant country
• You must either hold a university degree (or an equivalent diploma)
or have successfully completed at least eight semesters of university
studies
• Or be employed in the public or private sector, provided that you have
a university or equivalent degree or have been engaged for at least
three years in planning or advisory duties
• You must have a thorough knowledge of one of the Community
Languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages,
one of which has to be either English or French (working languages)
• You must be under 32 years of age
page number 28

Application process
The selection procedure consists of three phases: a prior eligibility
check; a pre-selection phase; and a selection phase. This is one of
the more complicated procedures we’ve come across so bear with
us on this one…
1. To apply you need to fill out this form online http://trainee.cor.
europa.eu/default.aspx?&culture=EN. Make sure you print a copy
of this application form.
2. If you are pre-selected, you will need to include the following
documents in your paper file:
• A paper copy of your application form;
• A photocopy of your passport or identity card;
• Photocopies of all university or equivalent degrees/diplomas (an
official statement from university confirming your degree result
in case you have completed but not yet received your official degree
certificate);
• For ongoing studies, an official declaration from the relevant
university must be submitted confirming your registration for the
course declared on the application form
• If applicable, declarations proving previous employment and/or
traineeship experiences
3. You will then go through the selection procedure. If you have got
this far, give our office a call as we’d love to know what happens
here!
Useful websites
For further information:
http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/PresentationTemplate.
aspx?view=folder&id=28516a2d-0fc5-4813-9093-
8bc6a932a183&sm=28516a2d-0fc5-4813-9093-8bc6a932a183
Long URL eh?1
page number 29

An Unpaid Study Period
The Committee of the Regions also offers study periods. There are no
fixed dates concerning a “study period” which can be defined in layman
terms as work experience or an internship necessary to obtain a degree.
Given the selection criteria, however, students can as a general rule only
apply for this kind of internship at the Committee of the Regions if they
are pursuing post-graduate studies.
Other eligibility requirements are:
• You must be a national of an EU country or an applicant country
• You must either hold a university degree (or an equivalent
diploma) awarded after at least three years of study, and be able to
show that you need to deepen your knowledge of the Committee of
the Regions for reasons related to your professional, academic or
research activities
• Or be a staff member of a national, regional or local administration
participating in an exchange programme with the Committee of
the Regions
• You must have a good command of at least one of the main working
languages of the Committee of the Regions (English or French).
page number 30

European Investment Bank (EIB)
Luxembourg
The European Investment Bank is the long-term lending bank of the
European Union. The task of the Bank is to contribute towards the
integration, balanced development and economic and social cohesion
of the EU Member States.
EIB has put into place a Graduate Recruitment and Development
(GRAD) programme aimed at recent graduates looking to gain early
professional “hands-on” experience in a leading European institution
and a major international financial player. The duration of the graduate
contract is for a maximum period of two years. Therefore this is not
really a ‘stage’, more a graduate programme.
Paid?
The graduate contract is a fixed monthly basic salary,
currently set at €3,264. It offers benefits such Health and
Pension Scheme coverage and accident insurance.
page number 31

Eligibility
• You must have a university degree in a field related to the Bank’s
activity.
• You can have no or limited work experience of up to two years
maximum at the date of application.
• The applicant also has to be a national of one of the EU countries or of
an applicant country having started accession negotiations with the
EU.
• Your work experience should be limited to 2 years after graduation,
excluding summer jobs and internships.
• Excellent knowledge of English and/or French is necessary.
Application process
You should submit your application with a cover letter in one on
the working languages (French or English) of the Bank. Only online
applications will be considered. Unsolicited applications will not be
processed. Your application will be retained for a period of two years in
the EIB’s database. The online application is available at:
http://www.eib.europa.eu/about/jobs/working/graduate/index.htm
Useful websites
www.eib.europa.eu
page number 32

2. European Agencies
A number of specialised and decentralised EU agencies
have been established to support the EU countries
and their citizens. These agencies are there to deal
with new tasks of a legal, technical and/or scientific
nature. We haven’t included every single agency here,
only the ones where we could find evidence of stage
opportunities. For a full list of all EU agencies go to
http://europa.eu/agencies/index_en.htm
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
Lisbon, Portugal
The Agency’s main objective is to provide technical and scientific
assistance to the European Commission and EU countries in the
proper development and implementation of EU legislation on maritime
safety, pollution by ships and security on board ships. EMSA offers
traineeships for a period of three to five months. Maintenance grants
should be expected by successful applicants yet will vary annually
dependent on budget constraints. There are two traineeship periods,
one commencing on 1 March and the other on 1 October.
Eligibility: To apply you need to be a university graduate and a national
of an EU country. There is also space for non-EU nationals especially
from Norway and Iceland. Knowledge of English is a must as well as a
second community language for EU nationals.
Website: www.emsa.europa.eu
page number 33

European Medicines Agency (EMA)
London, United Kingdom
The agency’s main responsibility is the protection and promotion of
public and animal health, through the evaluation and supervision of
medicines for human and veterinary use. Traineeships in the EMA are
six to nine months long and are open to those who have a background
relating to the activities of the Agency, i.e. pharmacy, medicine, life
sciences, healthcare, chemistry or information technologies. Applications
from recently qualified lawyers with an interest in pharmaceutical
regulatory affairs or a recently qualified candidates with an interest in
human resources, budget or accounts are welcomed as well. Candidates
with a background in communications, public relations or the web can
also apply. The Agency pays a maintenance grant of €1,350 net per
month. The timing of the application process may vary from year to
year but the deadline for applications is approximately 15 June and
the issuing of contracts around the end of August.
Eligibility: You need to be an EU National; possess a university degree
or equivalent at the time of applying; have a good knowledge of English
and of one or more other official Community languages.
Procedure: Applications for the 2011 trainee programme will be
launched in the near future.
Website: www.ema.europa.eu
page number 34

European Monitoring Centre for
Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
Lisbon, Portugal
The EMCDDA was established in 1993 and exists
to provide the EU and its countries with a factual
overview of European drug problems and a solid evidence
base to support the drugs debate. Today it offers policymakers the data
they need for drawing up informed drug laws and strategies. It also helps
professionals and practitioners working in the field to pinpoint best practice
and new areas of research.
EMCDAA offers a number of paid traineeships a year yet the number is
subject to budget constraints yearly. Applications should be submitted from
1st November to 31st December every year.
Eligibility: Preference is given to citizens of the EU and Norway. You have to
be a university graduate, and have a thorough knowledge of English.
Website: www.emcdda.europa.eu
European Network and Information
Security Agency (ENISA)
Crete, Greece
The agency’s mission is to have a high level security
information network in the EU. In an effort to achieve this, it
works with the EU institutions and EU countries. ENISA seeks to develop
a culture of Network and Information Security for the benefit of citizens,
consumers, business and public sector organisations in the European
Union.
ENISA offers traineeships from three to five months long. English is the
official working language of the agency.
Eligibility: You have to have your first cycle of university achieved
(preferably computer science, mathematics and physics); you also must
have knowledge or expertise in one of the requested domains by the
agency. In 2009 these included emerging network and information
security, technologies, risk assessment and management, media and
communication activities as well as other areas.
Website: www.enisa.europa.eu
page number 35

European Railway Agency (ERA)
Valenciennes, France
ERA was set up to help create integrated railway area by
reinforcing safety and interoperability. The Agency also acts as
the system authority for the European Rail Traffic Management
System project, which has been set up to create unique signalling
standards throughout Europe.
European Railway Agency offers a maximum of six traineeships
lasting between three to five months. The Agency currently offers
a monthly grant of €1,047.
Eligibility: The Agency takes on EU citizens who wish to receive
the training after university education or because it relates to
their university thesis. Secondment of a public or a private entity
is also possible. Candidates with degrees in engineering, economic
science, science, technology can apply.
Website: www.era.europa.eu
page number 36

European Training Foundation (EFT)
Torino, Italy
ETF’s aim is to help transition and developing countries to harness the
potential of their human capital through education, training and labour
market systems in the context of the EU’s external relations policy.
The Foundation offers traineeship lasting three to six months, with
extensions a traineeship can last up to nine months. There is a
maintenance grant yet this varies from internship to internship, and
there is an opportunity to cover travel expenses. Vacancies should be
checked on a regular basis for internships.
Eligibility: People in different stages in their careers can apply.
Applicants that have recently graduated at post-secondary or at
university level are eligible; also those who are about to graduate in
a relevant field and who are required to undertake a period of work
experience as an integral part of their course; as well as those starting
out in a career in a field relevant to the activities of the ETF.
Priority will be given to those coming from ETF partner countries.
English is the main working language of the EFT. If you have already
benefited from an internship or who have worked in any European
Institute, you are excluded.
Website: www.etf.europa.eu
page number 37

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
(FRA)
Vienna, Austria
FRA’s goal is to ensure that the fundamental rights of people living in the
EU are protected. The Agency does this by collecting evidence about the
situation of fundamental rights across the European Union and providing
advice, based on evidence, about how to improve the situation. FRA also
informs people about their fundamental rights.
The FRA offers two traineeship periods each lasting six months. One
traineeship period is from 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011 and the
other from 1 April 2011 to 30 September 2011. You can only apply for
one traineeship period and for one department. Trainees will be awarded a
monthly grant of €1,000.
Eligibility: EU Nationals can apply. Candidates also must have completed
the first cycle of a higher education course and have a very good knowledge
of at least two Community languages, including English. You must not have
benefited from any previous internships/employment from a European
Institution.
Website: www.fra.europa.eu
page number 38

Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market
(Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM)
Alicante, Spain
OHIM’s mandate is to provide protection of intellectual property in
the EU. The Office carries out examination, registration, opposition
and cancellation procedures for Community Trade Marks and
examination, registration and invalidity procedures for registered
Community Designs.
OHIM has two training periods annually lasting five months where
approximately ten places are available for each training period. The
first training period starts in February (closing date for applications
is 31 October) and the second one is in September (closing date for
applications is 31 March). Extensions of traineeship period and the
amount of grants depend on budgetary concerns.
Eligibility: You have to hold a University degree, have good knowledge
in two community languages (at least one them being one of the five
working languages of OHIM, which are English, French, German,
Spanish and Italian) in order to apply. If you have previous stage or
job experience in a European Institution, you are excluded.
Website: www.oami.europa.eu
page number 39

Translation Centre for the Bodies
of the European Union (Cdt)
Luxembourg
The Translation Centre’s mission is to meet the
translation needs of the other decentralised
Community agencies. It also participates in
the Inter-institutional Committee for Translation and Interpretation.
Traineeships last from four to six months. Trainees receive a monthly
grant of €694.10. Consult the Cdt’s webpage for opening traineeship
opportunities.
Eligibility: You must have a recognised university-level degree (having
completed specialised studies in the linguistic or translation field will be a
desirable quality but not mandatory). You also have to be able to translate
from two official Community languages into your principal language and
have a very good knowledge of English.
Website: www.cdt.europa.eu
European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control (ECDC)
Stockholm, Sweden
ECDC is an EU agency with the aim to strengthen
Europe’s defences against infectious diseases.
Traineeships are organised twice a year, each for a period
of three to six months (deadline for applications on 30 January and 30
April). The Centre pays a monthly grant of €1207.83 net per month
(in 2009) and also a travel allowance. In addition to traineeships,
fellowships are sometimes also available, an example being the European
Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training.
Eligibility: This Programme typically seeks candidates in the following
fields: Clinical infectious diseases, Microbiology, Public health,
Epidemiology, Statistics and/or modelling of infectious diseases, Social
sciences, Medical informatics, Scientific and/or risk communication, as
well as other related fields. Irish Bachelor’s degree is fine.
Website: www.ecdc.europa.eu
page number 40

European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training (Cedefop)
Thessaloniki (Pylea), Greece
Cedefop is the European Agency that promotes the development of
vocational education and training (VET) in the European Union. It
works in the aim that VET would meet the needs of the citizen, the
labour market and society in Europe.
There is one traineeship period annually from 1 October to 30 June.
Trainees are awarded a monthly maintenance grant which in 2010
was €1,005.05 per month. Travelling expenses (within certain limits)
are also reimbursed.
Eligibility: Trainees are selected from nationals of EU countries and
of applicant countries. The candidate has to have completed the first
cycle of a higher education course and have a very good knowledge of
at least two Community languages, one of which should be English.
Website: www.cedefop.europa.eu
page number 41

European Foundation
of Living and Working
Conditions (Eurofound)
Dublin, Ireland & Brussels, Belgium
Eurofound provides information,
advice and expertise on living
and working conditions, industrial
relations and managing change in
Europe. The information is provided
for key actors, such as trade unions, in the field of EU social policy
through research and analysis.
The majority of traineeships are located in the Dublin offices of
Eurofound. There will be a particularly small number of traineeships
in the field of Information and Communication at the Liaison’s
Office in Brussels. The traineeship may last a minimum of three and
a maximum of five months. Trainees will be awarded a monthly
grant, for 2009 it was €1,277.
Eligibility
• You must be a national of an EU country or an applicant
country.
• You must have a University diploma
• Candidates from EU countries must have very good knowledge
of at least two Community languages, of which one should be
the working language of Eurofound (English)
• Candidates from non-EU countires must have very good
knowledge of English, the working language of Eurofound.
• You will be excluded if have benefited from an internship/job
in another European institution for more than six weeks.
Procedure
Traineeships are advertised by the HR section of the website. Be
aware that only applications submitted through Eurofound’s on-line
recruitment system will be considered. Make sure to keep an eye on
Eurofound’s website for internship openings.
Website: www.eurofound.europa.eu
page number 42

Community Fisheries
Control Agency (CFCA)
Vigo, Spain
Set up in 2005, the CFCA coordinates
fisheries control and inspects the
activities of EU countries. It also assists
them to cooperate so as to comply with
the rules of the Common EU Fisheries
Policy.
Website: www.cfca.europa.eu
Community Plant Variety
Office (CPVO)
Angers, France
The CPVO manages a system of plant
variety rights covering the 27 EU
countries. A system for the protection of
plant variety rights has been established
by Community legislation. The system
allows intellectual property rights, valid throughout the Community,
to be granted for plant varieties. The CPVO was set up in 1995 for the
implementation of the system set out by the EU.
Eligibility: You have to be a national of an EU country; enjoy full rights
as a citizen; be a university graduate in law or a holder of a diploma
equivalent to a university law degree, or a student who has successfully
completed at least four years of legal studies (eight semesters
of university study); and have a thorough knowledge of one and
satisfactory knowledge of another official language of the Community.
This stage is four months long.
Website: www.cpvo.europa.eu.
page number 43

European Agency for Safety and
Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
Bilbao, Spain
EU-OSHA aims to be the central provider of
information and ensure that it is relevant to
every user in regard to the safety and health
standards at work adopted by the EU.
Stage vacancies arise when needed, but they are not systematic as in
larger institutions. Please note that the EU-OSHA will not acknowledge
spontaneous applications or internship requests.
page number 44
Website: www.osha.europa.eu
European Agency for the Management
of Operational Cooperation at the
External Borders (FRONTEX)
Warsaw, Poland
FRONTEX was created as a specialised and independent body of the EU
to coordinate the operational cooperation between EU countries in the
field of border security.
Website: www.frontex.europa.eu
European Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA)
Cologne, Germany
EASA was set up to promote the highest
common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil
aviation in Europe and worldwide. It is expected in a few years, that the
agency will also be responsible for safety regulations regarding airports
and air traffic management systems.
At the moment EASA does not have an internship programme in place
but in the course of the year 2010 they may establish one. It is suggested
to regularly consult the Agency’s website.
Website: www.easa.europa.eu

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
Helsinki, Finland
This agency manages the registration, evaluation, authorisation and
restriction processes for chemical substances to ensure consistency
across the European Union. The Agency provides information on
chemicals, to ensure their safe use, and ensures competitiveness of the
European industry.
ECHA offers traineeships for periods of up to six months. Keep an eye
on their website for new calls for stagiaires.
Website: www.echa.europa.eu
European Environment Agency
(EEA)
Copenhagen, Denmark
The EEA was established in 1990, yet didn’t
really start work until 1994. Its main purpose
is to help the Community and EU countries
make informed decisions about improving
the environment, integrating environmental
considerations into economic policies and moving towards sustainability.
EEA also coordinates the European environment information and
observation network. Most of EEA’s advice is directed towards the
European Institutions.
Website: www.eea.europa.eu
page number 45

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Parma, Italy
The EFSA covers food and feed safety, nutrition, animal
health and welfare, plant protection and plant health.
Stages are open to those from EU countries or applicant
countries and usually last 5 months.
Interested candidates are advised
to regularly consult this web page
for information on how and when
to apply. A new call is planned to be
published in Autumn 2010.
Website: www.efsa.europa.eu
European Institute for Gender Equality
Vilnius, Lithuania
This new agency was set up to support the EU and its countries in their
efforts to promote gender equality, to fight discrimination based on sex
and to raise awareness about gender issues. Its tasks are to collect and
analyse comparable data on gender issues, to develop methodological
tools, in particular for the integration of the gender dimension in all
policy areas, to facilitate the exchange of best practices and dialogue
among stakeholders, and to
raise awareness among EU
citizens. At present it does
not offer traineeships but
traineeships are planned for
2011.
Website: www.eige.europa.eu
page number 46

Eurojust
The Hague, the Netherlands
Eurojust was set up in 2002
to improve the fight against
serious crime by facilitating
the co-ordination of action for
investigations and prosecutions
covering the territory of more
than one EU country with full respect for
fundamental rights and freedoms.
Look at Eurojust’s website or contact them to find out new
internship possibilities. There are no grants or coverage of
expenses for interns.
Eligibility: You have to be a national of an EU country and have
an academic profile or professional career relevant to Eurojust’s
activities.
Website: www.eurojust.europa.eu
European Agency for the Cooperation of
the Energy Regulators (ACER)
Brussels, Belgium
This agency is a not-for-profit association in which Europe’s
independent national regulators of electricity and gas
voluntarily cooperate to protect consumer’s interests and
to facilitate the creation of a single, competitive, efficient
and sustainable internal market for
gas and electricity in Europe. There is
no mention of stages on their website
but worth a try if you are interested in
this area.
Website: www.energy-regulators.eu
page number 47

3. Non-institutional Stages
European Movement Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation that works
to make the connection between Irish people and the EU. Though a
variety of education and advocacy programmes, we campaign for every
Irish person to get involved in the European Union and by doing so,
help shape it.
European Movement Ireland
has developed a highly
successful stage programme
which requires a 4-6 month
commitment. There is
a Spring, Summer and
Autumn stage programme,
starting in January, May and
September respectively. Of
note is that the summer stage
programme accepts those still
in undergraduate education.
Eligibility:
• The suitable candidate should have the following:
• Third-level degree in a field suitable to the organisation e.g. European
Studies, Law, Politics (note for Summer stage programme, students
still in undergraduate study are accepted)
• Ability to work as part of a team, in a busy office
• Good research skills, both oral and written
• Experience with Microsoft Office, including Word and Outlook
• Good basic knowledge of the European Union is required
Website: www.europeanmovement.ie
page number 48

European Movement International
Brussels, Belgium
The European Movement is an international organisation open to all
political, economic, social and cultural trends in civil society. Its objective is
to “contribute to the establishment of a united, federal Europe founded on
the principles of peace, democracy, liberty, solidarity, and respect for basic
human rights. It seeks to provide a structure to encourage and facilitate
the active participation of citizens and civil society organisations in the
development of a united Europe”.
Eligibility:
European Movement International offers two types of stages: one is for
students who need to undergo a stage as part of their academic curricula;
the other one is for people who want to work as volunteers. Both are unpaid.
They usually seek to have people for a period of 6 months, but can show
some flexibility as long as people accept to stay for a minimum of three
months. In terms of qualifications, they look for either university students
or graduates with some knowledge about the European institutions, and
who are able to work in both English and French (high level of one and at
least some knowledge of the other).
Website: www.europeanmovement.eu/index.php?id=5154
page number 49

European University
Continuing Education Network
(EUCEN)
Barcelona, Spain
The Network has members in 40 different
countries and contacts in many European
education institutions. EUCEN has an
important role in the policy making process.
It is represented on a number of committees and advisory panels
at European level and provides experts and expert teams for international
projects and consultancy to universities wishing to develop lifelong learning
strategies and actions.
The minimum traineeship is three months. The costs of the placement have
to be covered by a sending organisation, yourself or by applying for a grant,
for example under the Leonardo Mobility programme.
Eligibility: You must have fluent English; good PC working knowledge;
interest in the education sector; ability to work independently; sense of
service; and the ability to work creatively in a multicultural environment.
Website: www.eucen.eu
Central Lobby Consultants Ltd (CLC)
London, United Kingdom
CLC is an independent parliamentary and public affairs
consultancy. It has more than twenty years experience working
in Westminster, Whitehall, the EU and the devolved assemblies.
They welcome approaches from individuals who would like to
join their team.
Website: www.centrallobby.com
page number 50

Euralia
Brussels, Belgium and Paris, France
Description: Euralia was founded in 1993
and is an acknowledged consultancy in the
field of European public affairs. It offers
services in Community policy, regulatory and
legislation monitoring, institutional lobbying, representation of
professional organisations, identification of projects and financing,
communications and media relations, and training in European
affairs. Contact Euralia to find out about internship openings.
Website: www.euralia.eu
The Amnesty International
European Institutions Office
Brussels, Belgium
The Amnesty International European
Institutions Office offers a number of internships
annually focusing on different policies which the
organisation lobby on, an example would be on
the EU’s internal human rights policies. The usual
internship is five months in length. Considering
the variation in internship requirements they do differ yet there are general
ones as will be shown. However for a more accurate description of both the
requirements and the work expected it is recommended that you check the
website regularly.
Eligibility: You must have knowledge of the European Union institutions;
experience working with the EU institutions or with the Council of Europe
is an asset; strong interest in human rights; fluent English, including
proficient drafting skills; proficient French and other EU languages are an
asset; good communication skills; ability to work independently and as part
of a team, establishing priorities and organising his/her time accordingly
and with ability to work on several files at the same time.
If accepted, you will be offered a “contract d’immersion professionnel”,
making this a paid position. In order to qualify for this contract, you must
hold a work permit for Belgium or be allowed to work in Belgium.
Website: www.amnesty.eu
page number 51

International Centre for Financial Regulation
(ICFR)
London, United Kingdom
ICFR is an international non-for-profit membership organisation whose
aim is to provide objective research, events and training on financial
regulation.
Internships are usually full-time but hours can
be flexible. They also offer part-time internships
if you are still studying. Internships can
range from three months to a year. Interns
will be considered from all backgrounds and
experience levels and are paid £750-£1000
monthly.
Eligibility: It would seem that anyone is really
eligible.
Website: www.icffr.org
Hume Brophy
Brussels, Belgium; London, United Kingdom; and Dublin, Ireland
Hume Brophy offers a full-service public affairs and public relations
consultancy service and is always interested in hearing from candidates
at all levels who may be interested in finding out more about working with
them.
Website: www.humebrophy.com
page number 52

APCO Worldwide
Brussels, Belgium
APCO Worldwide is a global communications
consultancy with its headquarters in Washington
D.C. Its Brussels office opened in 1995. APCO
Worldwide is a public relations firm that is known
for handling politically sensitive issues. Their
internship is paid with approximately four stage places available every six
months.
Eligibility: You must have a degree and/or post-graduate degree in
European law, European studies or politics, or in media/communication.
Perfect command of English, French and another EU countries’ language,
third language (e.g. German, Dutch,) is a plus. Relevant work experience,
for instance stage in European institutions or in a public relations/
communication environment is necessary. You also have to have a keen
interest in EU affairs, policies and communication. To apply you have to be
a good team player, have research and organizational skills and a proactive
attitude. Computer skills are also a must.
Website: www.apcoworldwide.com
IBEC Europe
Brussels, Belgium
The IBEC Europe office represents the interests
of IBEC members at European Union level on an
individual, sectoral and national basis through
its advocacy work to the EU institutions on
draft policy and legislation directly affecting members. The office is located
in the heart of the Brussels European area. IBEC actively engages with the
European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and the Irish
Government’s representation to the EU to shape and influence draft policy
and legislation to benefit Irish business.
Eligibility: You must have a primary degree and it helps if you have a good
level of French although this is not obligatory. Stages in IBEC Europe
usually last about 5 months, starting in September for spring time stages
and in February for summer stages. IBEC Europe pays a training allowance
which at the moment amounts to approximately €1,020 per month. If you
are interested in a stage in IBEC Europe contact them with a cover letter
and your CV.
Website: www.ibec.ie/ibb
page number 53

4. Writing your CV & cover letter
What is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is your chance to stand out from the other applicants.
It is probably the first thing the employer will read from you, so put
effort in making a good first impression! A well-written cover letter
will increase chances of getting an interview.
All cover letters should address what position you are applying for and
where you found out about it (the first paragraph), how your skills are
suitable for the position and what you can bring to the organisation
(middle paragraphs), and how to contact you for interview (last
paragraph). There are plenty examples of cover letters on the internet,
you can learn from them, but make sure your cover letter has your
personal style.
Tips of Success for Cover Letters
• Remember that a cover letter is your chance to make your CV stand
out from the rest, so put effort into it!
• Always address your letter to a named individual, in case you do not
know the person’s name, call up the organisation and find it out
• Be enthusiastic about the position but try not to sound desperate
• Highlight and expand on the parts of your CV that are relevant to the
position
• Describe how your skills and abilities match the job advertised
• Give specific examples when describing your skills and
achievements
• Research the organisation well and show that you have knowledge
about their values and achievements
• Explain how your experience will benefit the organisation
• Don’t exaggerate your achievements but don’t be too shy either!
• Mention how this position would add to your long-term career goals
• Keep it brief and concise, a cover letter should not exceed one A4
page
• Use uncomplicated sentences instead of extremely long ones
• Make sure there are no typos, misspellings or slang in your cover
letter
• Have somebody proofread your cover letter as it can make a big
difference!
page number 54

Tips for your CV
• Always tailor your CV to the particular position, including relevant
information and taking out what may not be so relevant
• Don’t go into detail describing job experiences that are not relevant to
the position
• Keep your potential employer in mind while writing your CV − use
phrases and keywords known to the industry. A good idea is to play
a game we call “Word Bingo”, using words from the organisations
website or job description subtly throughout your application.
• Use action verbs such as “developed”, “managed”, “created” and avoid
long sentences
• Keep your CV clean and simple − make sure it’s easy to read
• Use bullet points to make it easier on the reader
• Keep your CV to two size A4 pages
• Don’t cram your information on the pages but allow some white
space
• Be consistent with your style and make sure all fonts and headings
are in the same format
• Double check and triple check for grammatical errors. There is
nothing worse than a typo to make a first impression.
• Have a friend or a relative read over it before you send it to the
prospective employer
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5. Europass
Europass documents don’t have pass in them for nothing, they have been
designed so that your skills and qualifications can be easily understood
in Europe. Essentially, it is your pass to Europe. The Europass consists
of the Europass CV, the Language Passport, the Certificate Supplement,
the Diploma Supplement and the Europass Mobility. The first two
documents are DIY projects, but don’t worry they are a lot easier to
assemble than that flat pack from IKEA. The latter three will need to
be given to you by the institution that gave you your degree or where
you went on ERAMUS or work experience in another EU country for
your degree.
• What is a Europass CV?
A Europass CV is as necessary as your no frill airline tickets to get you
to Brussels. The Europass CV is the standard CV in the EU, streamlined
so easily understood by all those European recruiting offices. You can
also attach all the other documents in the Europass family that you will
need to get your stage. They also all easily found and not too hard to fill
out, the template (with instructions!) for the Europass CV can be found
at: www.europass.ie/europass/euro_cv.html.
• The rating system for languages: what does the B1 level mean?
Just like the CV, the EU has a standardised way for you to show off your
language abilities to all the different institutions and agencies that you
can apply to for a stage - it’s called your language passport. You can
easily set up your new passport online at: www.europass.ie/europass/
euro_lan.html.
There’s also “here’s one I did earlier” language passports for you to
see how to do it, along with a self assessment grid for you to figure
out if you are an A2 or C1 in Hungarian or any of the 23 Community
languages you have studied.
page number 56

• How to make your Irish degree
understandable to a Greek
Considering the EU has over 4,000
higher education institutions, it is
unsurprising that there is a need for clarification on how your degree
measures up to a degree of the Universidad de Alicante in Spain for
example. So that everyone in Europe can understand your degree, the
Europass Certificate Supplement was made for all vocational education
grads and the Europass Diploma Supplement for higher education
graduates. If you weren’t already given this upon graduation, just call
up your registration office. In case of any problems, you can always
seek advice from the Irish National Europass Centre in Dublin. There is
no guarantee that you will be asked for this, yet better safe than sorry.
For more information go to:
http://europassd.cedefop.europa.eu/europassd/home/vernav/
InformationOn/EuropassDiplomaSupplement.csp
• Where to call if you need any help or just have a question on anything
Europass related?
Irish National Europass Centre
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
5th Floor Jervis House
Jervis Street
Dublin 1
Tel: +353 (0)1 887 1500
E-mail: info@europass.ie
Website: www.europass.ie
page number 57

page number 58
Chapter 2:
Now that you have one,
what do you do?

Things to bring with you.
Tea bags – you can pick up a box of Barry’s here at
an extortionate price but there is no Lyons.
Photocopies of your passport – will be needed for a lot
of the bureaucracy
Passport photos – ditto
Decent French dictionary
Umbrella – it’s as wet as home unfortunately
Bed linen (see “Finding a roof over your head”)
You’ve arrived.
What do you do first?
1. Get a bed for your first few nights.
The first thing you need to do is get a base for a few days, while you are
hunting for a place to live. There are buckets of hotels around Brussels,
or else you can bed down in a youth hostel. It usually takes up to five days
before you find an apartment (though be prepared for it to take longer!)
Hostelworld.com is also a handy (and
actually Irish grown) website where
you can find and book hostels or
cheap hotels for the first few days –
it also gives good honest reviews so
you should be able to make sure you
book yourself into a decent place.
Three popular Youth Hostels:
Breughel +32.2.511.0436
Sleepwell +32.2.218.5050
Jacques Brel +32. 2.218.0187
page number 59

2. Find the roof over your head for
the next few months.
We’ve found that the best way to find an apartment is
to use the Internet. We would recommend starting your
search online before you touch down in Brussels. A
good hunt on the internet before you go means that
you can arrive in Brussels with a vague idea of what you are looking for,
what’s out there and what you should expect to pay. Do make sure that you
‘Google map’ the address of anywhere you’re considering online to actually
see where the flat is located. Some districts can be deceptively large and
stretch quite far from where you actually want to be.
Another good possible way of finding flats in Brussels is to simply walk
around the areas in which you would like to live. People frequently just
advertise with little “A LOUER” signs in their windows.
Once you’ve found a possible location, phone up and get an appointment to
view – and the rest should be pretty straight forward.
Price: It is fair to say that average rent rates are between €400 and
€700 but there is not necessarily much consistency between what people
pay and the quality of the accommodation. You should be able to get a
room in a relatively nice shared apartment in the EU quarter for around
€500-€550, inclusive of bills except maybe TV and/or internet if you
have them. If you prefer to live alone in a studio or bedsit, you can expect
to pay a bit more for a decent place. At stage time, it is best not to delay
too long in finding accommodation as, while there are quite a number
of places available, there is also a high demand so holding out for ‘the
perfect apartment ’ is not advisable.
TIP:
There is a distinct lack of
internet access for those
without a laptop in Brussels.
McDonalds and a few other
places have WiFi but it is tricky
to find internet cafes. Don’t
be afraid to ask for help – talk
to people in work as there are
always emails going around
about rooms for rent.
page number 60

A couple of tips:
• Many places will insist on a one-year lease. The landlord may agree to change it or
allow you to sub-let, but you should make sure of this before you sign the contract.
• Many apartments are also unfurnished. While inconvenient, unfurnished apartments
with long leases will normally have cheaper rents than furnished apartments available
on a short-term basis.
• Beware that even furnished apartments won’t provide bed linen so bring your own or
prepare to get them your first couple of days.
• It’s pretty standard for a landlord to insist that you pay one month’s deposit. For
this, you can set up a joint blocked bank account. This is a commonly accepted
practice in Brussels where the tenant places the deposit in an account which neither
he nor the landlord can access without both signatures. However, in Brussels it’s
pretty standard for the landlord to retain a part of your deposit at the end of the
lease, even if the place is spotless and you have signed an ‘état des lieux’ (inventory).
Some useful websites for finding a place to stay:
BruKot www.brukot.be/
Trainees in Brussels - Le Temps d’un Stage
www.traineesinbrussels.be
Colocataires www.colocation.fr/homepage.php
Expatriates.com www.expatriates.com/classifieds/belgium/hs
Ex-pats www.xpats.com
ICA www.icab.be/residenceprogramme.php
Immoweb www.immoweb.be/fr
Residential Accommodation in Brussels
www.languesviviantes.com/lviimmo/Intro.htm
The Bulletin (weekly English Magazine about life in Brussels)
www.thebulletin.be
Vlan newspaper www.vlanimmo.be
Flatshare www.appartager.be
Easy Life in Brussels www.easylifeinbrussels.be
Viva Street www.vivastreet.be
Angloinfo www.brussels.angloinfo.com
Immoweb www.immoweb.be
page number 61

Choosing your district
There are loads of areas to choose from in Brussels – here are some
thoughts as to where you might want to stay for your few months….
Etterbeek
Good in the sense that it is very
close to the Commission, Place Lux,
Flagey and other places you’ll spend
much of your week. However, it can
seem a little dead at the weekend
and at night. For shopping there
is a Colruyt, Aldi, Delhaize and
Carrefour, and every Sunday there
is a very impressive market at
Place Jourdan. Also a sports centre
with a swimming pool can be found
in the La Chasse area of Etterbeek
at 71 Rue des Champs.
Ixelles
A good area with lots of shops,
bars, restaurants, launderettes and
cinemas. It’s also close to town and
to the institutions. However, be
warned, the district itself is huge so
definitely check out how far your
flat would be from the city centre
and from Schuman where the
European institutions are located.
The area around Porte de Namur is
best as it is very close to both.
Saint Josse-ten-Noode
A maximum of a 15-minute walk
to Schuman. It’s half way between
the European Quarter and the city
centre. It’s close to Madou metro
station and to Tour de Madou (where
the Bureau de stages and the Stage
Liaison Committee are based). We
have been told though that this area
has recently developed a reputation
as being unsafe.
page number 62
St. Gilles
Saint Gilles is very mixed – there
are some areas that are slightly
rough, and there are other areas
that are trendy and bohemian.
The Parvais De Saint Gilles is the
focal point of the district. It hosts
a daily fresh fruit and veg market
with stalls selling all wares from
8am to 2pm, but it is a lot bigger
at the weekends. There’s also a
good selection of reasonably priced
bars and restaurants around
the Parvais such as Brasserie De
l’Union (named after a legendary
football team), Maison De Peuble
and Bar a’ Gilles. Most of these have
free live music at the weekends.
At the other end of the commune
it touches upon Ixelles and the
lovely Place Chatelain which also
hosts a Wednesday night market
from 6pm. Saint Gilles is strongly
influenced by the Architect Horta
and indeed the Horta Museum is
on Rue America, therefore most
of the houses and cafes are in the
particular Brussels Art Nouveau
style. Saint Gilles enjoys excellent
public transport links but there are
no big parks.
“In my personal experience I
really enjoy living in Saint Gilles
as the daily market, variety of Art
Nouveau cafes and homes give it
a strong neighbourhood and truly
Brussels feel. But it is further away
from the EU area and you will
probably have to be prepared to
take a metro to your DG.” – Ciara

City Centre
“I find living in the centre good (De
Brouckere/Saint Gery). You save
money on taxis at the weekends
and there are a lot of amenities
like supermarkets, internet cafes
and shops. However it can feel a
bit dodgy at nightime…definitely
wouldn’t be comfortable walking
home alone. It is also a bit dirtier
than other districts.” – Aine
City Centre vs. Suburbs,
One stagiaire’s opinion – Aislinn McCrory
“Everyone wants to live in the city centre right? Well, in Brussels not
quite. There are lots of advantages to living in such a central location
but it’s important to note the downsides of having a Brussels 1000
address.
Pros: Surprisingly, the rent in the centre of Brussels is actually quite
cheap. When looking for accommodation, I viewed some houses and
flats in the suburbs (nearer to Evere where I work) and these places
were in fact much more expensive. It is actually possible to get a room
for around €400 with bills included in the heart of the city. Obviously
the big plus points are the facilities: everything from cinemas and
bars to supermarkets and launderettes are all in walking distance if
you live in the centre. Anything worth seeing that isn’t in the centre
is easily accessible as most metro and bus lines pass through De
Brouckere.
Cons: To put it bluntly, De Brouckere just isn’t as pretty as many of
the other districts. It’s dirtier and well, a bit rougher. If you are female,
walking alone after dark isn’t the most comfortable experience as
groups of young men tend to hang around the metro entrances and
on corners, staring, muttering at passers by and being generally
intimidating. Most of these men are harmless but it still isn’t nice.
There are lots of good bars and clubs in De Brouckere but unfortunately
most stagiaire drinking based meetings seem to take place elsewhere
(at Place Lux, Place Jourdan or in the general Schuman area).”
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3. Register with the Belgian authorities
Warning
There may be a long waiting list to register. Receiving
an appointment date one or even two months later
is not uncommon, so apply as early as possible. The
other option is to simply turn up at your commune
building and queue (however in Etterbeek they
absolutely will not see you if you do this.) This
may take some time and, obviously, you have no
guarantee of being dealt with.
Now this all depends on what commune you are living in, so the first step is
to check on the commune website what the procedures are and where your
communal office is located. All the addresses and procedures can be found
at http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be. Most communes will allow you to make
an appointment to register via email. For example, in Saint Gilles you can
email population.1060@stgilles.irisnet.be or ring at – 02.536.02.4749.
Once you have made the appointment the commune will arrange for the
police to visit your address so make sure your name is on the door. They
only check the name on the door and don’t actually come in. Still, don’t
be surprised if you see some police looking sketchily around your front
door.
To register or not to register
Now, we’ve got to tell you that there are mixed reports to the ‘registering
in Brussels’ step. Many have done it but some haven’t. We’ll leave it up
to you. There are pros – like the train ticket purchasing etc but we have
also heard that if you’re there for five months, it’s pretty unlikely that
you’ll use this card all that often. That said, if things go a bit pearshaped
and you’re not registered, then things can get very messy indeed. And
if you stay on after your stage and you haven’t been registered, that can
sometimes cause problems. So there is a good argument out there in
favour of registering…
page number 64

It is always a good idea to ring up and confirm beforehand
but, in general, you need to bring two copies of your passport,
proof of address (lease which must be complete and include
the floor number), Belgian contact details, your EC contract,
four passport photos and your medical insurance card.
Generally it’s free to register, but they may charge you if you
request an electronic ID card, costing €30 - see below. At the
appointment the commune will review the documents and if
satisfied you will be registered.
As stated above, you can ask for an electronic ID card and, if
you have gone to the trouble of registering, it is worth getting
this as it is a handy and can be used when purchasing things
on-line, such as train tickets. If you ask for the card you will
be given a receipt and your pin will be posted within a few
weeks. This is annoying, but to actually collect the card you
have to return to the commune with the pin.
“Avoid the Town Hall!! It’s not worth it!...You will waste half a day there
and be asked to return monthly!” – Anonymous stagiaire, 2009
page number 65

4. Get a bank account
As you can arrange to be paid into your Irish
account and thanks to the convenience of
online banking, it is not strictly necessary to
open a bank account. However, if you feel that
it would be better to do so, you will need three
things – a copy of your passport, a copy of
your EC contract and a proof of address in
your home country. No bank per se is better or
worse. There are a number of banks you can use
such as Fortis, ING and DEXIA. They are all
competent banks and provide roughly the
same services. Of the three, Fortis and ING
would be the most commonly used both by
the Institutions’ personnel. There are a number
of bank branches around Schuman which are
specifically equipped to help set up new accounts (including for stagiaires).
Here they will also speak English but do expect infuriating queues at
lunchtime. If you are based in the Parliament, the most straightforward
option is to set up an account in one of the branches there and it is
generally regarded as a rather quick and painless process.
Given the language barriers in Brussels, seeking to open an account away
from the institutions may mean your French or Flemish must be top
notch as the staff may not be able to use English. If your language skills
are up to scratch then it’s worth booking an appointment in a branch in
one of the French speaking communes to avoid queues and long waits.
There is generally one type of bankcard which has two services within it –
Bancontact and Proton. This may not always be the case so you should ask
to make sure you have both these services when opening your account.
Bancontact (Mister Cash) is analogous to a debit
card in Ireland. It allows you to purchase goods or
services in any shop which accepts it or Maestro.
You may also use it back home or withdraw money
from any machine which accepts Maestro cards.
page number 66

Proton? Proton is a very useful service
used for small transactions. You will
most likely be using it when you’re
eating lunch in the Institution canteens
and cafés. It essentially allows the
cardholder to ‘load’ funds on to his/
her bank card to use immediately. As
a result, there is no need to enter any
chip and pin, therefore, allowing purchases
to go through within seconds. However, you must also be aware
that once money has been transferred to the Proton part of your card, it
can be used by ANYONE. It’s a good idea to limit yourself to using only
small denominations at a time (eg loading up €50 for a week’s worth of
lunches). If you lose your card the money loaded on for Proton is gone
for good. There are Proton-loading machines in many of the Institution
cafeterias and it can also be done via all ATM machines in Belgium. All
you have to do is to transfer the funds via chip and pin for immediate use
later on.
Internet Banking
Internet banking in Belgium is far more complicated
than in Ireland and often involves the use of a funny
little machine that you have to carry around with you,
insert your card into, ‘complete a challenge’ and only
then do you get the code needed to access your account
online. Certain banks may also require you to download
a programme onto your laptop to allow online banking.
This is awkward as it means that you can’t use it on your
work computer or in an internet café. However, what is
good is that most banks will have a ‘No Cash’ machine
designed for making bank transfers and payments. So,
if you want to pay your rent, simply bring your card,
your and your landlord’s IBAN numbers and addresses,
and you can pay it in about 2 minutes. This saves a lot of
time and hassle. Same goes for international transfers.
page number 67

5. Get yourself stocked up
Getting stuff done can be a real pain
in Belgium, especially since almost
all shops close on Sundays and you
may be too hungover on Saturday to
do anything. As everyone else is also
trying to do everything they have to do
on Saturdays, the city centre is chaos
and Belgian service is not exactly rapid
at the best of times.
WARNING:
NEARLY ALL
SHOPS CLOSE
ON SUNDAYS!
At the moment, shops close at around
6pm in Brussels but from June onwards
shops will be opening until 8pm so you
should have a better chance of picking
up some food for dinner after a long
day at the office…
Furniture
If you need to buy
furniture for your flat
there is an IKEA located
in Anderlecht, 5 minutes
walk from CERIA metro
station.
TIP: If you need certain household
products such as towels, plates,
etc., and you only have time to get
them on your lunch break, you
may be best off going to the Metro
Shop in De Brouckere station as
there are no decent shops for
that sort of thing located in the
European Quarter. It only takes
15 minutes to get there from
Schuman station and as the shop
is located in the station you don’t
even need to face the crowds on
the street.
page number 68

Tips about working in
the EU institutions
Don’t worry about the language thing. In the
beginning, one of the first things you’ll probably
notice is that many other people on your stage,
and those who work in the Institutions, are simply
superb at languages – a trait that us Irish don’t
really have, truth be told. The main languages that
the European system uses are French, English
and German – you’ll find that the bulk of the work
is done in the first two, so think about it this way, you’ve at least got one
of the working languages. If you have some French, have a stab, it goes a
long way as people do appreciate it. Even if it is to say,
‘Je suis désolé, mais je ne parle pas français. Est-ce que possible parler en
anglais s’il vous plait? Merci beaucoup.’
(“Sorry, my French is not great, would you mind if we spoke in
English?”)
It is well worth keeping up with your languages. Take one of the
many evening classes that are run to help you out. Private schools
can be quite expensive but, if you are in the position to sign up for one,
you should consider it a good investment. It is worth trying to find a
school or a teacher whose style you feel you will respond best to. If you
are in the Parliament, you might instead (or additionally) consider
taking advantage of the free classes the European Parliament’s
Stagiaire Association (EPSA) organises. These are generally led by
stagiaires so you shouldn’t expect professional standards but every
little helps after all. The most important thing is, not to let concerns
you have about the strength of your languages hold you back in any
way - you’re not the first person to not have two or three languages
on your stage, and you won’t be the last.
If you do have to find explanations for words in other languages
try the Interactive Terminology for Europe portal which can
be accessed through www.europa.eu. This can translate words
from any European language into another. The direct URL is a
nice long one: http://iate.europa.eu/iatediff/SearchByQueryLoad.
do;jsessionid=9e a7991c30d845e04695870a 4668b265e72417f503a8.
e3iLbNeKc3mSe3aNbxuQa3iPbi0? method=load
page number 69

Remember that there are lots of other European institutions... When you’ve
got your stage, sometimes, it’s easy to forget that there are other types of
stages around Brussels. For example, each MEP usually takes on stagiaires
at different points during their term in office and they can give you a really
different perspective of the EU system. The European Economic and Social
Committee also has stage opportunities. So, it’s well worth investigating and
making contact with these people. We at European Movement Ireland can
help you get in contact with other institutions so just drop us a line – and
we also have an event twice a year to introduce new stagiaires to other Irish
people in Brussels.
Pick up the phone and use it. There are two key pieces
of technology that will be on your desk when you
are doing a stage – a computer and a phone. Funnily
enough, the reports we hear back from the stage is that
people certainly use the first, but seem to ignore the last
a little too often. This is probably to do with the language
thing. Our advice is don’t fear the phone. Use it. You’re
more likely to get a quicker answer then firing off an email and hoping for
the best. If it helps at all, rehearse the call in your head before. Do this a few
times and then you’ll get used to it. It’s just a phone. Use it.
And for a list of all the Irish people working in the EU institutions log on
to http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/ireland_in_the_eu/irish_in_europe/index_
en.htm
TIP: Get used to accepting business cards – everyone passes them around
all the time and you should have quite the collection by the time your
stage is over.
TIP: Stagiaires in the
Parliament have a badge
which needs to be scanned
everytime you enter or exit
the Parliament for security
purposes. This can be a bit
of an inconvenience but
going through security just
involves the metal detector
and the security guard.
page number 70

Commission DGs are all quite different. Not all DGs are based in the main
Commission building, the Berlaymont. In fact, a lot of DGs are not. So be
prepared for your office to be out a little from the centre of European work,
the Rond Pont Schuman. http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/building_bxl/
list/index_fr.cfm shows the addresses of all the Commission buildings.
The Parliament buildings, on the other hand, are a bit more centralised
and can mostly be found around the Place du Luxembourg area. The
Parliament is a huge building, it even has a supermarket underneath, three
banks, and there are a hairdressers, a dry cleaners are all located INSIDE
the actual building! Oh there is a gym too!
In terms of layout, all MEPs are grouped in accordance to their political
party within the Parliament so for example the offices of all ALDE members
are on the same floors.
Parliament stagiaires should note that there is no programme for stagiaires
within the Parliament like there is in the Commssion and presumably this
is due to the fact that there are new stagiaires constantly starting there as
opposed to the Commission where people only start twice a year. But you
can always do what plenty of parliament stagiaires have done in the past -
make friends with a Commission stagiaire and get the best of both worlds!
The Commission stagiaires always organise lots of events and nights out
so it is a great way of meeting people from outside the Parliament.
page number 71

If you don’t get a job, help create one
for yourself.
A stage will be a very boring experience
if you don’t have anything to do – and
the type of work that stagiaires get really
varies from person to person and unit
to unit. It’s useful to bear in mind, while
this might be your first stage, it will not be
the first time that your supervisor has a
stagiaire – they’ve probably managed one
for the last five months and the Monday
after you finish, will be welcoming in
another. But there is a lot you can do to
maximise your stage. If you have no work,
pick up the phone or call into someone’s
office and ask for some.
TIP: It’s a good idea to keep
an eye out for interesting
conferences that are going
on in Brussels. If you do find
something that is interesting,
ask your supervisor if it’s
alright for you to go and that
you’ll write something up
about it. Helpful websites to
find out what’s on are:
http://www.ceps.be/events_
upcoming
http://www.epc.eu/
TIP: There is a daily conference held in
the Salle de Presse of the Berlaymont
every day at midday. You can go it in
the Berlaymont or follow it live over
the phone by ringing 02.29.61.500
for an English version. As the
Commission meets every Wednesday
morning, the press conference that
afternoon is regarded as the most
important. Commissioners will often
come down to speak on specific issues
alongside the general spokesperson.
These conferences can vary from
being quite interesting to being mindnumbingly
boring depending on what
topic you are interested in, but it may
be worth your while to go along.
Many fonctionnaires are exstagaires
and understand how
boring it can be if you have no
work, so often it’s these people
who will try and find you some.
If you want you should be able
to find small biographies on
the people in your team on the
intranet (go to the ‘search news’
section on your DG’s homepage
and type in the name of the
person to check). If you see one
who was a stagaire go up to
them and compare experiences
as small talk and they are
more than likely to give you
something to do afterwards
(and they may remember how
broke they were and buy you a
coffee too!)
page number 72

Europass
Curriculum Vitae
Personal information
Always have your CV with you, just in case.
Some stagiaires have been asked to bring in
a copy of their CV to send around to the other
members of their team. Copies of your CV may
also be requested for involvement in certain
Commission training days. It’s a good idea to
have a version with you on a USB stick – also
because you never know when a good job
opportunity may suddenly appear….
Know that you are entitled to two free days
per month as part of your stage. Yes, it’s
true so take them if you want to. Talk to
your supervisor about this and check with
the Stage Co-ordination office. And if you’re
on the winter stage, you’ll usually get roughly a week off at Christmas.
You can expect to get three days off for Easter and there are some nice long
weekends to take advantage of during the summer months due to public
holidays falling on Fridays and Mondays. The following is a list of public
holidays in Belgium.
Page 1/2 - Cu riculum vitae of
Surname(s) First name(s)
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First name(s) / Surname(s) First name(s) Surname(s) (remove if not relevant, see instructions)
Address(es) House number, street name, postcode, city, country (remove if not relevant, see instructions)
Telephone(s) (remove if not relevant, see
instructions)
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Occupational field
Fax(es) (remove if not relevant, see instructions)
E-mail (remove if not relevant, see instructions)
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Work experience
Occupation or position held
Main activities and responsibilities
Name and address of employer
Type of business or sector
Education and training
Title of qualification awarded
Principal subjects/occupational skills
covered
Name and type of organisation
providing education and training
Level in national or international
classification
Gender (remove if not relevant, see instructions)
Personal skills and
competences
(remove if not relevant, see instructions)
For more information on Europass go to http: /europass.cedefop.europa.eu
© European Communities, 2003 20060628
Mobile: (remove if not relevant, see
instructions)
Dates Add separate entries for each relevant post occupied, starting from the most recent. (remove if not
relevant, see instructions)
Dates Add separate entries for each relevant course you have completed, starting from the most recent.
(remove if not relevant, see instructions)
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Mother tongue(s) Specify mother tongue (if relevant add other mother tongue(s), see instructions)
Other language(s)
Self-assessment Understanding Speaking Writing
European level (*) Listening Reading Spoken interaction Spoken production
A few pointers…
Public Holidays
1 January – New Years day
5 April - Easter Monday
1 May – May day
13 May – Ascension Day
24 May – Whit Monday
21 July – Belgian National holiday
15 August – Assumption of Mary
1 November – All Saints Day
11 November – Armistice Day
25 December – Christmas Day
26 December – Bank holiday
Salaries
When you get paid. If you work in the Commission, your
salary is going to be €1047 a month. In the Parliament, it
will be €1169 but €15 will be deducted as your contribution
towards an obligatory accident and illness insurance policy
that will be taken out on your behalf. Factor in rent and
you’ll most likely be lucky if you break even. You get paid
around the 15th or 16th of every month except in the first
month when you get paid towards the end of the month.
page number 73

Stagiaire Party?
If organising parties is your thing, then you can get involved in the various
themed parties that the stagiaires hold throughout the five months in the
European institutions. You can do anything from national parties to fundraisers
for study trips. There is a certain tradition of organizing a Celtic
party, which was upheld during the Winter 09/10 stage.
Interesting Fact : The first ever Stagiaires Party was
organised by two Kerrymen in 1973 – Liam Crowley
and Frank Wall (who is still in Brussels, working in
the Council).
Tips for the party organisers:
• Your first port of call is the stage committee (SC): this is where you can set the date
of the party, get the money for your budget, and help with advertising. You should
ideally have one main contact person, i.e. the event coordinator who liaises with
the SC. You’ll have to have a treasurer as well because the SC needs to have a proper
budget before they give you the money.
• Make your party stand out! As there are parties organised nearly every week, you
have to get people interested by doing something different, such as, a change of
location, Saturday instead of Friday night, having a live band instead of just the
DJ, or supplying food. We had home-made Breton Crêpes on sale and also organized
some Irish and Scottish dancing. If your budget allows, supply a free drink at the
beginning and you’re on to a winner!
• Fancy-dress should really be optional as some people may be discouraged from going if
they think that they have to dress up as leprechauns, whereas other people are only too
happy to don a kilt for an evening!
• Make sure you agree certain things with the venue: price of drinks for the whole
evening and the amount of profit you get on each entrant.
• Regarding profits, we gave all our profits to the Solidarity stagiaire group who were
aiming to reach their €7,000 target.
Have fun! Louise & Aine
page number 74

Institutional food and how you’ll learn to eat it.
Commission stagiaires can eat in the Council canteen if they so wish. This
is recommended as the fare is usually a bit better than what you’ll find in the
Commission. Commission stagiaires can also eat in the Parliament canteen
but only after 13h30. According to reports, there are better choices there
than in the Berlaymont canteen, but generally speaking the food varies
from day to day. It’s also nice to eat in the canteen of the Commission
Breydel building on Avenue d’Auderghem to see a great view of Parc du
Cinquantenaire.
There are also cafes in most Commission buildings, including three in the
Berlaymont itself. You can go to the exclusive 11th floor café if you have
someone who works in the Cabinet (only Cabinet people are allowed above
the 9th floor of the BERL) to let you in – though again, the jury is out on the
food there. In the Parliament too you will find a number of cafés but one
of the favourite haunts for the traditional after lunch coffee is the ‘Mickey
Mouse’ bar (apparently so nicknamed because once upon a time the seats
there used to remind people of the famed Disney character…).
What is the Plat du Jour?
Normally, the Plat du Jour consists of some
sort of miscellaneous meat and vegetables
covered in some sort of sauce. Quite often you’ll
discover that the miscellaneous meat is rabbit
or something and you’ll wish you never asked.
As ignorance is bliss, you may consider it best
to ignore the plat du jour altogether. However, it
should be borne in mind that, as stagiaires, you’ll get
a discount which means that you can get the plat du jour and a bowl
of soup for €3.37 every day. This is a really good deal and saves you a
lot of money. Also the soup is usually good and will wash out the taste
of the rabbit or whatever. Do note that there is no discount on the
vegetarian plat du jour.
TIP: Going for a coffee after
lunch is pretty much expected
of everyone. A coffee is
normally around a €1, slightly
more expensive if it’s the
better quality Illy coffee.
page number 75

page number 76
We have started a list in European
Movement Ireland with the names of
people who have done the stage in each
DG in the Commission and the different
areas in the Parliament, so if you’re
interested in finding out what a stage
is really like, then contact the office
at +353.1.662.5815 and we’ll give you
the name of someone for you to have
a chat with. To whet your appetite, the
following pages give you some stagiaires’
thoughts on their stage experience...

Aislinn, DG Translation
“If you are an Irish stagiaire in DGT, you are more than likely either
working in Aonad na Gaeilge or in the Web translation unit. Both of these
units are situated a bit out of the city centre on Rue de Geneve in Evere.
It’s a bit of a catch 22 accommodation-wise. You can live out near the office
and have lovely lie-ins but in my opinion it’s preferable to live elsewhere
and commute a little bit. You will learn to hate the bus but your social life
will thank you for it :) Besides the lovely DGT itself, there really isn’t much
else out there. Just be careful not to end up living in a beautiful house
on the other side of the city centre. This would mean you’d learn to hate
a few different buses which is never a good thing. As the DGT is quite far
away from the other EU buildings, you’ll find that you get to know the
other DGT stagiaires quite well and that, perhaps, the role of Porte Parole
(stagiaire spokesperson of your team, elected the first day) is quite an
important one. Meet up in the canteen in G6 for lunch and rendez-vous in
the cafeteria for tea whenever you’re not slaving away at your desk. Cora
de Paor and Caoimhe Ní Shúilleabháin from Aonad na Gaeilge organise
céilí dancing class once a week at lunch time, a great way to work off the
plat du jour, and ask your colleagues about ciorcal comhrá and the likes
(the DGT is about all using your languages after all!).”
Cian, Legal Service, European Commission
“The service has traditionally been very Francophone – though it varies from team to
team – but don’t let the language thing worry you. They are happy to have native English
speakers and proofreading will probably be a big part of your job. Also, in my team at
least, while meetings are nominally run in French, the administrators will respond in either
English or French, whichever they feel more comfortable.
There is 5-a-side football every Thursday in a
local sports hall for which there is a longstanding
tradition that stagiaires do not have to pay to
play but are supposed to run more and score
more goals. The service tries to ensure that
everyone gets to a hearing in Luxembourg. It’s
three hours away, and trains conveniently run
from Schuman. Your trip will be completely
reimbursed by the Commission (including a
hotel) and you are also entitled to an extra
€90 as expenses on the trip. If you go a second
time you have to pay for everything yourself. There is a cheap (€20) and clean place
called Luxembourg City Hostel located relatively near the Courts as well.”
page number 77

Peter, DG ECFIN,
European Commission
“DG ECFIN is in Beaulieu, a
Commission complex situated
in a quiet south-western suburb
of Brussels. When they were
constructed, the initial intention
was to use some of the buildings for a
shopping centre, but that fell through and the buildings were
converted for use as office space. Beaulieu is largely closed plan
and many stagiaires can expect to have their own office or share
with just one other person.
Although Beaulieu is located a considerable distance from
the city centre and the European district, there are excellent
transport links which mean that stagiaires located there need
not be isolated from the larger Schumann/stagiaire community.
The primary metro connection to Beaulieu is the number 5
metro line (direction Herrmann-Debroux -if you are leaving
from anywhere other than Herrmann-Debroux). Although there
is a stop named Beaulieu, depending on your building, it may
actually be quicker to access the offices from the Demi metro
stop.
For those working in Beaulieu, the radial pattern of the public
transport system does mean that the choice of location for
accommodation is very important as changing metros or buses
can be time consuming and annoying. So, if you’re based in
Beaulieu, it’s better to live somewhere serviced by the number
5 metro line or a bus service that goes there. Thus, the city
centre areas, and those around Place Flagey, are best due to their
proximity to Brussels’ various amenities and direct links to work
through the metro and the 71 bus line. The 71 bus line stops
at Delta which is one stop before Beaulieu and is walkable. Not
many stagiaires choose to live in Beaulieu itself.”
page number 78

Emilie, DG JLS, European Commission
“DG Justice, Freedom and Security (or JLS as it is most commonly
known) is situated right beside Place Luxembourg. Though not in the
true EU epicentre (eg Schuman), there is plenty going on around the
building that allows you to still feel in the heart of EU Affairs. With the
Parliament a stone’s throw away, and the common watering hole of
European fonctionnaires (Plux) 1 minute from the exit, DG JLS is ideal
for any stagiaire.
With Justice, Freedom and Security constantly growing in importance
in the EU, you are sure to find JLS very interesting and fast paced. Since
the DG is not so large, the stagiaires are given a lot of responsibility and
are included in their units’ work at all times. Stagiaires tend to share an
office with another stagiaire but you can also be lucky to get your own,
depending on space in your particular unit. Another bonus of a smaller
DG is that all functionaries seem to know each other quite well, which
creates a very close-knit and sympathetic work environment.
Though there is no canteen in DG JLS, the Research canteen further
up Rue Luxembourg is close by and most stagiaires tend to congregate
there at lunchtime. The Berlaymont and the Council are only about a
10-minute walk which is quite handy if you have any business to do
around Schuman. Both French and English are spoken in the DG with
the division seeming to be equal. All unit meetings seem to be held in
both languages depending on the speaker’s preference. The DG also
organises Yoga and Pilates classes twice a week which is a nice way to
meet other stagiaires and functionaries. The stagiaires also organise
football, teaming up with another DG such as RELEX.
Regarding transport, the closest metro station is Trone, though there
are also plenty of buses stopping at Place Lux. If you are lucky enough
to live in Ixelles or Eterbeek, the DG can be walking distance away which
is of course beneficial to your morning routine!
All in all, DG JLS is a very motivating and fast paced environment. All
the projects that are going on are vital for the development of Justice
Freedom and Security so you can be guaranteed to be working in areas
that are constantly in the news. This can make you feel like you are
really doing something in the world of the European Union.”
“Another bonus of a smaller DG is that all functionaries
seem to know each other quite well, which creates a very
close-knit and sympathetic work environment.”
page number 79

Joanne, DG COMM, European Parliament
As is only to be expected, Parliament stagiaires on the Schuman programme
will have a slightly different experience to those in the Commission. Firstly,
you will probably notice that your fellow Irish stagiaires may be few in
number but this is not very surprising when you consider that the overall
intake on this programme in the Parliament in Brussels amounts to around
130 people. Secondly, the initiation process is very quick compared to that
which the Commission stagiaires are offered as it lasts for only the first
morning. After that, most of you will be sent immediately to the relevant
unit in order to meet your supervisor and perhaps even begin working.
I was assigned, with two other stagiaires, to the Public Opinion Monitoring
Unit. As this is a small division, we found ourselves under the direct
supervision of the Head of Unit. This was an excellent learning opportunity
and I considered myself lucky to be directly involved in all of the activities
of the unit as I often heard that stagiaires might not be given much work
to do. As we were there during the very busy election period, the three of
us were very well integrated with the functionaries and expected to take
on a variety of tasks. The greatest challenge for me was that our regular
meetings were conducted primarily in French and my fellow stagiaires
were also francophones
“This was an excellent learning opportunity and I considered myself
lucky to be directly involved in all of the activities of the unit”
In general, there are some nice perks to being in the Parliament. For
instance, you are entitled to a half day on Fridays, except the Friday before
the monthly Strasbourg part-session when you are expected to work a full
day. Also, the Parliament is a bit like a self-contained town in that it has its
own medical service, banks, beauticians, hairdressers. All of these services
can be availed of quite cheaply (the medical service is free) and there is
also a gym which offers a reduced rate for stagiaires. Another noteworthy
advantage is that Parliament stagiaires are given the opportunity to go
on a two day mission to Strasbourg to see how proceedings are organised
there. You will decide in consultation with your supervisor when is the
best time for you to go and they will help you to make the appropriate
arrangements. You will receive a flat rate sum of approximately €480 to
cover your transport and accommodation costs.
Overall, I would say that life as a Parliament stagiaire is probably not hugely
different to that of your Commission counterparts. I found that the stage
committee did not seem to be as well organised as that in the Commission,
but that did not really negatively impact on my experience as it is very easy
to find and socialise with your fellow stagiaires when Place du Luxembourg
is right on your office doorstep!”
page number 80

Noelle, Legal Service, European Parliament
“When you arrive in to work for the Parliament, your first impression of
working here is the information meeting that’s held in the morning. It can
be quite daunting listening to how to register yourself as a tenant, etc which
is a concept unknown to us Irish.
After the information meeting, we are told to go and find our supervisors,
cue everyone getting lost, everyone asking everyone else where you are
meant to go and then getting even more lost. So eventually you find your
supervisor and your office and all is well!
Then the next daunting step is the canteen. I think most stagiaires have the
same experience with the canteen... first of all you, again, get lost both trying
to get there and trying to get back. Then you have massive queues, and the
horrible job of trying to find a seat! Don’t worry, it all gets better. The longer
you are there, the more you develop a talent of being able to arrive in the
canteen, have your food chosen and paid for within ten minutes. One thing
that helps is looking up the menu before going down! There is not as many
stagiaire parties organised in the Parliament as there is in the Commission,
but don’t worry there are still plenty of parties. It’s mostly house parties,
such as house-warming parties at the start of the stage, but that still carry
on until the end. Also Pullmans on Place Lux will become your local.
Although, make sure your entire stage does not consist of after work drinks
in Pullmans and then house-parties at the weekend. It is so easy to get
caught up in the European bubble, so do try and explore some of the good
bars that Brussels has to offer, including those which aren’t located on
Plux! As part of your stage, you get to go to Strasbourg for a week which is a
great experience. Most of us went to the December session which was good
because the agenda was interesting and we also got to see the Christmas
markets as well. Note that in the Parliament you also get a half-day on
Fridays which is nice!
A good idea is to organise the transport yourselves as it is more fun and
cheaper than getting the train. We hired mini-vans and then booked a hostel
outside the city so the trip was very reasonably priced. Due to the fact the
Christmas markets are on, the accommodation in Strasbourg gets booked
up extra fast for December. If you organise it right, then renting mini-vans
and staying in a hostel that is not in the centre of Strasbourg, will save
you a lot of money. We stayed in the hotel Formule 1, Rue De La Gare, 67700
Monswiller, Tel: +33(8)91705391. We rented an Opel Vivaro mini-van for
€235 from Budget Rent a Car Avenue Louise 91, 1050 Brussels, Tel: +32.
(0)2.646.51.30. The stage in the Parliament is a truly enjoyable experience,
it is tremendous fun, you work with people of all different nationalities, and
the work is diverse and interesting. Enjoy it!”
page number 81

What happens if…
…you get sick.
For the Commission
Phone your stage advisor immediately (this is
the person who you are assigned to on your
first day). After two days’ absence, you have to
have a sick certificate from a doctor. When you
return to your office, you have to send the original
sick certificate to the main traineeship office in Madou, care of Judith
Willemaers (who looks after Irish Stagaires – contact details are in the back
of this document). Remember, it’s very important that you keep a copy to
give to the Stage co-ordinator (not your advisor) in your DG. You will meet
the Stage co-ordinator on your first day but probably never again.
A handy number to have is the Community Health Service Helpline
which will assist you to find an English speaking Doctor in your area -
No. 02.648.40.14.
For the Parliament
You should inform your supervisor if you will not be in. You can make an
appointment with the Medical Service to see a doctor or call in without an
appointment to see a nurse. Medical certificates can only be obtained from
outside the Parliament’s service, however, and must be sent directly to your
supervisor if you are absent for more than three consecutive days.
…you need to leave the stage.
Leaving the stage is not a problem. You may not like it or, more commonly,
you may get a full time job that requires you to start before the stage ends.
If you have to go you just need to give three weeks notice to your advisor
and the Bureau de Stage, so they can hopefully find another person to take
up the stage in your place.
page number 82
….if you lose your passport.
Contact the Irish Embassy in Belgium and they will help
you. Contact details are at the back of this book. (Note this is
different to the Irish Permanent Representation to the EU,
who will probably point you in the direction of the embassy.
The broad distinction is that the Permanent Representation
deals with the European Union, the Irish Embassy deals
with Irish people living in Belgium)

General tips about
living in Brussels
Learn to love your public transport.
Note that in Belgium, and Brussels
in particular, they are BIG on public
transport. You can get anywhere
in Brussels without a car and, as
such, it is vital you use this service
properly if you want to save money.
Whilst the cost of tickets for the
public transport system is nowhere
near as extortionate as London
for example, it is a good idea to get
what is called an ‘abonnement’. This
regular metro
ticket, it will be
valid for one hour
on any mode of
transport once
inserted into the
card machine at
the entrance to
every metro. You’ll notice after
a while that the Belgian transport
system is based on ‘the honour
system’ – there are no barriers to
“It may well save you over €50 a week in taxi fares
depending on how much of a night owl you are!” – Dan
is a monthly public transport pass
with which, you can travel anytime,
anywhere on any metro, bus or tram
run by STIB – the main transport
company in Brussels (www.stib.be) .
In order to get an abonnement you
need to go to one of several Bootik
de ventes located at major metro
stops such as Roodebeek, Porte de
Namur etc, with your passport and
€30. It will take you about an hour
or more to get it as the queues are
sometimes crazy but once you have
it, you’ll (a) save well over €100
per month on travel expenses and
(b) can easily renew your monthly
pass at any kiosk in the same time
it takes to buy a normal ‘un voyage’
ticket.
Note for visitors and friends who
come to Brussels - if you buy a
get in and out of the stations, rather
it is your responsibility to find a
card machine inside the station and
validate your ticket every time you
travel.
A word of warning, apparently STIB
are bringing in a validation system
by the end of April which will be
akin to the tube in London. So you
must have a ticket to use the public
transport - the “honour” system will
be no more…
The metro in Brussels starts at
around 6am every morning and
stops in stages at night. For more
information you should check the
relevant timetable on the www.stib.
be website. The same is also true for
trams. Nightbuses were introduced
in Brussels City Centre a couple of
page number 83

years ago and, currently, there are about 8 bus routes operating from the
city centre which cover a wide range of communes – these tend to run until
about 3am. Again, it is best to consult the STIB website for the most current
timetable as they may have changed.
There is also a new feature introduced by STIB for every stagiaire, Irish or
otherwise. Essentially, it is a STIB taxi service. It operates at set prices after
the public transport system has stopped. It works by collecting you from a
STIB stop (bus or tram) and dropping you to any other STIB stop (bus, tram
or metro) in Brussels.
Getting to Charle-wha?
There is a company called Charleroi
Transfer which organises taxis to collect
people from their front door and take
them direct to Charleroi airport for
around €20, which is only about €6
more expensive than taking the bus
from Gare du Midi to Charleroi. This
can be very useful if you are taking an
early morning flight and don’t fancy
walking to Gare du Midi. The company
also provides a service where it will
collect you from the airport. Its website
address is: http://charleroitransfer.com/
Note that the cheapest, but most frustrating, way to get to or from
Charleroi is to take the train.
International Phone Cards
International calling cards are widely available in
Brussels. ‘EuroCity’ is a good one to use for calls to
Ireland and you can pick one up in most of the small
shops around the city.
page number 84

To carry or not to carry…your passport… “From
my experience, as someone who has lived in Brussels
for over twenty years, the issue of passports and
IDs generally becomes very prominent in certain
circumstances – firstly when going out, and secondly
when you travel around Belgium. It is true that
national law requires you to have your passport/ID
on you at all times but the reality is, if you have some
form of photo ID on you, you’ll be fine.“ Dan Galvin
“Invest in a
water-filter
because
Brussels
water is a bit
nasty!”
Stop, Look, Listen Crossing the street is a serious business. Note that jaywalking
is taken curiously seriously in Brussels, and that you can be fined.
“Remember the old adage of looking twice before you cross the street….
they are crazy, lunatic drivers here!” Aine
Recycling
For putting out your rubbish you will
need three different types of bin bag.
The blue bags hold what’s known
as PMD - plastic, metal and drinks
(cartons, cans, etc). The yellow bags
hold paper and cardboard and the
white bags are for food and general
waste, though in our experience
you can put anything in them and
they will be collected. Standard grey/
black plastic bags as used in Ireland
will not be collected by the bin men,
even though they are sold in all
supermarkets. The point of them?
Not sure...
Try to be in Grand Place
at 10.30pm some night
to see the light and
music display.
Bookshops
Most bookshops have an English
language section. There’s also
a Waterstones on Boulevard
Adolphe Max which is like every
other Waterstones on the planet.
Another option is Sterling Books
which can be found on Rue du
Fossé au Loups, near the main
shopping street in the centre, Rue
Neuve.
“There’s a second-hand one I really
like in Chatelain called Nijinski, it’s
on Rue du Page.” – Nora Delaney
page number 85

Meet Madame PeePee. Madame PeePee is the lady who sits outside and
looks after the toilets. She has a saucer in front of her into which you are
supposed to give 30 or 40 cent. This is normally her main source of income
from her evening’s work and it is a small price to pay for having clean
toilets. While you don’t have to pay, it is pretty bad not to. “A good rule of
thumb is that when you start asking Madame PeePee for credit, it’s probably
time to go home.”
There’s a GAA club in Brussels. Belgium GAA is one
of the largest GAA clubs in Europe catering for men’s
and ladies football, hurling and camogie. They are the
2008 European county men’s football champions,
while the hurlers and the ladies footballers have also
wrapped up the 2009 championships. They
train from March in Parc Cinquantenaire
until the end of season tournament in
Maastricht at the end of October. Check out
www.belgiumgaa.com for more details.
Most museums are shut on Mondays
and public holidays. There’s a good
Magritte museum which is relatively
new and cheap to visit. You can
also regularly find interesting
exhibitions at the popular Bozar
gallery, some of which can be visited
for free but if you are under 25 you
will always enjoy a discounted rate
anyway. In general, it is a good idea
to book in advance (especially if you
want to visit on a Sunday) to avoid
disappoint and/or the traditionally
long Belgian queues!
There is an English speaking Catholic church
called St. Anthony’s in Kraainem.
page number 86

Eating
Here are some cheap, decent
places and possibly even romantic
places. Save the nice places for
when your parents visit (and
hopefully will pay!). For a full and
comprehensive list of restaurants,
see www.resto.be.
Maison Antoine, Place Jourdan,
Etterbeek More than just a
regular friterie, Chez Antoine is
an institution. It has 40 different
flavours of sauce and some amazing
chips. There are no seats but you are
allowed to eat your chips both in and
outside many of the bars and cafés
around Place Jourdan. Be prepared
to queue every time you go, and often
for quite a long time (especially on
Sundays). Directly across the road
is the also popular Mamma Roma’s,
a pizza place where you can find a
great selection of toppings and mix
and match at your will.
Musical Instruments Museum
Terrasse Café, Old England Store,
Near Place Royale The museum
has a rooftop terrace with an
excellent view of Brussels and very
nice, but pretty expensive, food. Be
prepared for death stares from the
waitresses, and provocatively bad
service, if you have the cheek to
order just a coffee.
Fin de Siecle on Rue des Chartreux
(beside the Bourse) It’s a nice place
to bring your parents to, but not so
nice that that’s the only way you can
go. They do great Flemish dishes for
a good price!
Chez Vincent, on Rue des
Dominicains, just off Restaurant
Street Arguably the best steak
in Brussels! This is a great spot if
you fancy splashing out a little, and
you get the buzz of the touristy
Restaurant Street without the
rubbish food.
Restobières, Rue des Renards 32,
1000 Bruxelles Located in the
Quartier des Marolles, this small,
traditional Belgian restaurant is well
worth a visit. It’s so traditional in
fact, that all the dishes on the menu
have beer as an ingredient. You can
order à la carte or pick from three
3-course set menus priced at €18,
€24 and €36. Equally close to Porte
de Hal and Louise metro stations.
Le Deuxième Element, Rue Saint-
Boniface 7, 1050 Ixelles Said to be
the best Thai food in Brussels, it’s
also very reasonably priced. Nearest
metro is Porte de Namur. (Note
there are loads of good restaurants
located on Place Boniface, such as
Ultimatum, which is particularly
good for Sunday brunch, and Mano
à Mano which does good pizzas).
Cabraliego, Rue Haute 171, 1000
Bruxelles A rough and ready, smokefilled
Spanish bar located in the
Marolles (near the bottom of the lift
at the Palais de Justice) that serves
€1 beers, unmeasured whisky shorts
and very good, cheap tapas. Only
open on weekends, this place is a bit
of an institution and really hopping
on Friday and Saturday nights.
page number 87

Soleil d’Afrique, Rue de Longue Vie
10, 1050 Ixelles Located in the heart
of Matongé – Brussels’ Congolese
district – this is a great spot to get
some good authentic African food at
low prices. Good fun, especially with
a big crowd. Very near to Boniface
and Porte de Namur metro station.
Gluten-free Brussels There are
a handful of restaurants that do
specifically gluten-free food. Watch
out though, as some restaurants
will tell you that the food is glutenfree
without really understanding
what gluten is - I have been told
that a beer-based sauce was glutenfree.
Some restaurants don’t have
a salad option, which can make
eating out quite difficult. However,
the people in the restaurant Fin
du Siècle do know what they are
talking about and you can be
guaranteed a really good and
reasonably priced meal (not,
however, if you are also vegetarian,
as the vegetarian option generally
has gluten in it). I have it on good
authority that it’s one of the best
restaurants in Brussels». – Ruth
Taverne du Passage, Galerie de la
Reine 30, 1000 Bruxelles Worth
going here at least once while you’re
in Brussels, especially if you’re with
someone you want to impress. It
serves very traditional Belgian food,
and has a kind of old-fashioned
bourgeois atmosphere. In fact, the
decor hasn’t changed since World
War Two, when German officers
used to dine there. Pretty pricey
though, so be warned.
Vegetarians…
If you are a vegetarian you
might find it a bit of a struggle
to find a good selection of high
standard dishes in Brussels.
One restaurant which seems to
cater well for the vegetarian,
but is a bit pricey, is Bonsoir
Clara in St. Catherine.
TIP: Brussels is
known for having
great mussels and, if
you are so inclined,
there are numerous
restaurants you can
visit to sample this
speciality.
TIP:
It’s also worth noting that
there is an Irish butcher’s
called Jack O’Shea’s on Rue
le Titien – for those tasty
rashers and sausages!
page number 88

Chocolate
Chocolate is a serious business in Brussels! For this reason, it is difficult to
say where you can find ‘the best’ as whether one prefers Neuhaus, Marcolini,
Côte d’Or or Leonidas is really a matter of personal taste. The good news
is, however, that you can easily justify a chocolate obsession in this city
with tales of cultural traditions. For instance, a visit to the Neuhaus shop
in the beautiful Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (Grand Place) is actually an
excursion to a historical site. Originally opened as a pharmacy by the Swissborn
Jean Neuhaus in 1857, this establishment is known as the home of
the original ‘ballotin’, the small cardbox box in which chocolates are often
served here. Furthermore, Mr. Neuhaus’ namesake and grandson takes
credit for the invention of the praline in 1912. Go Mr Neuhas.
If you’re still hungering for more, then make your way to the stylish Place
du Grand Sablon. In Wittamer, you can enjoy a treat literally fit for a king as
this brand is apparently the one favoured by the Royal Court. In the same
area you can find the more ‘avant-garde’ Pierre Marcolini shop where you
might be forgiven for expecting the display of chocolates to develop legs
and strut down a catwalk!
page number 89

Going out
Contrary to what some people
might say, you will quickly find that
Brussels is not boring, at least in
terms of going out. Here are a few
popular joints.
Kitty O’Shea’s: 42 Boulevard
Charlemagne, 1040 Brussels
Situated at the heart of the European
Union district in Brussels, Kitty’s is
one popular spot. Kitty’s serves food
and drink, has regular live music
and event themed parties every
so often. It is also the spot where
the Munster Rugby Supporters
Club meet to watch the matches. It
really is one of the hottest spots in
town for Irish and those unlucky
non-irish folk. Highly likely you’ll
frequent this place more than once
during your stage.
Delirium: Impasse de la Fidélité
4, 1000 Brussels This is a pretty
good pub in town, near Grand Place
which has a rather extensive beer
menu. Duvel Beer is rather potent
(as you will find out!).
Auto World: Jubelpark 11, 1000
Brussels Once a month, there is
a “Hot night” in Auto world ( it’s a
car museum! ) and it is open until
six or half six in the morning. It’s
incredibly popular with expats.
De Valera’s on Place Flagey is
supposedly a good place to watch
international
football, rugby
matches, GAA,
the Heineken
Cup, and the
Premiership.
“The greatest trick Brussels’ nightlife ever pulled
is convincing the world it doesn’t exist.” Joe
Cinemas
UGC De Brouckere and UGC Toison
D’Or are standard multiplexes.
Brussels is also very good for arthouse
cinemas, such as:
Cinematek, Rue Baron Horta 9, 1000
Bruxelles
Styx, Rue de l’Arbre Bénit 72, 1050
Ixelles
TIP: The acronym ‘VO’ or ‘OV’ following
the title means that the film is in its
original language, i.e. English.
page number 90
If you fancy a bit of socialising
outside of a pub, there’s also
a spot of bowling and the
cinema too.
Crosly Bowling
- www.crosly.be
Boulevard de l’Empereur,
Brussel - 02 512 08 74
Brussels Bowling - Avenue
des Saisons 92/C, Ixelles - 02
640 22 13

“As you will most likely be new to Brussels, the allure of Irish pubs
may be too strong to resist. There are other attractions in Brussels,
many of which are located either in the city centre or around Cimetière
d’Ixelle. However, do be cautious when planning an outing to a new
venue. There are a number of very cool and very enjoyable bars and
clubs scattered around Belgium that you will enjoy, but you must also
realise that they may not be in very nice neighbourhoods (eg. ‘The
FUSE Nightclub’ in St. Gilles). Therefore, it is always a good idea to plan
a visit to these places during the day (especially in the case of clubs)
and/or in the evening (in the case of bars). By doing this you will be
aware of the area and, if you or your friends decide that you don’t like
the area, you’ll still have the rest of the evening to get back to the city
centre while public transport is fully functional” Dan
Another handy website for bar and restaurant reviews is
www.whatupin.be and it’s always a good idea to check out the newspaper,
Le Soir, or the free sheet, L’Agenda, to see what’s going on. Those with
French, can also consult the website www.quefaire.be to keep up to date
with current happenings.
Gigs
As Brussels is at a crossroads between Amsterdam,
London, Paris and Cologne, you’ll find that you get
a lot more bands playing here than in Dublin.
There are some really good venues like Cirque
Royale, Botanique and Ancienne Belgique. A good
website for listing of concerts, shows etc is www.
agenda.be . What’s best of all is that the ticket
prices are considerably lower than back home so
definitely keep an eye out for shows.
If you are doing the summer stage, you will be
treated to a three day jazz marathon in May that
takes over the city. The Brussels film festival
takes place in June and is also worth a look.
You can also take comfort in the fact that most
cinemas here show films in their original version.
If you are interested in a more ‘intense’ experience, you should check out
the Rock Werchter music festival which hosts a number of excellent bands
over four days and is a much cheaper alternative to its Irish counterparts.
Taking place at the beginning of July, one can hope that the weather won’t
disappoint but there is no guarantee that it won’t turn into a mudfest so
bring your wellies and rain macs just in case!
page number 91

To buy the Action Card or not to buy the Action Card?
The Action Card is a card the Commission stage committee sells for around
€20 at the beginning of your stage. It gives you certain discounts and deals
in various bars, museums and for some trips they organise. It’s also how
they fund their activities. Despite all this, it doesn’t give you big discounts
at all and if you’re not planning on going to many events, you probably
shouldn’t waste your money on it.
TIP: Beware of
Belgian beer
strength…a more
gradual approach
is advised until one
is immune to its
stronger effects!
The Gay Scene
Belgium has same-sex marriage and adoption and you’d be forgiven
for thinking that it’s quite a liberal, forward-thinking kind of place but
just be aware, the legislative changes have not always filtered down to
day-to-day life.
The best places to go to link into the gay scene in Brussels are Rainbow
House and Tels Quels, which both advertise events and parties elsewhere,
both in and out of clubs.
http://rainbowhouse.be/
http://www.telsquels.be/
Big events to watch out for include Pink Screens and L-Week (in November)
and Pride (in May).
http://www.gdac.org/pink_screens_sommaire.php3
http://brusselspride.com/
http://l-week-2009.blogspot.com/
page number 92

Fancy a bit of volunteering?
It would seem that that we have well and truly moved into the era of the
internship. This means that, even with a stage under your belt, low paid or
even voluntary work might remain a feature of your professional life for some
time to come. In the current uncertain job market you would be wise to remain
open to such opportunities to add to your CV and you may even have to do some
digging to find them. If you have a strong interest in working in a particular
field or with a certain organisation, do not hesitate to submit spontaneous
applications or to pick up the phone and make inquiries. You will also notice
that rarely a week goes by in Brussels without some festival or other taking
place, so if something takes your fancy you could think of volunteering your
services to help with organisational aspects. Doing things like this will show
you are proactive and determined and these qualities are always attractive to
potential future employers. Bear in mind also that 2011 has been designated
as the European Year of Volunteering. You might find some useful tips and
suggestions on the following websites:
http://www.jobs-brussels.com/brussels_hidden_jobs.html
http://www.ypfp.org/ypfp-brussels
http://www.cev.be/28-you_want_to_volunteer-EN.html
http://europa.eu/youth/volunteering_-_exchanges/index_be_en.html
page number 93

Outside the Eurobubble
It may surprise you to hear (even after a few weeks in Brussels) that
Brussels is located in a country called Belgium which is located just outside
the Eurobubble. While the countryside may not be hugely scenic, there are
several beautiful towns and places of historical interest all very close to
Brussels and relatively cheap to visit. Invest in a GoPass which is available
to people up until the age of 25. This entitles you to 10 rail tickets for
anywhere in Belgium for only €50. This works out cheaper than buying
individual tickets. If you are 26 or over it is called a RailPass and is €70.
page number 94

Did you know that we’ve a
college in Belgium?
The Irish College was established in Leuven in 1607 when Florence Conry
obtained permission from King Philip III of Spain to establish an Irish
Franciscan college in Leuven. It was one of about 34 Irish colleges which were
established right across Europe – always in close proximity to an important
university. In the early eighties it was made available as a ‘resource’ for people
from all over Ireland as a residential facility and a lot more. To us, it’s now
known as the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe. So Ireland has a college
in Belgium. Now, remember that for pub quiz questions.
This Institute assists all sectors in both Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland in getting to grips with Europe. Since starting in 1983, more than
30,000 individuals across all sectors have participated in programmes provided
by the Institute and a wide range of organisations in both parts of Ireland and
an extensive network of experts, particularly in Brussels, has been cultivated
to provide input to the Institute’s programmes.
The Institute also facilitates the promotion of Irish cultural expression from
both parts of Ireland. Many cultural events are held in the Institute – in fact
this year, Leuven and New York were the only two venues outside of Ireland to
celebrate Culture Night on September 24.
The Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe also recently formed a partnership
with the Catholic University of Leuven to create the centre for Irish Studies.
This was officially launched in March 2010 by Seamus Heaney.
So if you know of anyone who is looking
to put together a study visit, cultural
experience or a networking event,
The Leuven Institute for Ireland in
Europe is a good place to know about.
There’s a great team there and they’re
only waiting for your call. Check out
www.leuveninstitute.eu for more
information.
page number 95

What next?
Should I stay…
A view from a former stagiaire who got a job in Brussels.
“Although a certain number of stagiaires have always stayed on in Brussels
for work after their stage, this number will surely increase in light of the
recession in Ireland. There are plenty of opportunities for work in Brussels
and often in very interesting areas which you simply couldn’t get work in
elsewhere. The downside is the bad conditions young newly-qualified workers
have to accept, namely pay or lack thereof! Unlike Ireland, unless you have 1
to 2 years’ work experience most private companies will insist on taking you
on an internship basis for anything from 3 months to a year, or even more.
Many of these internships are unpaid, the best ones pay a little more than
a stage in the EU institutions (law firms are the exception here. They often
take on unqualified law graduates as stagiaires for six months to a year, but
they’re usually relatively well-paid). The thing about low-paying internships is
that they’re often the only way into an organisation or particular sector. If you
can find one which pays enough to break even, it’s worth it for a few months as
a way of getting good experience, making contacts and hopefully being offered
a job after! The other thing which stands out is the quality of candidate these
jobs attract. It might seem crazy to an Irish person in their late twenties/early
thirties with Degrees, Masters, even PhDs and years of internships under their
belt to apply for a 3 month unpaid post, but it’s utterly normal for many Italians,
Germans and other nationalities. Before I paint too bleak a picture though, it is
worth remembering how well-received Irish graduates/stagiaires are in most
companies and organisations. It’s hard to overstate the advantage of being a
native English speaker. In addition Irish University Degrees are held in pretty
high regard, graduates tend to be young and have a reputation for being hardworking,
enthusiastic and, generally, just well liked. In the networking capital
of Europe, traits like that often really appeal to employers!
“There are plenty of opportunities for work in
Brussels and often in very interesting areas which
you simply couldn’t get work in elsewhere.”
page number 96

As for finding a job, often the hardest part is finding out that the job exists.
Signing up to an agency is one way to start the job hunt e.g. Eurobrussels or
Start People. The problem is, because these are so popular there are always
big numbers of applicants for every decent offer. The online EU paper, www.
euractiv.com , is another good source of job advertisements. It can be the
case that companies and organisations will only advertise on their own
website which means you have to already be aware that they’re there. If
you’re looking at lobbying either for private companies or NGOs, one way to
get a comprehensive list of people to contact is to check the Commission’s
registry of lobbyists and then check their individual websites. Even if
there’s no position advertised, it’s often worth sending in a CV stating your
interest. The same goes for MEPs, think-tanks and large companies. For
the latter it could be worth looking at every large company which has a
base in Brussels (everyone from Panasonic to Levi’s to Toyota has an office
here) and seeing if they need people in their public affairs or legal section
or whatever other area you plan to go into. As for eligibility for jobs, many
advertisements, though not all, will stipulate a Master’s degree in a relevant
area. Most will look for more than one language, usually English and French.
That said, more often than not the office language tends to be English. It’s
also pretty common to see a requirement of ‘experience in a community
institution’ which is when the stage really reveals its use! It can take a while
to find something interesting so it’s usually not a bad idea to start looking
before your stage ends. Also, feel free to ask officials in your unit for any
suggestions or recommendations. They will probably have contacts and, in
my experience, most are more than happy to make an introduction and
usually give you a plug as well. The problem with the Brussels job scene
is that it’s a buyer’s market so you do have to sell yourself and don’t sell
yourself short. The opportunities and jobs here are impossible to find in
most other cities. You just have to keep an eye out for what’s going on. Keep
yourself open to suggestions and new people and there’s every chance of
finding a perfect job”.
Useful websites
www.europa.eu/quick-links/job-seekers/index_en.htm
www.europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm
www.eurobrussels.com/job_search.php
www.euractiv.com/en/HomePage#
www.europa.eu/epso/.
Nora Delaney, former stagiaire
TIP: There is a general rule that if you have undertaken a paid stage in one
of the institutions, this disqualifies you from doing another. It doesn’t seem
to always apply to stages with an MEP however….
page number 97

….or should I go (home)
Previous stagiaires have gone on to work in business consultancies, law
firms, the civil service and a variety of NGOs and international organisations
based in Ireland. Regardless of where you end up, we hope you stay involved
in Europe. If you do go home, there are two main ways you can do this:
Get involved with us! European
Movement Ireland is a non-forprofit
organisation that works
to make the connection between
Irish people and the EU. We run
a number of thought-provoking
campaigns throughout the year,
lead a number of education and
outreach programmes, build a
network of other pro-Europeans and communicate Europe
to the people in a jargon-free way. Membership for students is a10, there
are many many ways to get involved with European Movement Ireland and
we would be more than happy to have you. First thing you can do is help
with the next edition of this book…. Contact us info@europeanmovement.
ie or give the office a call at +353.1.662.5815.
Become a member of the Institute for International and European
Affairs. The IIEA is Ireland’s only European and international affairs think
tank. It has a number of speakers on a range of topics throughout the
year. Of particular note for Stagiaires would be their Young Professionals
Network. IIEA also has a Brussels branch which is well worth checking out.
Stagiaires can become members for €10 and are then eligible to attend
a host of very interesting talks and it is a great networking opportunity
too. www.iiea.com
page number 98

Useful numbers & websites.
European Commission
Judith WILLEMAERS
Person in charge of Irish stagiaires
Christian MEYER
Works in Bureau des stages,
formerly in charge of Irish
Stagiaires
Commission Traineeships Office
website
Commission stagiaire website
European Parliament
European Parliament Traineeships
Office (based in Luxembourg)
Parliament’s Information Office
For information on the Irish MEPs,
consult the Irish website for the
European Parliament
European Parliament
Stagiaire Association
Embassy of Ireland, Brussels
His Excellency Tom Hanney
Ambassador
Marcella Smyth
First Secretary
EAC-STAGES-DESK10@ec.europa.eu
+32.2.295.74.29
Christian.Meyer@ec.europa.eu
+32.2.299.91.75
www.cc.cec/stages/index_en.html
www.stagecommittee.org
www.traineesinbrussels.be
stages@europarl.europa.eu
accueilbru@europarl.europa.eu
www.europarl.ie
www.epstage.eu/news.php
Chaussee d’Etterbeek / Etterbeekse
Steenweg 180 (5th Floor)
Bruxelles 1040 Brussels
+32.2.235.6676
www.embassyofireland.be
Irish Permanent Representation to the EU
His Excellency Rory Montgomery
Ambassador
Geraldine BYRNE-NASON
Deputy Ambassador
50 Rue Froissart, 1040 Brussels,
Belgium
+32.2.230.8580
www.irelandrepbrussels.be
page number 99

Map of Brussels
page number 100

Metro Map
page number 101

Have we missed, mistaken or misinterpreted something?
If you have comments on this book, we’d love to hear from you. Just email our
Education & Advocacy Manager, Billie Sparks (billie@europeanmovement.
ie) with your comments and we’ll do our best to include them in the next
edition of the Green Book due out in Autumn 2010.
The aim of the Green Book is to be a realistic guide to help new-appointed
stagiaires find their feet in a city and in the European system. So if you
are from another institution and would like to help us with drafting some
useful tips for working there, we’d especially like to hear from you. Or if you
feel there are things we haven’t thought of that should be added in – again
just give us a call.
European Movement Ireland
6 Merrion Square
Dublin 2
+353.1.662.5815
www.europeanmovement.ie
www.facebook.com/emireland
EUROPEAN
MOVEMENT
I R E L A N D
page number 102

For your Notes
page number 103

For your Notes
page number 104

EUROPEAN
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