The European Council Paid Traineeships 2025 in Brussels, Belgium

An excellent opportunity for university graduates from European Union countries to apply for the Council of the European Union paid traineeship for a period of 5 months in Brussels, Belgium. As a trainee, you will be working in one of the teams of the General Secretariat of the Council. The European Council offers monthly grant, travel allowance, and other benefits.

About the Traineeship

The Council of European Union traineeship programme offers first-hand experience of how the Council and the EU work. Around 100 paid traineeship positions are available each year. As a trainee, you will be working in one of the teams of the General Secretariat of the Council. Overall, there are two main types of jobs available:

1. If you are working in a policy team or the legal service, you will be involved in activities related to the legislative work of the Council and the preparation of meetings. The Council’s policy work includes areas such as:

• economy and finance
• environment and climate
• foreign affairs
• justice and home affairs

2. If you are working in a support team, you will be involved in activities that support the cross-sectoral work of the Council in areas such as:

• Communication and media relations
• Human resources
• Information technology (IT)
• Translation

Note: EU Council offers another traineeship "Positive action programme" for trainees with a disability

Trainees tasks

Trainees’ tasks vary from team to team, depending on their needs. Below are some examples of tasks carried out by trainees:

- preparing meetings and drafting minutes

- attending meetings of Council preparatory bodies (policy department)

- carrying out research for a particular project

- collecting, organising, and analysing data

- helping with the production of documents, notes, and publications

- contributing to the organisation of events and communication activities

- translating documents

Eligibility | Who can apply?

- European Union citizens with university degree with diverse backgrounds as we offer traineeships in different areas (policy, law, administration, communications, IT, etc.)

- There is no age limit to apply for European council traineeship

- A good knowledge of English or French is required (at least level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

- Very good knowledge of at least two EU official languages

- No previous training (paid or unpaid) or employment for more than six weeks at an EU institution, body, agency or office.

Expenses and Benefits

- Each trainee gets a monthly grant of 1,476.34 € net . Trainees in the positive action programme will receive a monthly grant of 2,214.51 € net.

- 2 days of leave per month worked.

- 60€ monthly allowance to be used in the Council’s restaurants.

- Travel allowance if you are living far than 50 km from the EU council headquarter in Brussels. The travel allowance will be paid at the beginning and at the end after finishing your 5 months.

- Trainees have access to accident insurance and health insurance (partial reimbursement).

- Option to join the Council gym for 30€.

- Access to all Council library resources and services (eBooks, newspapers, etc.)

Timeline

for the traineeship starting in September 2025

Application Period: 12 February - 12 March 2025 (noon, CET).

Interviews and Selection: April - June 2025

Traineeship Period: September 2025 - January 2026

for the traineeship starting in September 2025

Application Period: 12 February - 12 March 2025 (noon, CET).

Interviews and Selection: April - June 2025

Traineeship Period: September 2025 - July 2026

How to apply?

Step 1: Create an Account – Register to access the application system (available in English and French).

Step 2: Complete the Application Form – Provide contact details, skills, education, experience, and any publications.

Step 3: Select Two Areas of Interest – Choose two preferred traineeship domains.

Step 4: Answer Two Motivation Questions – Explain why you are applying for each selected area (max 1,000 characters per answer).

Step 5: Positive Action Programme (if applicable) – Upload proof of disability and contact the traineeships office for special arrangements.

More Details

for more details, check the traineeship page on the European council website from Here and if you still have further questions, contact the traineeships office: traineeships@consilium.europa.eu

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By applying for this traineeship programme, you take responsibility and risks. Inform yourself about the regulation and potential risks. "Opportunity 4U" cannot be held liable for any of the potential risks, and this post is only for informative and popularising purposes.