The aim of the programme is to enable young people to gain a first-hand experience in the work of Delegations and an in-depth understanding of their role in the implementation of EU external policies.

Every 24 months, the EEAS and the EC open a call for expression of interests.
For the current round 2019-2021, there are 80 junior professionals posted in different Delegations.

The JPD programme is based on the:

• Joint Decision JOIN(2017)22 of 19.06.2017 of the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy amending the Joint Decision JOIN(2012)17 of 12.06.2012 establishing a High Level Traineeship Programme in the Delegations in Partnership with the Member States;
• The Decision ADMIN(2017)8 of 21.06.2017 of the Director-General of Budget and Administration of the European External Action Service in agreement with the Directors-General of DG DEVCO and DG HR of the European Commission on the implementing rules of the high level traineeship programme in the delegations of the European Union in Partnership with the Member States of the European Union amending the Decision EEAS DEC(2014)002 of 22.01.2014 of the Chief Operating Officer of the EEAS in agreement with the Directors-General of DG DEVCO and DG HR of the European Commission.

APPLICANTS ARE INVITED TO READ CAREFULLY THE DECISIONS BEFORE APPLYING

WHO CAN APPLY?

Candidates applying for this high-level traineeship programme should:

• be a national from an EU Member State,
• hold at least a university degree equivalent to the Master's degree (see Diplomas Annex) in a domain relevant to the activities of the Delegations;
• have excellent command of English and/or French; knowledge of other languages is an asset;
• show a great interest and motivation to work in a Delegation;
• professional experience, extra-curriculum activities such as volunteering or publications, is an important asset.

WHERE ARE THE CANDIDATES POSTED?

Junior Professionals can work in one of the 143 EU Delegations and can be posted, depending on the nature of their tasks, in:

• the EEAS sections - for political, press and information functions (see the standard description of training assignments for EEAS functions)
• the EC sections - for aid management, trade, economic issues, etc. (see the standard description of training assignments for Commission functions).

NUMBER OF TRAINEESHIP POSITIONS IN 2021

The EEAS and the EC will finance minimum 54 JPDs posts (2 per Member State) for the round 2021-2023: 27 JPDs positions in the political, press and information section (EEAS) and 27 in the aid management, trade and economic issues (EC). Additional posts might be financed through voluntary contributions of EU Member States.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications (see the application form) shall be ad dressed exclusively to the authorities designated by each EU Member State (see the points of contact for your Member State). The modalities for presenting applications to the respective national authorities are determined by the EU Member States and should be made available on their relevant websites. Applicants can only apply in one Member State. In case of multiple applications, the candidate will be disqualified. 

The selection of candidates will be made on the basis of information provided in the application form. Any spontaneous application sent directly to the EEAS or to the Commission will be disregarded.

In the application form, candidates are asked to provide information on their academic achievements, knowledge of languages, professional experience, extra-curriculum activities and motivation. In addition, they are asked to indicate 3 geographical preferences for their potential assignment as well as the function they are applying for:

• political, press and information;
• aid management, trade and economic issues functions.

SELECTION PROCESS

The pre-selection of candidates is managed by the EU Member States. The final selection is made by EEAS and the EC.

After the pre-selection process, the EU Member States submit to the EEAS and the EC a list with the names of short-listed candidates (between 2-4 candidates per foreseen post). Both, the EEAS and the EC, select one candidate from each Member State.

The EEAS and the EC identify a list of priority Delegations to allocate among JPDs. Once the lists are finalised, the EEAS and the EC manage the matching process. The matching process is based on the following criteria:

• priorities of the EC and the EEAS;
• candidates' profiles and preferences expressed in the application form;
• EU Delegations’ training possibilities.

WHAT WE OFFER

Selected candidates will be offered a single traineeship agreement of a fixed-term of twelve (12) months, which can be renewed for another period of twelve (12) months.

Trainees are entitled to a monthly remuneration package composed of:

• a grant of 1.419 EUR;
• an accommodation contribution set at 1.092 EUR;
• a hardship contribution added to these mentioned above - depending on the Living Conditions Allowance in a Delegation from 10% to 35%. (see LCA table)

In addition, JPDs will be granted:

• an installation contribution of 2.184 EUR at the beginning of their traineeship;
• a contribution for the cost of the journey of 2.730 EUR for each period of 12 months of traineeship;
• a contribution of 728 EUR for the insurance cost for each period of 12 months of traineeship.

CALENDAR