European Union Visitors Programme (EUVP)

The Directorate-General for Parliamentary Democracy Partnerships (DG PART) is a Directorate-General created with the objective to streamline the promotion and upholding of parliamentary democracy in Europe and beyond, by fostering cooperation with national parliaments and coordinating efforts made by the Parliament liaison offices and representations outside the European Union.

The European Union Visitors Programme (EUVP), co-organised by the European Parliament and the European Commission, was established in 1974 as an individual visit programme for promising young political leaders, high-level civil servants and opinion-formers from countries outside the European Union (EU). It offers participants a full access to the EU institutions (in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg) in order to gain first-hand and complete information on EU activities, as well as a better understanding of the EU's values, policies and interests. It also allows perspectives and best practice on issues of mutual concern to be shared, creating a sustained network of EUVP Alumni, friends of Europe. Each visit is individually tailored to meet the participant's work profile and statement of purpose. A typical EUVP programme lasts for five working days in Brussels, and may include Strasbourg during Parliament’s plenary sessions or Luxembourg depending on the participant’s interests. The EUVP helps promote common EU values through strengthening long-term bilateral relations between the EU and other countries. Moreover, an important aim is to create an external network of contacts for the European Parliament and the European Commission. The European External Action Service (EEAS) directly benefits from this network. The EUVP currently welcomes around 300 visitors per year.

During the traineeship period with the EUVP, the trainee is expected to assume personal responsibility for supporting the EUVP in:  

• Preparing and carrying out visits, including their logistics;
• Evaluating visits results;
• Reaching out to EUVP Alumni and using their input for the EUVP communications;
• Managing EUVP databases and administration systems.

• The candidate needs to be agile, resilient, accustomed to work under stress and with demanding partners and customers;
• The candidate needs to demonstrate the ability to quickly assimilate new information, particularly in understanding the complex structure of the European Union and to communicate via the EUVP website and the EUVP social medias the activities carried by the EUVP Unit and its participants;
• Proactive and well organised, the candidate needs to prove to be a reliable member of the team, ready to help colleagues when requested;
• In depth knowledge of English and a very good knowledge of at least one more EU language are essential;
• Knowledge of French and good writing skills would be an asset.