Policy Foresight Unit

The European Parliament's Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services (DG EPRS) provides comprehensive research and analytical support to the Members of the European Parliament, its parliamentary committees and the European Parliament as a whole. The EPRS philosophy is to provide independent, objective and authoritative information. More than 300 staff work in the DG's 25 units and services.  

More information about EPRS is available here:

• https://youtu.be/sMBLKXKhOhE?si=W7_bKixnb382sEq4
• https://epthinktank.eu/about/

 Why choose a traineeship at DG EPRS?   

'Empowering through knowledge' is the guiding principle of EPRS. As an EPRS trainee, you will be exposed to the core of the research and analysis process in the European Parliament. Surrounded by colleagues working on publications covering a wide range of EU policies, you will gain detailed knowledge of the EP's workings while honing your skills in your specific topic of interest. If you choose a traineeship in one of EPRS's library units, you will help the parliamentary community find the resources they need for their work.   

The Policy Foresight Unit supports the European Parliament by helping foster a culture of 'anticipatory governance' and promoting thinking on and understanding of medium- and long term trends, challenges and choices. It ensures that the European Parliament is well informed and prepared for the challenges of the coming decades by generating and coordinating analytical work on the risks, vulnerabilities, capabilities, opportunities and gaps of/for the EU with a view to promoting a higher degree of resilience and strategic autonomy. It promotes active participation in ESPAS - the process of EU inter-institutional, administrative-level cooperation on strategic foresight and long-term trends - and reaches out to think tanks, academic bodies and other external partners in these fields. 

This traineeship is an opportunity to learn about foresight methodologies to help policymakers anticipate potential futures and to get to know the world of strategic foresight more generally:        

• You will assist the Unit in various aspects of its work as facilitator for future-proof policy-making (‘anticipatory governance’) in the EP and the content creator and provider of analyses on the future (‘foresight’) for the EP;
• This will involve drafting publications on one or more designated topics; 
• You might also be involved in the Unit's work in the framework of the inter-institutional European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS); 
• You might assist at the unit’s foresight training courses;
• You will attend events organised by EP bodies or other organisations on relevant topics for the unit's work, take notes, and share conclusions with colleagues;
• Finally, you might be able to present the outcome of your research to our foresight community during a so-called “Foresight Club” session.

• You have a keen interest in global challenges and the future of Europe. You are familiar with EU policies;  
• You have strong analytical skills and are able to summarise complex material in clear language. You can take on independent research tasks;
• You want to contribute to a strategic foresight-based approach to future challenges at the European level;
• You have some communication, event management and teleconferencing experience.