Transparency Unit - Post A

As a trainee in the Directorate-General for the Presidency (DG PRES), you will be part of a DG, which has a crucial role in a wide spectrum of the European Parliament's (EP) activities. Our DG is involved in the legislative process from the very beginning, when the legislative initiatives are submitted to the EP, and throughout the process, during which our lawyer linguists ensure the quality of the legislative texts, accompanying members and committees in their work. 

We are in charge of the organisation and documentation of the plenary sessions, and also deal with the relations with other EU institutions and national parliaments. Furthermore, our DG provides services to the members, regarding both administrative matters and their political activity, such as parliamentary questions to the other institutions.

We are also at the service of citizens and the public, dealing with public access to documents and relations with interest representatives, and are responsible for the official mail of the President and the Secretary General. The EP's protocol service, dealing with, among other things, the reception of visiting dignitaries and delegations and the preparation of visits outside Parliament by the President and the main EP bodies, is also part of our DG.

The Transparency Unit in the Directorate-General for the Presidency ensures implementation of Parliament’s transparency policy as regards the institution’s relations with interest representatives, the Transparency Register and public access to its documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.

Lobbying  transparency - a hot topic for European citizens

Parliament’s transparency policy is crucial for fostering and reinforcing citizens’ trust in the democratic processes at EU level. Transparency is a guiding principle for how public institutions operate in today’s open society and the Transparency Register is an important tool, which is set up to show who is representing particular interests at EU level, what EU policy they are trying to influence, and what resources are available for these interest representation efforts. 

The team needs help with the management of the Transparency Register, jointly set up by the European Institutions. We are the first point of contact for interest representatives who need assistance and we ensure the respect of the Code of Conduct in their interactions with the institutions.

You will assist the team working on the Transparency Register and help to:

• Monitor registrations and provide information and assistance to registrants and stakeholders;
• Process complaints about incorrect data or breaches of the code of conduct;
• Research national transparency policies and provide comparative studies;
• Monitor media reports and follow related files at committee and plenary stages;
• Prepare, participate in and produce minutes of meetings of the Transparency Register Secretariat;
• Prepare the annual report on the operation of the Transparency Register;
• Raise awareness of the Parliament’s transparency policy. 

Are you a “people person”, service-oriented and a team player? Working with the Transparency Register team might be the thing for you if you have:

• Excellent communication skills (oral and written);
• Fluency in English and good knowledge of at least one other EU official language;
• Demonstrated research and analytical skills;
• Top organisational skills and flexibility to handle a variety of tasks;
• Proficiency in MS Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel;
• A strong interest in and good understanding of the European institutions and policies.

Specific knowledge of EU transparency policy is not a requirement.