Secretariat of the Committee on Culture and Education

The Directorate-General for Citizens' Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs (DG IUST) is dedicated to supporting the European Parliament in its legislative, budgetary, and scrutiny roles. Our mission is to ensure that the Parliament operates effectively as a guardian of democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights, while remaining responsive to the needs of European citizens.  

DG IUST is responsible for organising the work of the following parliamentary committees:

• Committee on Culture and Education (CULT);
• Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI);
• Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE);
• Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO);
• Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM);
• Committee on Petitions (PETI);
• Special committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS).

As one of the European Parliament’s standing committees, the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) is responsible for:

• The cultural aspects of the European Union, and in particular:
  • Improving the knowledge and dissemination of culture;
  • The protection and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity;
  • The conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage, cultural exchanges and artistic creation;
• The Union’s education policy, including the European higher education area, the promotion of the system of European Schools, and lifelong learning;
• Audiovisual policy and the cultural and educational aspects of the information society;
• Youth policy
• The development of a sports and leisure policy;
• Information and media policy;
• Cooperation with third countries in the areas of culture and education and relations with the relevant international organisations and institutions.

As an integral part of the Directorate-General for Citizens' Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs (DG IUST), the Secretariat is in charge of organising the work of the CULT Committee and assisting Members in the exercise and development of the Parliament’s legislative, budgetary and oversight powers.

In particular, the work of the Secretariat involves:

• Providing independent expertise and (policy) advice to the Committee and in particular its Chair;
• Assisting Members in drafting legislative and non-legislative reports and opinions;
• Organising and following up on Committee and Coordinators’ meetings, working groups, delegations and public hearings;
• Preparing information notes, speaking notes and letters for the Chair of the Committee and the President of the Parliament;
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with other Parliament services and other public bodies;
• Maintaining and further developing the relations with research institutes, universities, national parliaments, and IGOs/NGOs.

During your five-month traineeship – throughout which you will be actively mentored by an experienced supervisor – you will be assigned a wide spectrum of assignments, allowing you to gain in-depth insights into the work and procedures of the European Parliament and the Committee on Culture and Education in particular, as well as hands-on experience in working in a multicultural and multilingual environment.

Your tasks will be both administrative-organisational and analytical and will include:

• Background research in the area of education, youth and audiovisual policy (including new technological developments and AI);
• Assisting in preparing briefings, background documents and other policy-relevant papers;
• Assisting in organising committee meetings, public hearings and other events and activities related to the work of the CULT Committee;
• Compilation of relevant literature and sources for various legislative dossiers;
• Assisting in preparing official letters;
• Formatting, editing and proofreading of different texts;
• Assisting in drafting legislative, non-legislative texts and voting lists.

• A motivated and open-minded university graduate with a profound interest in one or more of the areas of competence of the CULT Committee, with a special focus on education, youth and audiovisual policy (including new technological developments and AI);
• Eager to get a comprehensive picture of both the political and administrative life in the European Parliament;
• Committed and ready to engage in a mentored traineeship requiring not only a high level of independence and responsibility, but also critical thinking and judgement;
• Your personal skills should encompass accuracy, reliability, adaptability, versatility and a sense of organisation.
• You have a clear sense of responsibility and professional conscientiousness;
• You have thorough knowledge of English, both spoken and written;
• Interested in analytical work and research;
• Keen to contribute to European policy-making as part of a welcoming team that looks forward to actively involving you in its work;
• Experience as a beneficiary of EU-funded programmes under the CULT remit (e.g. Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, etc.) and/or volunteering experience in CULT-related areas are appreciated.

The European Parliament is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome all candidates, regardless of their geographical, racial or ethnic origin, political or religious beliefs, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, civil status, or family situation.