Europe Unit: Enlargement, Western Europe and Northern Cooperation - Post A: AL, ME, MK

The Directorate-General for External Policies (DG EXPO) is made up of four directorates: Committees, Regions (covering interparliamentary delegations), Resources and Democracy Support. Staff of DG EXPO form a European team of advisers supporting the European Parliament's President and political bodies in their work on the EU's external policies. Colleagues in DG EXPO provide advice on matters of substance and procedure, liaise with other EU institutions and manage resources. The focus is on legislation, parliamentary oversight of the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), and support for parliamentary democracy. Most of the work is done in Brussels.

We are the Europe Unit: Enlargement, Western Europe and Northern Cooperation (NEWE) Unit of DG EXPO. 

• We closely follow the enlargement process, developments in the European Economic Area, EU relations with the United Kingdom, EU relations with Switzerland as well as EU's Arctic, Nordic and Baltic policies;
• We organise inter-parliamentary meetings in the EP's premises and in 3rd countries falling within our remit (UK, Western Balkans, Turkey and EFTA countries);
• We provide assistance and expertise to EP Delegation Chairs and Members;
• We act as EP Desk officers for the countries within our remit;
• We maintain relations with Parliaments of our counterparts (UK, Western Balkans, Turkey and EFTA countries).

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Want to find out more about what being a trainee in DG EXPO is like? Check out our DG EXPO podcast for trainees, by trainees: CLICK HERE

You will be involved in supporting all the EP delegations within the remit of the unit, with particular focus on the delegations for relations with Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. This includes: 

• Attending and administratively supporting delegation meetings in Brussels (or Strasbourg), including the organisational and logistical modalities;
• Attending and reporting on meetings, both within and outside the European Parliament, in areas of interest to the unit;
• Monitoring and reviewing developments in EU bilateral relations with countries or regions covered by the unit, with particular attention to Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, and providing fact-based, objective analysis;
• Researching up-to-date information and data for reports and briefings tailored to the needs of different stakeholders;
• Drafting contributions to reports, minutes, briefings, notes, letters, talking points or chair notes in English.

As an applicant for a traineeship in the NEWE unit, you have fundamental credentials (education, previous professional experience, linguistic skills...) that are relevant for the specific tasks to be performed: 

• Excellent level of English in drafting and communicating;
• Good knowledge of the EU enlargement policy and its recent developments;
• In-depth knowledge of the different facets of the relationship between the EU and various Western Balkan countries (notably Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia), and those countries' politics and government;
• General knowledge of the structure and powers of the European Parliament and other EU institutions;
• Flexibility to manage urgent requests and challenging deadlines, with the ability to plan forward and work under pressure;
• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills;
• Ability to manage and organise information;
• A diplomatic manner, discretion, responsibility, and confidentiality;
• Good command of another EU language or languages of the Western Balkan countries is an asset;
• Previous demonstrable working experience in the region and/or on the topic of enlargement can be considered an asset but is not a precondition.

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.