Secretariat of the Committee on Development - Post A

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.

Secretariat of the Development Committee (DEVE) is part of Committees directorate. We are a team of 17 people with diverse backgrounds and nationalities. What we share is a dedication to and interest in the Global South and the EU's contribution to development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

We closely support the Members of the Committee in particular when they are rapporteurs of DEVE reports or in charge of opinions to other committees’ reports. Reports form the basis of European Parliament resolutions and can include legislation. We also prepare briefing notes, agendas, letters and other documents. We organise DEVE committee meetings, hearings and various other meetings with our institutional partners and with stakeholders as well as missions for MEPs to third countries. We prepare votes in the committee, and we support and advise the DEVE Chair on procedural as well as on substantive issues.

Team spirit and cooperation are essential in the DEVE Secretariat, where each person contributes their different experience and takes on various tasks, responsibilities and fields of expertise. We mainly work in English, but French is also frequently used (along with other EU languages at times). We offer a dynamic and supportive environment with the opportunity to gain responsibility in a wide range of tasks and areas.

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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 assisting the supervisor and other team members in some or all of the following:

• Carrying out background research on development and humanitarian aid topics;
• Contributing to the preparation of briefings for the DEVE Chair’s bilateral meetings, events and conferences; 
• Following political developments in partner countries, especially but not exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Contributing to DEVE work notably on the new Global Europe regulation proposal, the Global Gateway strategy and humanitarian aid files;
• Reviewing amendments, preparing reports and opinions, drafting compromises;
• Organising hearings and exchanges of views in the committee;
• Preparing country briefings, background notes and speaking points for DEVE delegations to third countries;
• Supporting the scrutiny of Commission programming for specific regions, countries and thematic programmes under the NDICI - Global Europe and Global Gateway frameworks as well as scrutiny of humanitarian assistance outside the EU;
• Participating in events and conferences related to DEVE topics and producing summary notes from these, as well as from DEVE committee meetings;
• General support to the team, including occasional linguistic work and logistical tasks. 

• You have a keen interest in development cooperation and humanitarian aid, preferably with a degree or masters related to these policy areas. “SDGs, ODA, Global Gateway, NDICI - Global Europe” are familiar buzzwords you have come across before; 
• You have ideally lived or even worked in a developing country and can bring some field expertise to our team. Experience from international or civil society organisations is also considered an asset;
• You understand how the EU works in general and want to deepen this knowledge and gain first-hand experience at EU level;
• Interested in politics and public policies, understand the role of parliaments and their democratically elected Members; in particular the role of the European Parliament vis-a-vis the other EU institutions;
• Good at drafting well-structured and clear texts, and you are highly proficient in English. Experience with communication and media (e.g. writing for the web or a student newspaper) is an asset;
• A self-starter, a keen and quick learner, and good at analysing and summarising vast amounts of information;
• Flexible and a team-player, have tact and intercultural awareness, can communicate well and deal with different views and expectations, and are able to handle occasional strong work pressure;
• You have obtained/will obtain a university degree (level 6 of EQF or higher) at least three months before the starting date of the traineeship.

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.