Directorate for Regional Development, Agriculture and Fisheries - Policy Department

The Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies (DG CASP) enables parliamentary committees to carry out their legislative, scrutiny and budgetary functions effectively. Trust, integrity and excellence are the driving values of DG CASP. We are an inclusive and agile team, able to respond to the challenges facing Parliament as one of the EU co-legislators.

The core responsibility of DG CASP is to support the committees dealing with regional development, agriculture, rural development, fisheries, transport, tourism, employment, social affairs and housing crisis in the EU. The targeted service we deliver allows committees to better respond to EU priorities and contribute to policies designed to empower EU citizens in an increasingly volatile world. DG CASP provides committees with secretariats and reliable research analysis. Secretariats offer policy expertise, procedural assistance and the necessary technical tools for all committee activities, including legislative and non-legislative work, meetings, public hearings, workshops and missions.

As an integral part of DG CASP, the Policy Department for Regional Development, Agriculture and Fisheries provides expertise, research and policy advice tailor-made for all parliamentary bodies, and especially the Parliamentary Committees responsible for Regional Development, Agriculture and Fisheries.

The Policy Department sector responsible for the REGI Committee provides expertise and policy advice to support the activities of the REGI Committee, based on analyses carried out either in-house or externally. It provides independent, specialised, objective, high quality and up-to-date information in matters relating to the strengthening of the EU’s economic, social and territorial cohesion and reducing disparities between regions. In this context, it covers aspects, such as regional development, EU Cohesion Policy and Funds, the economic, social and territorial situations in Member States, less and more developed regions and transition regions, interregional and cross-border cooperation, just transition, urban development, structural reforms, and structural funds.

Examples of our work can be seen on our blog: https://research4committees.blog/category/regi/regi-publications/

The horizontal tasks in the Policy Department include contributing to ensure the highest quality of internal and external research as well as to communicate effectively with policy makers, stakeholders and the academic community.

• Background research related to briefings/studies requested by the Committee on Regional Development (REGI);
• Drafting, graphics and other assistance in the preparation of briefings/studies;
• Reviewing and editing of draft studies, and Fact Sheets on the European Union and other texts;
• Attending meetings and seminars and taking notes of the proceedings;
• Assisting with social media communication, especially for the REGI sector, including preparation of content and working with visuals to be published on social media;
• Assisting in assessing current work practices with a view to further improve the provision of evidence-based research for parliamentary bodies;
• Assisting in the development of strategies to further improve the impact of expertise and research for policy makers;
• Assisting in organising workshops and other events and activities related to the work of the Policy Department;
• Other duties (as may be assigned).

• A motivated and open-minded university graduate (university degree - level 6 of EQF or higher - obtained at least three months before the starting date of the traineeship) with a profound interest in regional development and EU Cohesion Policy;
• A first experience with regional policy or Cohesion Policy, or in another field relevant to our activities (e.g. urban development), would be a strong asset;
• You are eager to get a comprehensive idea of both the political and administrative life in the European Parliament;
• You are committed and up for a mentored traineeship requiring not only a high level of independence and responsibility, but also critical thinking and judgement;
• Your personal skills encompass accuracy, reliability, adaptability, versatility and a sense of organisation;
• You have a clear sense of responsibility and professional conscientiousness as well as thorough knowledge of English, both spoken and written;
• You are interested in research, the management of research projects and science communication;
• You are keen to contribute to European policy-making as part of a welcoming team that looks forward to actively involving you in its work.

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.