We offer:

A traineeship of up to 6 months within the Trade and Economic Affairs (TRA) Section of the EU Delegation to India, starting in September  2022.

The Trade and Economic section of the EU Delegation to India is a small team of 8 colleagues of many different nationalities working on a wide range of issues, ranging from improving market access to overcoming trade and investment barriers faced by EU companies to engaging with India on trade related labour and environmental standards. Apart from issues pertaining to EU India trade and investment relations both the bilateral and multilateral aspects, we work with 12 Directorate Generales of the European Commission on extensive set of EU policy issues, including agriculture and food safety, macroeconomic policy and financial regulations, taxation and customs issues, digital trade and standards, competition and consumer protection etc. In New Delhi, we engage regularly with wide range of interlocutors from government officials, to EU and Indian businesses, diplomats from EU MS missions and third country missions, think tanks, and academia and so on.

The EU has deep and longstanding trade and investment relations with India, the EU is the third largest trading partner of India. The EU and India are on the cusp of starting negotiations for a Free Trade agreement, an Investment Protection Agreement and an agreement on Geographical Indications.    Providing support to the EU negotiating team in the preparation and the conduct of these extensive negotiations will be a key priority for our team in the coming year. We also provide assistance to European Parliament and other EU institutions on their visits to India. The section is also responsible for the implementation of trade-related EU-funded projects to fulfil the above mentioned objectives.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, driven and intellectually curious person who is interested in the EU and in trade policy to join our team and support the activities of the section

Main tasks:

• Monitoring trade and economic policy developments in the country, with focus on issues that impact the EU
• Analysis, reporting and presentation on specific trade and investment related issues,  including sector-specific analysis
• Participate and prepare reports for  meetings with various stakeholders   
• Support the organization of high level visits
• Assist in preparation and conduct of the rounds of FTA negotiations
• Be involved in the preparation / implementation of trade-related projects

We look for:

Qualifications or special requirements:

• University degree (minimum BA equivalent) preferably in economics, political science, international relations
• Excellent command of English
• Flexibility to work in a multicultural environment
• Good organizational skills and capacity to work in a team
• Computer skills: Presentation software (PowerPoint, etc.), and spreadsheets (Excel)
• Excellent writing skills (reporting, notes, minutes, briefings, etc.)
• Previous working experience or traineeships in research / think tanks / government institutions or EU institution is an asset

How to apply?

Candidates must apply to the e-mail address delegation-india-interns@eeas.europa.eu and send the following documents:

• A detailed standard Europass curriculum vitae (CV) https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/ (CVs in other format will not be considered)
• a cover letter describing why you want to participate in a EU traineeship
• and an application form

Please mention in the subject of your e-mail: Funded Traineeship - Trade Section (you may only apply to 1 traineeship per delegation, however based on your profile, the delegation could offer you a traineeship in another section).

Important information to read before applying

Before applying you are requested to examine the dedicated website as well as the general eligibility criteria for a paid traineeship (Article 8 of the Decision ADMIN(2017)28 – Paid traineeship)

Each selected trainee will receive a monthly grant to cover living expenses. All costs related to travel inside the country of residence, visa, insurance, accommodation must be borne by the trainee.

Applications from non-eligible candidates will not be considered. After the evaluation of all applications, shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for an interview. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified by email. In case the selected candidate is not able to present the required documents, his/her candidacy will be rejected.

Non-resident candidates must provide proof that they will be covered against the risk of a pandemic and the costs of repatriation.

The traineeships can only be offered in compliance with the local legislation as well as the legislation of the country of origin. In assessing the applications received, account will need to be taken of the COVID-19 situation and its possible effects on access possibilities to the country of assignment and thus candidates currently residing in country of assignment might be preferred.

The Delegation informs that even if our Headquarters confirm the eligibility of the selected candidate, traineeships could be postponed, suspended or even cancelled considering the very evolving context of the COVID-19 outbreak in the host country as well as in the country of origin. The same rule apply if a selected candidate is unable to reach the country of assignment.