Funded traineeship for young graduates at the EU Delegation to India

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 June  2023.

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 Generals 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 a wide range of interlocutors from government officials, to EU and Indian businesses, diplomats from EU Member States 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 currently negotiating 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 the trade 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;
• Be involved in the preparation / implementation of trade-related projects.

We look for:

Qualifications or special requirements:

Taking into account the local health and security conditions, only Indian citizen and European citizens already residing in India and holding a valid visa and residential permit for the entire foreseen duration of the traineeship will be considered.

• 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 and Economic Affairs (TRA) 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 travels, 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.

The traineeships can only be offered in compliance with the local legislation as well as the legislation of the country of origin.

Citizens from EU Member states:

• must provide proof that they will be covered against the risk of a pandemic and the costs of repatriation;
• must undertake to apply for a relevant entrance visa and / or temporary residence permit where applicable,  based on the traineeship agreement, the duration of the traineeship, and in compliance with the local legislation.

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 context of the COVID-19 in the host country as well as in the country of origin where applicable.