Candidates applying for this high-level traineeship programme should:

• be a national from an EU Member State;
• hold, by the closing date for applications, at least a university degree equivalent to the Master's degree (see Diplomas Annex) in a domain relevant to the activities of the EU Delegations;
• have excellent command of English and/or French; knowledge of other languages is an asset;
• have, by the closing date for applications, not more than 1 year of professional experience with the EEAS, the Commission or another EU institution or body;
• show a great interest and motivation to work in an EU Delegation;
• professional experience, extra-curriculum activities such as volunteering or publications, is an important asset.

No professional experience is required to apply for this high-level traineeship programme. However, preference shall be given to candidates with, by the closing date for applications, up to four years of professional experience with relevance to the programme (of which maximum one year with the EEAS, the EC or another EU institution or body as indicated above).

Junior Professionals can work in one of the 145 EU Delegations and can be posted, depending on the nature of their tasks, in:

• the EEAS sections - for political, press and information functions (see the standard description of training assignments for EEAS functions)
• the EC sections - for international partnerships, programme/project management, humanitarian affairs, etc. (see the standard description of training assignments for Commission functions).

NUMBER OF TRAINEESHIP POSITIONS IN THE 2026 – 2028 ROUND

The EEAS and the EC will finance minimum 54 JPDs positions (2 per Member State) for the Round 2026-2028: 27 JPD positions in the political, press and information sections (EEAS) and 27 positions in EC sections. Additional posts might be financed through voluntary contributions of EU Member States.

The Eighth call for expression of interest will open on 1 April 2025 until 30 April 2025.

Applications shall be addressed exclusively to the authorities designated by each EU Member State (the list of contacts will be published together with the call for expression of interest. The modalities for presenting applications to the respective national authorities are determined by the EU Member States and should be made available on their relevant websites during the call publication period. Applicants can only apply in one Member State. In case of multiple applications, the candidate will be disqualified.

The selection of candidates will be made on the basis of information provided in the application form. Any spontaneous application sent directly to the EEAS or to the EC will be disregarded.

In the application form, candidates are asked to provide information on their academic achievements, knowledge of languages, professional experience, extra-curriculum activities and motivation. In addition, they are asked to indicate three (3) geographical preferences for their potential assignment as well as the function they are applying for:

• For the EEAS - political, press and information;
• For the EC - international partnerships, programme/project management, humanitarian affairs, etc.

The pre-selection of candidates is managed by the EU Member States.
The final selection is made by EEAS and the EC.

After the pre-selection process, the EU Member States submit to the EEAS and the EC a list with the names of short-listed candidates (between 2-4 candidates per foreseen position).
Both, the EEAS and the EC, select one candidate from each Member State.

The EEAS and the EC identify a list of priority EU Delegations to allocate among JPDs. Once the lists are finalised, the EEAS and the EC manage the matching process. The matching process is based on the following criteria:

• priorities of the EC and the EEAS;
• candidates' profiles, knowledge of languages and preferences expressed in the application form.

Selected candidates for the round 2023/2025 will be offered a single traineeship agreement of a fixed-term of twelve (12) months, which can be renewed for another period of twelve (12) months after a positive mid-term evaluation.

Trainees are entitled to a monthly remuneration package composed of:

• a monthly grant of 2,000 EUR;
• an accommodation contribution set at 1,500 EUR;
• a hardship contribution added to these mentioned above - depending on the Living Conditions Allowance in a Delegation from 10% to 30%. 

  • Follow the link to download the LCA table

    LCA 2025.pdf

In addition, JPDs will be granted:

• an installation contribution of 2,340 EUR at the beginning of their traineeship;
• a contribution for the cost of the journey of 2,926 EUR for each period of 12 months of traineeship;
• a contribution of 1,800 EUR for the insurance cost for each period of 12 months of traineeship.

In reference to Decision ADMIN(2024)27 of 27.08.2024, the amount of the monthly grant has been set at 2.500 EUR and the amount of the monthly accommodation at 1.700 EUR as from 16.09.2024.