Unpaid internships at the European Commission

E-004895-17
Subject: Unpaid internships at the European Commission

Rule 130
Terry Reintke (Verts/ALE) , Brando Benifei (S&D) , Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL) , Tomáš Zdechovský (PPE) , Agnes Jongerius (S&D) , Marijana Petir (PPE) , Vladimír Maňka (S&D) , Alfred Sant (S&D) , Jordi Solé (Verts/ALE) , Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D) , Fabio De Masi (GUE/NGL) , Ulrike Lunacek (Verts/ALE) , Marc Tarabella (S&D) , Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE) , Monika Vana (Verts/ALE) , Seb Dance (S&D) , Ernest Urtasun (Verts/ALE) , Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD) , Karoline Graswander-Hainz (S&D) , Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández (S&D) , Soledad Cabezón Ruiz (S&D) , Josep-Maria Terricabras (Verts/ALE) , Isabella Adinolfi (EFDD) , Jeroen Lenaers (PPE) , Romana Tomc (PPE) , Ana Gomes (S&D)
Subject: Unpaid internships at the European Commission
A recent ruling by the European Ombudsman found against the practice of unpaid internships in the Delegations of the EEAS, criticising the use of unpaid staff in an EU institution and explaining why the practice is so damaging for young people and the labour market. In Brussels, the main EU institutions offer well-advertised, remunerated internships to hundreds of applicants every year. However, there are also numerous non-remunerated interns within the institutions, including the Commission.
Building on written questions E-003716-16 and E-013540-15, we ask the Commission:
1. How many unpaid interns were taken on by each DG of the Commission in each of the years 2014, 2015, 2016?
2. How does the Commission ensure that DGs only offer these non-remunerated internships to ‘a limited number of trainees for periods of 2-3 months’ (Commission’s answer to Question E-013540-15)?
3. What processes are in place to ensure transparent recruitment and fair working conditions for these non-remunerated interns?

Answer given by Mr Oettinger on behalf of the Commission
1. The number of atypical trainees at the European Commission was 183 on 1 June 2014, 198 on 1 June 2015 and 202 on 1 June 2016. The number of trainees by Directorate-General and by year (available for the dates referred to above) is sent by the Commission to the European Parliament’s Secretariat under separate cover.

2. The decision to take on and provide guidance to atypical trainees on an exceptional basis is for each Directorate-General insofar as its own available resources allow it to do so. This flexible approach enables them to provide a short job-shadowing opportunity to a limited number of interested individuals.

3. It is worth noting that recruitment and working conditions are not relevant to atypical traineeships. These traineeships are offered by the Directorates-General to people who apply for them. No calls for expressions of interest are published for this type of traineeship.

For the duration of the traineeship, which is governed by a traineeship agreement between the Directorate-General and the trainee, the Directorate-General is responsible for ensuring suitable conditions for the trainee. Where required, trainees may obtain assistance from their traineeship tutors or the Commission’s Human Resources departments.

E-004895-17

Suġġett: Traineeships mhux imħallsa fil-Kummissjoni Ewropea
Deċiżjoni riċenti mill-Ombudsman Ewropew inqatgħet kontra l-prattika ta’ traineeships mhux imħallsa fid-Delegazzjonijiet tas-Servizz Ewropew għall-Azzjoni Esterna (SEAE), li tikkritika l-użu ta’ persunal mhux imħallas f’istituzzjoni tal-UE u li tispjega għaliex il-prattika hija daqshekk ta’ ħsara għaż-żgħażagħ u għas-suq tax-xogħol. Fi Brussell, l-istituzzjonijiet ewlenin tal-UE joffru traineeships bi ħlas, li huma ppubbliċizzati sew, lil mijiet ta’ applikanti kull sena. Madankollu, hemm ukoll għadd ta’ trainees li mhumiex imħallsin fi ħdan l-istituzzjonijiet, inkluża l-Kummissjoni.
Ibbażati fuq mistoqsijiet bil-miktub E-003716-16 u E-013540-15, qed nistaqsu lill-Kummissjoni:
1. Kemm il-trainee mhux imħallas ġew ingaġġati minn kull DĠ tal-Kummissjoni f’kull waħda mis-snin 2014, 2015, 2016?
2. Il-Kummissjoni kif biħsiebha tiżgura li d-DĠs joffru dawn it-traineeships mhux remunerati biss lil “numru limitat ta’ trainees għal perjodi ta’ bejn xahrejn u 3 xhur” (it-tweġiba tal-Kummissjoni għall-mistoqsija E-013540-15)?
3. Liema proċessi hemm fis-seħħ biex jiġi żgurat reklutaġġ trasparenti u kondizzjonijiet tax-xogħol ġusti għal dawn it-trainees mhux imħallsa?

Tweġiba mogħtija mis-Sur Oettinger f’isem il-Kummissjoni (10.10.2017)
1. L-għadd ta’ apprendisti atipiċi fil-Kummissjoni Ewropea kien ta’ 183 fl-1 ta’ Ġunju 2014, 198 fl-1 ta’ Ġunju 2015 u 202 fl-1 ta’ Ġunju 2016. L-għadd ta’ apprendisti għal kull Direttorat Ġenerali u kull sena (disponibbli fid-dati msemmija hawn fuq) huwa ppreżentat mill-Kummissjoni lis-Segretarjat tal-Parlament f’envelop separat.
2. Huwa f’idejn kull Direttorat Ġenerali li jiddeċiedi, skont id-disponibbiltà tiegħu stess, li jilqa’ eċċezzjonalment l-apprendisti atipiċi u li jakkumpanjahom. Dan l-approċċ flessibbli jippermettilhom li joffru ħin ta’ osservazzjoni għal żmien qasir lil għadd limitat ta’ persuni interessati.
3. Għandu jiġi ppreċiżat li fil-kuntest tal-iskemi ta’ apprendistati atipiċi, dawn la huma meqjusa bħala reklutaġġ u lanqas huma forma ta’ kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol. Dawn l-apprendistati huma offruti mid-Direttorati Ġenerali wara talba tal-persuni interessati. L-ebda sejħa għal espressjonijiet ta’ interess ma tiġi ppubblikata għal dan it-tip ta’ apprendistat. Matul il-perjodu tal-appendistat, li huwa rregolat minn konvenzjoni bejn id-Direttorat Ġenerali ospitanti u l-apprendist, hija r-responsabilità tad-Direttorat Ġenerali li jiġu żgurati kundizzjonijiet adegwati ta’ ospitalità. Fejn meħtieġ, l-apprendist jista’ jikseb assistenza mingħand it-tutur tal-apprendistat jew tas-servizzi tar-Riżorsi Umani tal-Kummissjoni.