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 major EU Institutions offer well-advertised, remunerated internships to hundreds of people 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 response to question E-013540-15)?
3. What processes are in place to ensure transparent recruitment and fair working conditions for these non-remunerated interns?
