Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs

Complement your studies with a genuinely international internship! The European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington DC invites recent graduates with right to work in the United States to apply for a full-time, paid internship. What better place to monitor transnational politics in action, to see global players in international affairs addressing global challenges across a range of policy areas, and to witness the interplay between decision-makers in the US and lawmakers from the European Union?

Currently our internship has been adapted in line with the restrictions and health and safety considerations related to the Covid19 pandemic. Consequently our internship is now consisting of a three months work experience in Washington DC, with a possible two-month extension in the same office.

Interns will split their time working in the office and working from home with the ration being dictated according to the current health situation in the Washington area. Currently interns are allowed one day teleworking from home, per week.

Intakes:

Fall: September 16th - December 15th, with possible two-month extention until February 15th

Spring: March 1st - May 31st, with a possible two-month extention until July 31st

Who is eligible for the EPLO internship?

Please check you meet all the criteria before applying. We welcome applications from:

• US citizens and others with the right to work in the US.
• University graduates. Candidates need to have completed studies at least at undergraduate level, and must be able to provide an undergraduate or postgraduate diploma/official transcript at least one month before the beginning of the internship.
• Candidates available for a full-time internship. We regret it is not possible to accommodate part-time arrangements.
• Candidates who have previously gained two consecutive months or more work experience (including internships) at any European Union institution are not eligible.

EU citizens and others: Please note that it is also possible to apply for the Robert Schuman traineeship at the European Parliament's offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and in EU Member States. This is primarily aimed at citizens of EU member states and accession/candidate countries, however a limited number of traineeships can be offered to nationals of other countries."

About the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington DC (EPLO)

The European Parliament opened its Washington Liaison Office in April 2010 to meet the growing need for contact on legislative issues between the US Congress and EU lawmakers. This came after the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009, which gave the European Parliament expanded legislative powers within the European Union, comparable to those of the US House of Representatives.

Venue(s)

Our Washington DC office is located on the 6th floor at 2175 K Street, NW, in the same building as the European Union Delegation to the US. Our European headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium and in Strasbourg, France.

What do EPLO interns do?

• Work with staffers on specific policy areas or a broader range of transatlantic policy issues;
• Participate in events and meetings with major interlocutors on Capitol Hill, executive agencies, think-tanks and NGOs;
• Analyse legislation and policy discussions relevant to the transatlantic EU-US relationship;
• Prepare working papers, memos and research papers for Members of the European Parliament and staffers at our headquarters;
• Assist the preparation and management of visits to the US by Members of the European Parliament and senior staffers;
• Support our head of outreach, with event management, content and multimedia products;
• Help maintain and develop our database of contacts.

Up to four interns will be accepted in the office, each assigned to one of the European Parliament's staffers charged with creating and fostering working relations between parliamentary committees and their Congressional and regulatory counterparts in the US government.

Staffers cover the following policy portfolios:

• Foreign affairs, international trade, development and human rights
• Data, privacy, counter-terrorism, migration
• Financial services, energy, environment
• Cross-policy: Outreach and public diplomacy
• Cross-policy: European Parliament Research Service
• Cross-policy: Liaison with Congress leadership, embassies

You may express an interest in one or more of these portfolios in your application, but it is not compulsory to do so. Interns may be assigned more than one portfolio, or other tasks not described above.

For candidates interested to work in our outreach and public diplomacy field experience in digital content creation and multimedia production is considered an asset.

What might you gain from an EPLO internship?

• Familiarity with policy-making, both in the US and the European Union;
• An opportunity to learn by doing;
• Networking opportunities with EU institutions, Congress, think tanks, NGOs and others;
• Experience working in a truly multinational European team – you may also practice your linguistic skills;
• Access to a vibrant network of current and former interns;
• Overall: a career-enhancing experience leaving you better-equipped for a future role in politics, international organisations, NGOs or the corporate sector.

Remuneration and conditions

• A monthly stipend of around €1398 will be granted for the duration of the internship in Washington DC and optional two-month extension.
• Accident and sickness insurance.
• Interns may take two days of personal leave per month.
• Interns are required to make their own housing arrangements.
• During the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, interns will split their time working in the office and working from home with the ration being dictated according to the current health situation in the Washington area.

How to apply

Applications for the Fall 2022 intake are now OPEN

Please check you meet all eligibility requirements before applying. You will need to submit:

• Your CV in the EU's Europass format (available here)
• A statement of interest, maximum 500 words, which should specify your preferred policy portfolio(s), if relevant

You need to request:

• One recommendation letter by a university faculty member (required).
• One additional letter of recommendation, e.g. from an employer, may also be submitted (optional).

Your CV and statement of interest must be sent to epwashington.internship@europarl.europa.eu.

All referees must send their letters of recommendation directly to the same email address until end of day, May 25, 2022. References sent by candidates themselves cannot be considered.

You may also send queries to this email.