Work for the EU - Why the European Parliament? 

As European Parliament staff, we empower Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for a resilient and effective European democracy.

Like the MEPs, we come from all EU Member States. Most of us work in one of Parliament’s three places of work, Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg. A smaller number of us work in one of Parliament’s liaison offices, located in every EU Member State.

We seek to provide MEPs with the best possible support and services through a focus on outcome, on innovation and on client satisfaction.

Every member of staff supports MEPs’ work, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of EU citizens, and across a very broad range of areas.

For example, by joining us you could find yourself working on...

• Plenary: We run Parliament’s plenary sessions in Strasbourg and in Brussels. This ranges from organising the debates in the chamber to managing the technology needed for votes on legislation, for the interpretation, for audio, for web streaming...
• Parliamentary committees: MEPs’ work in the parliamentary committees that debate and draft Parliament’s positions on proposed EU laws and policies, and the EU budget, before they go to plenary. We work across the full range of EU policies and competencies, covering all internal policies and external relations. We organise committee meetings; we support MEPs to draft parliamentary reports, we provide briefings, and we liaise with the other EU institutions throughout the legislative process.
• Research: We provide MEPs with high quality, tailor-made and on-demand research to ensure that they have all the information they need to support their work as legislators and policymakers.
• Legal: We provide MEPs and Parliament with high quality legal analysis and advice on all areas of Parliament’s work.
• Communication: We communicate in all of the EU’s 24 official languages to ensure that EU citizens can follow all of Parliament’s work. We have specialists working in press, in social, media, in audiovisual, in concept and design, and many more specialised communication areas.
• Multilingualism: We ensure that MEPs can work in any of the EU’s 24 official languages, by providing high-quality interpretation, translation, legal-linguistic and other language services.
• HR: We focus on staff development, services and well-being. We help to get the right people in the right job at the right time and provide staff with a safe, healthy and inclusive work environment.
• IT: We design, develop and deliver first-rate IT solutions for Parliament via IT projects, as well as maintaining systems and keeping them secure.
• Buildings and logistics: We lead Parliament’s construction projects and maintain our buildings across all places of work, as well as managing logistics (transport, etc.).
• Finance: We manage Parliament’s budget, finances and administrative support to MEPs.
• Security: We keep Parliament’s buildings and staff safe.
• Cross-cutting innovation: Regardless of which part of our organisation you work in, there are plenty of opportunities to contribute to strategic projects with colleagues from different departments.

All our staff members have a wide variety of opportunities to learn and grow professionally while working with us.

Staff mobility: Unless they have very specific roles such as doctors, architects, or linguists Parliament officials are encouraged to change jobs within Parliament at least every seven years. Changing jobs regularly gives the opportunity to each staff member to master new fields of EP work, develop new skills and experience, and helps our organisation remain flexible and agile.

Learning and development: We promote and value continuous learning. As well as offering them a broad range of training courses and development programmes, we make sure our staff members take part in interesting and challenging work projects and work with experienced specialists, which provides invaluable opportunities for on-the-job learning.

Career progression: A transparent and merit-based promotions policy is at the heart of career development in Parliament. Staff are encouraged and supported to grow throughout their time with us, such as taking on new projects, greater responsibility, or moving to management roles.

‘Leave on personal grounds’: Parliament’s officials can ask to take one or more career breaks (unpaid, but with the right to return) – for example, to go back to studying, broaden their horizons while travelling, or to try out a different career stream by working outside the EU institutions.

As an inclusive and diverse organisation, we believe that our strength and success lie in embracing and celebrating our differences.

Parliament is a strong advocate of inclusion and diversity. With strong support from the Members of the European Parliament, we actively work to ensure all staff members, trainees, and visitors feel welcome and respected in our organisation. We foster a safe and inclusive working environment that is free of any type of discrimination

Parliament supports applicants and staff members with a disability. We ensure equal opportunities and provide reasonable accommodation measures to colleagues who need them in order to do their jobs.

Parliament is multinational and multicultural. Our staff come from across all EU Member States, and work together to build a Europe united in diversity.

Parliament offers a range of flexible working arrangements and facilities to support staff and their families.

Telework: In order to foster your work-life balance, we offer the possibility for you to work from home for a portion of your working time, supported by modern IT software and hardware plus a range of videoconferencing facilities.

Part-time work:  We offer a palette of different part-time options that you can use and adapt according to your needs and the needs of your team.

Different types of family-related leave: We offer:

• maternity leave and parental leave to help you to take care of your children;
• family leave to help you take care of, for example, elderly family members;
• special leave to help you care for ill relatives.

Schools and childcare facilities: We offer high quality childcare facilities for young children and access to European schools. Several of our office buildings are also equipped with breastfeeding facilities and family rooms.

Support for expatriates: A majority of our staff are expatriates, so we offer a wide array of services to support moving to and living in a different country for work. We provide information and administrative support with relocation, organise newcomers’ fairs together with other EU institutions, and can also provide support to your accompanying spouse or civil partner. You may also be entitled to an expatriation allowance to support your life away from your home Member State, and to an installation allowance if you have to move from abroad to take up your duties.