Commission adopts new inclusive traineeship rules, opening it to vocational education and training graduates

For the first time, graduates from vocational education and training (VET) will be eligible to apply, broadening access to high-quality traineeships and recognising the value of diverse learning routes across Europe. By opening the programme to up to 100 VET graduates, the Commission is taking an important step towards ensuring that its traineeship opportunities better reflect the diversity of talent in the European Union.

This change supports the objectives of the Union of Skills. It helps VET graduates acquire meaningful professional experience in a high-quality European public administration setting. It also recognises the important contribution that VET offers to the labour market, providing learners with valuable skills and practical experience.

The Commission's services span a wide range of professional areas - from IT and finance to logistics, social media and event management -where VET graduates bring directly applicable expertise.

The updated framework also strengthens the financial conditions available to trainees. It improves the structure of grants and allowances, helping reduce practical and financial barriers to participation.

These changes are designed to make the traineeship programme more accessible to candidates from different socio-economic backgrounds and from all parts of the Union.

At the same time, the new rules reinforce the Commission's commitment to inclusivity, fairness and a safe working environment. They include provisions on anti-harassment and non-discrimination and place greater emphasis on geographical balance, with the aim of ensuring broad representation across Member States. The revised framework supports equal treatment and seeks to ensure that trainees can learn and contribute to an environment defined by respect, dignity and opportunity.

By replacing previous, separate decisions with one modernised and streamlined framework, the Commission is simplifying implementation and making the rules easier to understand for applicants, trainees and services alike.

This will improve consistency across the programme and support more efficient administration.

The new framework will now guide the organisation of the Commission's traineeship programme under a clearer and more up-to-date set of rules, ensuring that it continues to attract talented young people from across the European Union and candidate countries benefitting from the pre-accession strategy, while offering a fair, high-quality and inclusive experience.

Next steps

The updated traineeship rules will start to apply for the session beginning in March 2027.

Applications for that session will be open from 22 July to 4 September 2026.

Background

The Blue Book Traineeship is the European Commission's flagship traineeship programme, attracting primarily recent university graduates from across Europe and beyond.

It offers participants a unique first-hand insight into the work of the European Commission and the functioning of the EU institutions more broadly. The programme also helps trainees develop a better understanding of the objectives of European integration and EU policies, while gaining experience in a multicultural working environment.

Over the years, the Blue Book Traineeship has become one of the most attractive and competitive EU traineeship programmes. It receives around 36 000 applications each year and offers nearly 2 000 traineeship places annually across the Commission, 14 EU agencies and bodies, and the European External Action Service (EEAS).