Today, the European Commission updated rules for its traineeship programme, establishing a single modernised framework that makes the scheme more inclusive and better aligned with Europe's skills and employment objectives. For the first time, graduates from vocational education and training (VET) will be eligible to apply to the Commission's traineeship programme – the 'Blue Book traineeship' –, broadening access to high-quality traineeships and recognising the value of diverse learning routes across Europe.
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 , helping 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.
The updated framework also strengthens the financial conditions available to trainees by improving the structure of grants and allowances, helping reduce practical and financial barriers to participation. These changes are designed to make the traineeship programme more inclusive for candidates from different educational backgrounds, from all over the Union.
At the same time, the new rules reinforce the Commission's commitment to inclusivity, fairness and a safe working environment. They support equal treatment and seek to ensure that trainees can learn and contribute to an environment defined by respect, dignity and opportunity and they include clear provisions on anti-harassment and non-discrimination. The revised framework places greater emphasis on geographical balance, with the aim of ensuring broad representation across Member States.
By replacing previous, separate decisions with one modernised and streamlined framework, the Commission is 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).
