Background
The European Parliament promotes equality of opportunity and encourages applications from women and men with disabilities for its traineeship programmes. In 2006 the European Parliament launched a specific traineeship programme for people with disabilities. This programme is a positive action measure, as described in Article 4 of the Code of Good Practice for the Employment of People with Disabilities.
Objectives
The main purpose of the programme is to offer a number of persons with disabilities a meaningful work experience as a trainee in the European Parliament, giving them an opportunity to familiarise themselves with its activities. Additional objectives are:
- to put the European Parliament’s equal opportunities principles into practice by supporting people with disabilities in gaining professional
experience, and thereby enhancing their opportunities for future employment;
- to provide the European Parliament with the contribution and positive experience that disabled trainees will bring to its work and culture;
- to contribute to raising the general awareness of disability among Parliament staff, helping to remove barriers to the integration of
people with disabilities.
Programme outline
The programme offers five-month paid traineeships to disabled candidates, and is run in addition to the other options for traineeships and study visits in the Secretariat of the European Parliament. Being exempted from Article 18 of the Internal Rules Governing Traineeships and Study Visits in the Secretariat of the European Parliament, it offers candidates without a university degree the same conditions as other paid trainees.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- be nationals of a Member State of the European Union or of an applicant country;
- be aged 18 or over on the traineeship starting date;
- have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union and a good knowledge of a second;
- not have been awarded any other paid traineeship, or have been in paid employment for more than four consecutive weeks, with a
European institution or a Member or political group of the European Parliament;
- be able to certify that they have a disability/ies (medical certificate or disability card/certificate issued by a national authority).
Traineeship conditions
1. Monthly allowance
Candidates admitted to this traineeship programme will be paid a monthly allowance of 1,130,56 euros (2008) if the traineeship takes
place in Brussels or Luxembourg. This amount is adjusted for the Information Offices in the Member States according to the cost of living
index.
2. Additional costs related to disability
Trainees’ additional costs directly related to their disability may be covered by up to a maximum of 50 % of the amount of the monthly
scholarship, in accordance with Article 20(8) of the Internal Rules.
3. Reimbursement of travel expenses incurred at the beginning and end of the traineeship
Article 11 of the Internal Rules applies.
4. Insurance
Trainees will be covered by the compulsory Accident and Health insurance, as specified in Article 13 of the Internal Rules.
Deadline: 15 May 2013
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