Unpaid internships at the Commission
8.1.2018
Question for written answer E-000030-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Brando Benifei (S&D) , Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE) , Malin Björk (GUE/NGL) , Lynn Boylan (GUE/NGL) , Matt Carthy (GUE/NGL) , Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD) , Isabella De Monte (S&D) , Tanja Fajon (S&D) , Elena Gentile (S&D) , Karoline Graswander-Hainz (S&D) , Sylvie Guillaume (S&D) , Antanas Guoga (PPE) , John Howarth (S&D) , Eva Kaili (S&D) , Jude Kirton-Darling (S&D) , Arndt Kohn (S&D) , Kostadinka Kuneva (GUE/NGL) , Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL) , Stelios Kouloglou (GUE/NGL) , Javi López (S&D) , Sabine Lösing (GUE/NGL) , Vladimír Maňka (S&D) , Costas Mavrides (S&D) , Rory Palmer (S&D) , Evelyn Regner (S&D) , Terry Reintke (Verts/ALE) , Alfred Sant (S&D) , Olga Sehnalová (S&D) , Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) , Ivan Štefanec (PPE) , Catherine Stihler (S&D) , Romana Tomc (PPE) , Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso (PPE) , Monika Vana (Verts/ALE) , Tom Vandenkendelaere (PPE) , Javier Nart (ALDE) , Christine Revault d'Allonnes Bonnefoy (S&D) , Luigi Morgano (S&D) , Indrek Tarand (Verts/ALE)
With its ruling on unpaid interns in the EEAS delegations, the European Ombudsman has created a clear precedent on quality internships in the EU institutions. The answer to Written Question E-004895/2017 indicated that the number of unpaid interns in the Commission is increasing, but failed to provide the total numbers per year that would allow a better assessment of the scope of the problem. The high number of unpaid interns in certain DGs points at the potential use of young people as a cheap labour force. Moreover, contrary to the Commission’s claims, unpaid interns are being actively recruited by certain DGs.
Building on Written Question E-004895/2017, we have the following questions for the Commission:
What was the total number of unpaid interns taken on by each Commission DG in each of the years 2014, 2015 and 2016?
Does the Commission agree that the current system of unpaid internships, with very high numbers in certain DGs, is a bad practice that needs to be changed? Is the Commission taking steps in this direction?
How will the Commission ensure a transparent and fair recruitment process for all its interns, given that certain DGs are actively recruiting unpaid interns?