Question for written answer E-000636/2022
to the Council
Rule 138
Lídia Pereira (PPE), Olivier Chastel (Renew), Irena Joveva (Renew), Kosma Złotowski (ECR), Damian Boeselager (Verts/ALE), Ivan Štefanec (PPE), Salvatore De Meo (PPE), Magdalena Adamowicz (PPE), Sabrina Pignedoli (NI), Elżbieta Kruk (ECR), Henna Virkkunen (PPE), Leila Chaibi (The Left), Christine Anderson (ID), Brando Benifei (S&D), Milan Brglez (S&D), Javier Nart (Renew), Niyazi Kizilyürek (The Left), Marc Angel (S&D), Giorgos Georgiou (The Left), Giuliano Pisapia (S&D), Miriam Lexmann (PPE), Saskia Bricmont (Verts/ALE), Francisco Guerreiro (Verts/ALE), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Chris MacManus (The Left), Jarosław Duda (PPE), Salima Yenbou (Verts/ALE), Alicia Homs Ginel (S&D), Tonino Picula (S&D), César Luena (S&D), Predrag Fred Matić (S&D), Paulo Rangel (PPE), Adriana Maldonado López (S&D), Dino Giarrusso (NI), Svenja Hahn (Renew), Emil Radev (PPE), Martina Dlabajová (Renew), Demetris Papadakis (S&D), Patrick Breyer (Verts/ALE), Diana Riba i Giner (Verts/ALE), Ignazio Corrao (Verts/ALE), Josianne Cutajar (S&D), Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE), Clara Aguilera (S&D), Loucas Fourlas (PPE), Kim Van Sparrentak (Verts/ALE), Jens Gieseke (PPE), Chiara Gemma (NI), Daniela Rondinelli (NI), Maria da Graça Carvalho (PPE), Lina Gálvez Muñoz (S&D), Jonás Fernández (S&D), Monica Semedo (Renew), Mario Furore (NI), Marcos Ros Sempere (S&D), Piernicola Pedicini (Verts/ALE), Christophe Hansen (PPE), Markéta Gregorová (Verts/ALE), Marcel Kolaja (Verts/ALE), Liudas Mažylis (PPE), Nuno Melo (PPE), Petros Kokkalis (The Left), Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D), Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar (PPE), Romana Tomc (PPE), Sara Cerdas (S&D), Claude Gruffat (Verts/ALE), Chrysoula Zacharopoulou (Renew), Costas Mavrides (S&D), Gheorghe Falcă (PPE), Monika Beňová (S&D), Dragoş Pîslaru (Renew), Esther de Lange (PPE), Christian Doleschal (PPE), Veronika Vrecionová (ECR), Andrey Slabakov (ECR), Aušra Maldeikienė (PPE), Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Verts/ALE), Alex Agius Saliba (S&D), Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (PPE), Irene Tinagli (S&D), Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE), Iuliu Winkler (PPE), Eva Maydell (PPE), Malte Gallée (Verts/ALE), Erik Marquardt (Verts/ALE), Laurence Farreng (Renew), Maria-Manuel Leitão-Marques (S&D), Manuela Ripa (Verts/ALE), Maria Spyraki (PPE), Pascal Durand (Renew), Margarida Marques (S&D), Mikuláš Peksa (Verts/ALE), Álvaro Amaro (PPE), Alviina Alametsä (Verts/ALE), Karlo Ressler (PPE), Frances Fitzgerald (PPE), Dolors Montserrat (PPE)
Subject: Unpaid traineeships in EU institutions
While the EU claims to ensure equal opportunities and treatment in matters of employment, it still allows unpaid traineeships within its institutions. Unpaid traineeships still exist at the European Council and some other EU bodies. Even if undertaken as a part of a degree requirement, these traineeships favour middle- and upper-class young people who can pay their own expenses, which discriminates against those who cannot afford to do so. The support provided, a EUR 125 restaurant card per month, should not be considered remuneration.
Unpaid traineeships are being campaigned against in Member States and the European Parliament has already banned them. Parliament has also called for a reinforcement of the Youth Guarantee and has proposed the creation of a legal instrument to ensure fair remuneration for all traineeships, internships, and apprenticeships. More generally, taking into account the crisis that the pandemic has created for youth employment, action should be taken to prohibit all unpaid traineeships in EU institutions and the Member States. It is up to the EU to lead by example and ban this kind of practice.
Can the European Council therefore answer:
1. Are efforts being made to prohibit unpaid traineeships in the European Council? If not, why?
2. How does the European Council currently ensure good living standards for its unpaid trainees?