Why work for the EU?
EU jobs for Irish people
Ireland has a proud history of being well represented at all levels in European Union institutions and agencies.
These Irish EU officials have made a real and lasting impact on peoples’ lives. For this to continue, the EU needs more Irish candidates to apply for jobs.
Why work for the European Union?
Officials working in the EU’s institutions and agencies pursue rewarding international careers in a uniquely multicultural and multilingual environment.
EU officials serve 446 million EU citizens across 27 member states, and develop and implement policies that have a real impact on peoples’ lives.
The work of the EU is very wide ranging and, reflecting that, the institutions and agencies require staff with a variety of backgrounds and skill sets.
The range of workplaces is also extremely wide. While a little over half of the EU’s total staff are employed at the European Commission, other institutions (such as the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Court of Justice of the European Union) also recruit staff regularly. So do the EU Agencies, based across the 27 Member States, including Eurofound which is based in Loughlinstown, Co Dublin.
As Irish is an official language of the EU, linguists and lawyer-linguists who speak Irish are much sought after and competitions to recruit for these positions are now held regularly.
Whatever your background, if you have the right attitude and the right aptitudes, it’s likely that there is a career opportunity in the EU for you.
What are the benefits of working for the EU?
Some of the benefits of considering EU job opportunities include:
- A varied and exciting career with guaranteed career progression.
- A wide range of different fields, including law, environment, policy, IT, veterinary, finance, media and health.
- A highly competitive starting salary with tax benefits, health cover and family supports.
- Great work life balance and possibility for hybrid working.
- A diverse and international workplace environment in the heart of Europe: Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Frankfurt and other locations throughout the EU.
Where do I apply for EU jobs?
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is the central recruitment authority for the EU institutions. EPSO organises competitions to select both permanent and temporary EU officials.
Visit our ‘how to apply for EU job opportunities’ page for more information on the application process and explore our ‘current and upcoming job opportunities in the EU’ to learn about available vacancies.
Recent graduates or early career professionals should consider one of the many excellent traineeship opportunities on offer across the EU institutions.
Taking a traineeship, or ‘stage’, with one of the EU institutions is a great way to gain experience of working for an EU institution and can act as the launch pad to an EU career. Explore our ‘EU traineeships and contracts’ page for more information.
The support we offer
Irish candidates can avail of dedicated information and training services ahead of the different stages of the application process.
This includes free access to training packages and interview preparation. Please refer to our ‘Supports available for EU jobs applications’ page for detailed information on how to apply for these supports.
Irish public officials with questions about secondment opportunities with the EU (including the Seconded National Expert and National Expert in Professional Training schemes) should first contact the Human Resources Division of their employer.
If you have any questions, please visit the ‘Contact Us’ page to submit a query.