“I joined the Council’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs in 2016, and this is my second post here. In my first post I had the unique opportunity to be responsible for the negotiations on the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the main programme of NextGenerationEU, the post-pandemic recovery plan.

In my current post in the Budget and Cohesion Unit, I am in charge of the budget heading dealing with the Union’s external action, and as a result I was also fortunate enough to be responsible for the negotiations on the EUR 18bn macro-financial assistance package to Ukraine for 2023.

Before coming to the Council, I worked in DG FISMA at the Commission, and before that I worked at the European Parliament, where I had the chance to support the negotiations on the so-called six-pack and two-pack (the Stability and Growth Pact and the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure).

In sum, while I don’t work as a hardcore economist, my job does require the thinking, the knowledge and the type of analysis that an economist’s work does. Having a handle on the figures and being able to interpret them is always a valuable skill to bring to your work. And as you can see, you can switch institutions as and when it suits you, which also enriches your growth and your work – particularly, for example, during negotiations. I’m never bored!”

"Crisis management encompasses the response to emergencies, in Europe and around the world. Organised along the pillars of civil protection and humanitarian aid, crisis management, for DG ECHO, means tight deadlines, coordination with the other EU institutions and the Member States and with international organisations, travel, and, most of all, the sense that you are doing something that brings tangible benefits to millions. I work in communication – keeping the public informed on what the Union is doing in response to crises from the COVID-19 pandemic to the activation of the civil protection mechanism for Ukraine, to the organization of humanitarian air bridges to the strengthening of the EU’s firefighting fleet. Every day brings something different."

"My name is Emmanuel, I am from France, and I speak English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German – the five languages of the Office. The EUIPO, where I started working back in 2008 as an external Project Manager, was my first European institution. A couple of years later I started working in International Cooperation, which brought me closer to IP - and I loved it. A few years later, after a period working for the European Parliament, I passed a competition for IP professionals and went onto work in Design examinations in the Operations Department of the EUIPO.  
I deeply enjoy my work within the Operations department, especially the balance between examining designs (core business) and being part of more horizontal projects such as Artificial Intelligence applied to trade marks and designs (mostly for image recognition and automatic classification). One of the activities that I love getting involved in is delivering presentations and conferences to international stakeholders. For instance, next October I'll be going to Cameroon to train African examiners on designs. In the past, I also had the chance to visit Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, Peru, or Ecuador in the context of International Cooperation. 
Alicante is a great place to live if you are an outdoor enthusiast. I enjoy activities such as sailing and hiking. Alicante has a manageable size, and it was not difficult at all to adapt when I first arrived."
 

My name is Marko, and as a lawyer-linguist at the Court of Justice of the European Union, my task is to ensure that court documents in foreign languages are translated into Estonian in such a way that the reader believes they were originally drafted in Estonian.

In my daily work, I not only need to be proficient in foreign languages, but, in addition to a solid knowledge of EU law, I must also be familiar with the legal systems of other EU Member States, sometimes creating new legal concepts in Estonian when necessary. As a quality advisor at the Estonian Translation Department, I believe that, alongside ensuring access to the widest possible body of case law in Estonian, it is crucial that our translations are as accurate as possible. This allows us to convey the true meaning of legal texts to Estonian readers.

Having worked at the Court of Justice of the European Union for over 20 years, I can confirm that the legal issues I translate are both highly engaging and topical, offering an opportunity to contribute personally to the development of the Estonian legal language. The rapid development of technology and artificial intelligence also presents daily challenges in my work – I have the extraordinary privilege of being at the heart of it all in Europe.

*****

Euroopa Liidu Kohtu jurist-lingvistina on minu ülesanne tagada, et võõrkeelsed kohtudokumendid oleksid tõlgitud eesti keelde nii, et lugejale jääks mulje, et need ongi algselt koostatud eesti keeles.

Minu igapäevane töö eeldab laialdast võõrkeelte oskust, liidu õiguse tundmist ning võrdleva õiguse analüüsi, mis hõlmab kõikide liikmesriikide õigussüsteemide mõistmist, selleks et kasutada tõlkimisel võimalikult täpset eesti õigusterminit või vajaduse korral luua uus termin. Eesti tõlkeosakonna kvaliteedinõunikuna seisan hea selle eest, et eesti keeles kättesaadava kohtupraktika tõlked oleksid võimalikult kvaliteetsed ja usaldusväärsed. Nii saab Eesti lugejale eesti keeles edasi anda õigustekstide tegeliku mõtte.

Olles Euroopa Liidu Kohtus töötanud üle 20 aasta, kinnitan, et tõlgitavad õigusprobleemid on äärmiselt põnevad ja aktuaalsed ning pakuvad võimaluse isiklikult panustada eesti õiguskeele arengusse. Tehnoloogia ja tehisintellekti kiire areng seab iga päev väljakutseid ka minu töös – mul on erakordne privileeg olla otse Euroopa südames.

"My name is Michaela and I am the European Commission Anti-racism Coordinator. Working for the European Commission has deepened my commitment to public service. Every day, I have the opportunity to contribute to policies that strive to reflect European values of human rights, equality and freedom with the aim of uplifting all Europeans, whether addressing inequalities in education, advocating for inclusive digital transformation, or amplifying marginalised voices in policymaking. True public service demands more than good intentions, it requires confronting systemic gaps. As a Black European woman, I’ve felt both the honour and the weight of representing communities often underrepresented in EU spaces. I’ve found strength in turning these gaps into opportunities for change. Initiatives like the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan remind me that progress is possible when institutions prioritise equity as fiercely as they preach it. 
Europe’s strength lies in its diversity, and diverse voices are vital to shaping a Union where everyone belongs."

“European transport policy touches upon everyone’s daily lives. That is what I realised soon after I started working in the Transport Committee of the European Parliament 15 years ago. I am now in DG MOVE (Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport) in the inter-institutional relations team.

In this coordination unit, you have a very good overview of the DG and the pending ad upcoming MOVE proposals. It’s a perfect position to understand the working methods and dynamics of other institutions as well. It is extremely interesting to closely follow the proposals though the different stages of the co-legislation process and to see how the text evolves in the Council working parties/Coreper meetings and parliamentary Committees/plenaries, and later during the trilogue negotiations”.

Following my studies in political economy, development and business administration, I worked on trade, industry and development policies, among others for the International Labour Organisation in Nigeria; the Dutch Foreign Service; Oxfam Novib; and more recently the European Union.

For the EU, I helped establish a joint undertaking in Barcelona supporting nuclear fusion development. I worked on humanitarian aid and health policies and more recently on our trade policy, leveraging EU trade for improving labour, human rights and environmental standards.

I was posted in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, where I served as head of the trade section of the EU Delegation, engaging government and civil society on free trade agreements, trade and sustainability and market access.

In January 2021, I was appointed head of the trade and economic section of the EU office to Hong Kong and Macao.

“Having two dogs, I appreciate that Brussels is a dog-friendly city with many areas where dogs can run freely. A plus is all the green spaces around the city like Bois de La Cambre or Fôret des Soignes where you can find hiking and mountain bike paths. Also, the train network is quite good which allows us to discover Belgium cities and villages in day trips. Last but not least, the intense cultural live! There’s always something interesting happening in the city.”

« Je travaille en tant que juriste-linguiste au sein de l’unité de traduction de langue française à la Cour de justice de l'UE depuis huit ans. Les tâches qui incombent à cette unité consistent principalement en la traduction de pièces de procédure dans des affaires portées devant la Cour et le Tribunal et de conclusions rédigées par les avocats généraux. 

Ce métier permet d’allier une expertise en matière juridique et la pratique des langues, en exerçant dans une institution qui joue un rôle essentiel au sein de l’Union européenne. 

Il offre également un environnement de travail propice à l’acquisition constante de compétences au fil de la carrière, notamment par l’apprentissage de langues étrangères et la formation à l’utilisation de nouveaux outils de travail dans le domaine de l’informatique et des technologies. »

“Applying for EPSO’s competition for economists can be a great opportunity from many respects!

Hi, my name is Adja and I am a macroeconomist at the European Commission, DG ECFIN. I have a Ph.D. in applied international economics (major econometrics) from the University of Namur. Before joining the European Commission, I worked in the Federal Planning Bureau in Brussels.

Since 2019, I am working in the field of EU fiscal policy. I first spent some years in the unit in charge of the coordination of Member States’ surveillance in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact. Being in constant interaction with many units and colleagues across the DG, was a great experience, which definitely has developed both my practical knowledge on the application of the Pact, a cornerstone of the EU policy, and my leadership skills. It also widened my horizon as regards the different factors driving the EU fiscal policy and public debt developments.

As a result, I recently joined the unit responsible for monitoring and assessing the sustainability of EU public finances in relation to fiscal risks stemming, for instance, from ageing population and related issues (like pensions, health care and long-term care spending), green transition or banking sector. This is a very exciting job, involving a holistic approach to consider fiscal risks arising outside the realm of public finances stricto sensu, some of these risks being also part of the EU major challenges ahead.

So, what can you expect if you work for the European Commission?

• First, you will have the opportunities to deal with many challenges and responsibilities, that are linked to EU policies with a direct impact on Member States,
• Second, you will work with various talented and inspiring colleagues from different backgrounds, both cultural and professional ones.
• Finally, you will also have many occasions to be involved in a broad variety of topics ranging, for instance, from macroeconomic forecasts to the implementation of EU fiscal rules.

So just give it a try, have a look at the Notice of Competition and apply!”