“Svoju prácu už viac ako 15 rokov, keď som úspešne absolvovala výberové konanie na miesto právneho lingvistu, vnímam ako poslanie. Jednou z hlavných úloh právnika lingvistu na Súdnom dvore v Luxembursku je zabezpečiť, aby právne dokumenty Súdneho dvora boli presne a v súlade s právnou terminológiou preložené do všetkých úradných jazykov Únie. Právnik lingvista pracuje v multikultúrnom a multijazyčnom prostredí. Samotné Luxembursko poskytuje vysokú kvalitu života, kultúrne a športové vyžitie pre všetky vekové kategórie. Ak ste zanieteným lingvistom so záujmom pre právo a európsku integráciu, táto práca a životný štýl v Luxembursku môžu byť pre vás ideálnou kombináciou.”

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“After successfully completing the selection process for the position of legal linguist, I have been seeing this job as a mission for more than 15 years. One of the main tasks of a lawyer linguist at the Court of Justice of Luxembourg is to ensure that the legal documents of the Court of Justice are translated accurately and in accordance with legal terminology into all the official languages of the Union. As a lawyer linguist, you have the opportunity to work in a multicultural and multilingual environment. Luxembourg itself provides a high quality of life, cultural and sports activities for all age groups. If you are a passionate linguist with a passion for law and European integration, this job and lifestyle in Luxembourg could be the perfect combination for you.”

“I have been working in taxation files in both indirect and direct taxation for 21 years, first in the public sector in Greece, then in the Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council and for the last 4 years in the European Commission after succeeding in the EPSO AD taxation competition. For me, working in the Commission means that ‘every day counts’. It counts because I am contributing, with my own policy reflections, analytical work and experience, collectively with other colleagues, to shaping EU taxation policy. Every contribution is a little step further in making the Single Market work in practice for citizens and business.”

“Working for the European Commission is a transformative experience. Since joining, I have participated in high-level policy discussions, both internally and with other EU institutions. Engaging in interinstitutional relations opens a world of opportunities within the EU framework. In my current position I’m able to positively influence EU policies by shaping and coordinating briefings and speeches for my Director-General and EU Commissioners. The work environment is highly collaborative, allowing me to interact with colleagues from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. Joining the European Commission is an enriching experience which has broadened my horizon and enhanced my professional and intellectual growth.”

“As a policy officer in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), I manage CESOP, an IT system designed to combat e-commerce tax fraud. I contribute to improving business compliance when trading with EU citizens and companies. I am proud to be able to influence the creation of legal and technical tools enhancing tax fraud detection, together with Member States and international organisations, such as the OECD and Europol. After over nine years in DG TAXUD, I appreciate the unique, inspiring, joyful and challenging opportunities to work in a multicultural community, where colleagues and managers show respect for individual work and personality.”

“I’ve been working as a lawyer-linguist at the Council of the EU for three years. In this role, we revise all EU legal acts that are to be adopted by the Council of the EU and the European Council, ensuring legal and linguistic consistency across all language versions. This allows me to combine my legal expertise with my passion for languages. I’m proud to contribute to the EU legislative process and to collaborate with fellow lawyers and assistants from nearly every Member State. There is a strong sense of community among us, and the atmosphere is always welcoming and supportive.”

“At the Legal Service of the General Secretariat of the Council, I have the opportunity to collaborate closely with colleagues from all EU Member States, working in all EU languages, and contributing to the quality of EU legislation.

As a lawyer-linguist, I especially enjoy working as a quality advisor and ʻchef de fileʼ, overseeing a team of lawyers and other administrators within the Council and from other institutions to legally and linguistically finalise the base language (English) version of legislative files. In these roles, strong coordination and leadership qualities are essential to completing all tasks within tight deadlines.”

“Working for the Quality of Legislation (LEG) team at the Legal Service is to be part of a highly professional and inspiring team.

We constantly seek and find the best way to apply drafting rules to exciting aspects of Union life such as the Covid crisis, rules on chemicals, the environment, health and safety protection, and finance. There is a strong reliance on team discussions to achieve the best approach for new situations – and discussions are invariably collegial and fruitful: no colleague is alone, we find solutions together.

On a daily basis, I feel that my colleagues and I are playing a meaningful, useful and vital role in Union law, and in participating in the project of an ever-closer Union, for citizens and businesses, in all 24 languages.”

Working as a lawyer-linguist at the Directorate of Legislative Acts in the European Parliament allows me to use my languages and legal expertise to play a vital role in the democratic process of the Union.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is advising Members of the European Parliament on legal drafting, helping to shape the legislation that affects millions of Union citizens. I really feel that I am at the heart of European law making!

The collaborative, multilingual environment makes every day intellectually stimulating, and I take great pride in ensuring that Union law is accessible to all.

“I have been working as a lawyer-linguist in the Bulgarian section of the Directorate for Legislative Acts at the European Parliament for almost 10 years. This is my first job within the European institutions, and I continue to value the diverse range of tasks I am involved in.

The core of my work is to revise EU legislative acts that are to be adopted by the Parliament and the Council, ensuring both their legal and linguistic accuracy. My role is to guarantee the highest possible quality of legislative texts while making EU law accessible and understandable across all Member States. This job allows me to work in both English and my native language, which I greatly appreciate. In addition, as a lawyer-linguist, I can contribute to the clarity and precision of EU legislation by advising Members of the European Parliament on legal drafting. Being part of the European Union law making process is highly rewarding and fulfilling.

The variety of tasks and the collaborative environment make the lawyer-linguist job dynamic, interactive, and satisfying. Moreover, my colleagues are multicultural, pleasant and supportive.”

“Ik beken: het heeft destijds niet veel gescheeld of ik had mijn kans om bij het Hof aan de slag te gaan gemist. Ik zat namelijk middenin de examenperiode – en dus met mijn neus in de studieboeken en niet in de krant – toen het Hof een advertentie voor de job van jurist-vertaler bij de Nederlandse vertaalafdeling publiceerde …

Gelukkig was er mijn partner! Ik herinner me als de dag van gisteren hoe hij de aankondiging naar me toe schoof en terloops vroeg of “dit misschien iets voor mij was”?

NATUURLIJK was dit iets voor mij!! Na mijn studies Romaanse filologie aan de Universiteit Antwerpen had ik een baan gevonden bij een grote juridische uitgeverij, en na een tijdje had ik zin gekregen om rechten te gaan studeren. Zo gezegd, zo gedaan: toen de advertentie van het Hof verscheen, was ik mijn laatste examens aan de Vrije Universiteit Brussel aan het afleggen … Ik besefte meteen: hier had ik van gedroomd! Ik was gek op taal en had (bijna) een diploma rechten op zak – een mooiere combinatie was nauwelijks denkbaar!

Ik heb dus niet getwijfeld en, zie, inmiddels ben ik net geen 20 jaar bij het Hof in dienst …

De eerste tijd bij het Hof is best intensief: professioneel kom je in een nieuwe, internationale omgeving terecht en je hebt nog heel wat te leren. Geen nood, want je kan rekenen op fijne collega’s die je graag een handje helpen! Ook privé kom je in een nieuwe omgeving terecht. Mijn partner en ik hebben ervoor gekozen om in de Belgische Ardennen te gaan wonen. Prachtig is het daar! Je kan er eindeloos wandelen, fietsen en joggen. En als je eens geen zin hebt in natuur, is de stad nooit echt ver weg.

Maar ook na de “opstartperiode” blijft het een pittige job, die niet gaat vervelen. In hun teksten buigen het Hof en het Gerecht zich over grote actuele thema’s, en als jurist-vertaler zit je in een bevoorrechte positie om de trends in de rechtspraak van de hoogste Europese rechterlijke instanties op de voet te volgen. Net als de maatschappij evolueert uiteraard ook het vak zelf: de hedendaagse vertaaltechnieken bieden nieuwe mogelijkheden, maar stellen de jurist-vertaler ook voor nieuwe uitdagingen.

Zie jij een uitdaging wel zitten? Dan horen we graag van je!”