Storico di formazione, sono un esperto in materia di diritti fondamentali. Lavoro alla Commissione europea dal 2015, prima come vicecoordinatore per la lotta contro l'antisemitismo e ora come responsabile dei programmi di finanziamento dei valori dell'UE, dei diritti fondamentali e della memoria europea.

Ho iniziato la mia carriera presso la DG Istruzione e cultura, nell'ufficio del direttore generale aggiunto. Durante i 6 anni alla Commissione ho lavorato in vari dipartimenti, tra cui l'unità "Politiche per la gioventù" della DG Istruzione e cultura e l'unità "Politica di asilo" della DG Migrazione e affari interni.

Il mio lavoro è molto vario: spazia dalla presentazione dei finanziamenti dell'UE alle organizzazioni della società civile e ai ministeri, alla definizione di nuovi meccanismi di finanziamento per sostenere le attività di lotta contro il razzismo, la discriminazione e l'antisemitismo, alla garanzia di uno stretto allineamento tra le nostre priorità politiche in materia di uguaglianza e il sostegno che offriamo alle parti interessate.

Durante i miei studi universitari in storia ebraica presso l'Università Ludwig-Maximilian di Monaco di Baviera ho trascorso un anno accademico come borsista presso l'Università ebraica di Gerusalemme. Ho anche conseguito un master in studi europei presso il Collegio d'Europa di Varsavia (Natolin). Sono attivo nel più grande movimento giovanile filoeuropeo, i Giovani federalisti europei, anteriormente come presidente della commissione per gli affari esteri. Sono un ex studente della American Council on Germany’s Young Leaders’ Conference e partecipo ancora al gruppo di lavoro sulla diversità, l'equità e l'inclusione di tale istituzione.

My name is Ann, I am Belgian and I speak Dutch as mother tongue as well as English, French, Spanish and German. I joined the European Commission in 2003 with a temporary contract and became a permanent official in 2005. With good preparation and determination, passing an open competition is certainly not a mission impossible!

Working for the EU has been nothing but a positive experience. You work with enthusiastic, dedicated and competent colleagues. You can constantly develop your professional and personal skills through a large variety of courses. The institutions promote job mobility, so you can acquire experience in different positions throughout your career.

I worked in four different positions before I joined Directorate-General for Translation (DGT) Dutch language department as a linguistic assistant. I like the variety of my tasks and the independent way of working. I can put my language knowledge, eye for detail and practical approach to good use. Good word processing, prioritising and communication skills are also important, as well as a proactive attitude.

In my work for DGT, I deal with different types of texts related to all domains in which the EU is active. I will never forget the process leading to the Brexit-agreement. It took a whole team of translators and assistants to ensure timely delivery of the translations involved. International crises, such as the war in Ukraine, also have an impact on your work. Events like these, both foreseen and unexpected, show how much our work – that of assistants included – is subject to the ins and outs of EU-politics.

I also love working in an international and multicultural environment. When you walk through the building, you see posters and newspapers from different countries. In the elevator or cafeteria, you hear different languages. When you socialize with your colleagues, you learn a lot about their culture and habits. Even though my direct colleagues, from the Dutch language department, all speak Dutch as a mother tongue, comparisons between Flemish and Dutch from the Netherlands can lead to amusing and animated conversations.

Linguistic assistant at the Dutch translation unit at the European Commission (Directorate-General for Translation)

"Quando passeggio per le strade del centro di Bruxelles mi piace scoprire i dipinti che sono stati realizzati su alcuni muri delle case. Raffigurano personaggi più o meno noti dei fumetti, ma non solo. Sono a disposizione di tutti. Basta guardarsi intorno e alzare lo sguardo dal telefonino :-)"

After gaining 15 years of experience in the private sector (mainly in internal and external communication), I joined the European Commission in 2013 and took up my current position at Directorate-General for Translation (DGT).

As a translation assistant at the European Commission, you are always in the middle of the news. Whereas in other Directorate-Generals the focus is on one policy area, at DGT all possible themes are covered. And we receive all types of text formats, such as legislative proposals, decisions, speeches, press releases, letters, etc. We are therefore always involved in current EU policy.

As an assistant you are at the service of others: translators, the head of unit, other assistants, etc. There is always someone who needs your help. Moreover, translators work to strict deadlines. Being able to quickly assess what is important, i.e. recognising priorities, is therefore a must. Especially as these priorities can change. In order to deal with unexpected twists in the planning, you need to have talent for organising. Good teamwork and communication with colleagues are also crucial.

As a translation assistant, you have many diverse responsibilities. It is therefore a plus if you like multi-tasking. Moreover, you work very independently: each assistant handles (every aspect of) the translation requests within his or her portfolio. The work is therefore varied. Translators count on you to spontaneously jump in where you can, so that they can focus on their work.

When I started out as a translation assistant, I had a lot to deal with. Fortunately, DGT provides all the necessary training. Moreover, during your induction period you are coached by experienced colleagues, either from your own or from another language department. Continuous training is encouraged. And this is very welcome, because the translation world quickly evolves, also from a technological point of view. Only if you master new applications quickly you can offer the best possible support.

Dutch and Flemish people work together in our department. The working atmosphere is surprisingly informal, more than you might expect from an EU institution. There is a lot of collegiality. This not only ensures that we deliver high-quality translations as a team, but also that it is a pleasure to work here, even in periods of heavy work pressure.

The official language in our department is Dutch, our mother tongue. That is quite special in such an international environment. It makes working together comfortable. We also use other languages - mainly English and French - on a daily basis in our contacts with colleagues from other departments.

As an assistant, you work with people at various levels within the organisation. Strong language and communication skills are therefore essential!

Working as a translation assistant at the European Commission means, above all, helping to steer the work of translators, the head of unit and your fellow assistants in the right direction. In this way, you contribute to the communication with EU citizens.

Linguistic assistant for the Dutch Translation Unit at European Commission (Directorate-General for Translation)

"Il Lussemburgo è sicuramente un paese molto accogliente. In un luogo che ospita persone di 170 nazionalità diverse non vi sentirete mai stranieri. Se amate la natura e le attività all'aria aperta, in Lussemburgo troverete le condizioni ideali per una tranquilla vita familiare, ricca di esperienze stimolanti! A me piace molto andare in bici e camminare, e qui ci sono così tanti percorsi che è impossibile provarli tutti :) 

Date un'occhiata a:

https://www.visitluxembourg.com/experience-luxembourg/nature-outdoors/cycling,

https://www.komoot.it/guide/547/fantastici-percorsi-per-bici-da-corsa-in-lussemburgo,

https://www.alltrails.com/luxembourg/forest”

"Quello che mi piace di più a Bruxelles è che c'è spazio per tutti, sia che a uno piaccia il trambusto della città o la tranquillità della natura. Sia per i bambini che per gli adulti la città offre un'ampia gamma di eventi culturali, attività e musei che si possono svolgere in città. Mi piace in particolare passeggiare tra gli stagni di Ixelles, godermi i grandi giardini limitrofi all'abbazia di La Cambre e fare una piacevole passeggiata nel Bois de la Cambre. Un altro dei miei luoghi preferiti per sfuggire alla vita della città è il Parco di Tervuren, un parco facilmente accessibile con i trasporti pubblici e ricco di storia, dove si può visitare il Museo dell'Africa, fare un'escursione, andare in bicicletta o semplicemente godersi un picnic con familiari e amici".

I started working for the European institutions in 2014, moved around a lot as contract/temporary agent in the Council and the European Commission, before finally joining the Quality of Legislation Directorate (DQL) in 2019 as assistant to lawyer-linguists.

Working in the DQL is quite challenging and interesting at the same time, as we are the final instance before something gets published in the Official Journal of the EU, so we have to be very attentive and have an eye for eventual typos and/or other kinds of mistakes.

The thing about working here that I like a lot is that, although we are in a multicultural environment, in our rather small tandem teams we are in constant touch with our mother-tongue.

Another very important aspect is that, on the one hand, we are not at all micromanaged by the hierarchy, while, on the other hand, managers do take care of their staff's needs by empowering them to get adequate training to guarantee the best possible service.

Lingustic assistant in the Croatian-Slovenian lawyer-linguist tandem team at the Council of the European Union

I joined Parliament in 2017. Previously, I had worked as a translator in Croatia and my linguistic background helped me to master various tasks involved in this job, but it was not a prerequisite. I work with colleagues from diverse academic and social backgrounds and I am happy to say that I have learned a lot from them, as the work of a translation assistant is very diverse and dynamic.

What I enjoy the most about my job is the feeling of belonging and contributing to the European project – especially given the essential role that the EP's multilingualism policy plays in protecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Union. It promotes transparency and understanding – values that are also highly respected in our work environment.

With its wide variety of training opportunities and emphasis on professional development, the EP is a great place to learn and develop. The work environment is welcoming and allows you to take initiative and use your skills and expertise for the greater good, while its multicultural nature gives you an opportunity to meet incredible people from all over Europe who share similar values.

Translation assistant at the Croatian Translation Unit, Directorate-General for Translation (TRAD), European Parliament