Ga verder naar de inhoud

European Parliament calls for banning unpaid internships

14/06/2023

Today, the European Parliament voted in favour of the report on quality traineeships, which calls for legislation to finally #BanUnpaidInternships ⛔

  • The plenary adopted the report calling on the Commission to propose a directive on Quality Traineeships with 404 votes in favour, 78 against and 130 abstentions.
  • The text of the report is available here.

We are one step closer to putting an end to unpaid work. What's next?

All eyes are on the European Commission now to put an ambitious EU directive on the table.

In response to the vote, Mark McNulty, Board Member of the European Youth Forum said:

“This vote is a decisive step that will help more young people from diverse backgrounds enter the labour market. The European Commission can’t betray young people now; it is time for binding legislation that will ban unpaid internships for good. Decent jobs cannot be kept only for those whose parents can afford to pay their bills while they work for free. Young people deserve fair wages for their work and for their rights to be respected in the workplace. The Parliament’s vote validates that the majority of European citizens want to put an end to unpaid work.”

can you afford an unpaid internship?

The European Youth Forum's study on “The Costs of Unpaid Internships” reveals that an unpaid internship costs the average young person in Europe over €1000 a month. As many internships last six months, the total amount that a young person must spend in order to subsidise their employment is over €6000 per internship. The researchers expect the figure to be even higher in 2023, due to the cost of living crisis in Europe.

want to know more?

Unpaid internships are keeping an entire generation of Europeans behind.

Apart from the financial costs, unpaid internships can put a lot of pressure on young people’s mental health, can have lifelong consequences for young people's career opportunities and are worsening inequalities.

Related articles & publications

Democracy

Young people deserve to #BeSeenBeHeard

Press release - 04/09/2023

The Body Shop and the European Youth Forum launch a petition calling on all European governments and the European Parliament to lower the voting age to 16 for all local, regional, national and European elections.

Lublin in September: Things to do this autumn in the European Youth Capital 2023

News - 30/08/2023

Summer is almost over, but that's not changing the mood in the European Youth Capital 2023. While some of us are preparing to go back to school or university, Lublin is offering plenty of exciting events. Got no plans for this autumn? Visit this vibrant city in September for festivals and sports competitions that will make you want to stay outdoors.

Do tech companies care about young people’s wellbeing?

News - 24/08/2023

The implementation of the Digital Services Act is their chance to prove it.

Tomorrow, social media and tech companies will publish their assessments of the risk that their platforms pose to society. This is a crucial step towards transparency and accountability, but will it be enough to protect young people’s wellbeing online?