Joint Statement: Protect Europe’s Interns!
Together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) we urge Member States to not accept the current version of the Traineeship Directive, rather to return to the drawing board and work on legislation that is fit for purpose. Read our joint statement below to find out why👇
Would you like to know more? Get in touch!
Last March, the European Commission published a proposal to improve the quality of traineeships in the European Union - an updated Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships and a directive on enforcing working conditions of traineeships, and tackling bogus traineeships.
Although the scope of the Directive falls short of what generations of young people, youth organisations, trade unions, and civil society have been advocating for — as it does not mandate remuneration for trainees — it still represents a step forward. Importantly, it opens the possibility for Member States to define, uniformly across the EU, what constitutes a quality traineeship and what instead is exploitation in the form of a bogus one.
However, during the negotiations in the Council, the text has been significantly weakened. The Hungarian Presidency is proposing to seek agreement for this weakened directive at EPSCO Social on 2nd December.
Member States should not accept the current version of the Traineeship Directive, as it fails to offer sufficient protection to trainees and risks causing more harm than good. In addition, the narrowed scope allows for exploitative practices to persist, leaving many trainees without the safeguards they have the right to.
We urge Member States to return to the drawing board and work on legislation that is fit for purpose — legislation that brings tangible change and ensures a fair and inclusive entry into the labour market for young people across Europe.
We call on Member States to:
Include traineeships which are part of active labour market policies, as well as those in recognised professions.
Reinstate article 5 of the directive which defines bogus traineeships.
Incorporate a new article setting out what an internship should be, including provisions on the use of a written agreement, establishing maximum durations, and a learning component.
The legislative text should also not be agreed before the Council Recommendation for a Quality Framework on Traineeships - given the interconnection between the two documents.
We have established multiple times in the past that trainees do real work. Working for free is against international Human Rights Law, and it is time to end once and for all the exploitation of young people in the labour market, and instead build a foundation that is long lasting and protects labour rights.
We therefore call upon the Council to listen to Europe’s youth and use this legislative opportunity to protect interns, not to adopt an empty and meaningless text that sidesteps this obligation.
Related articles & publications
Apply now: AU-EU Cooperation Grants for Youth-Led Projects
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Call for Proposals of the AU-EU Youth Action Lab! If you’re part of a youth-led organisation in the European Union (EU) or one of the 12 African Union (AU) countries listed below, this is your chance to secure funding for innovative projects tackling global challenges.
Walking the COP or not?
At COP29 in Baku, leaders finally reached an agreement on climate finance—but it fell far short of what’s needed. Wealthier countries, including the EU, failed to take bold steps to support vulnerable populations and phase out fossil fuels. The European Youth Forum stands with youth activists worldwide, demanding real accountability and policies that prioritize future generations and the planet over empty promises.
Board Statement: Young people in Georgia deserve free and fair elections
The European Youth Forum condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the interference with the electoral process in Georgia facilitated by the ruling Georgian Dream party. We call for free and fair national elections to be reorganised in Georgia and reiterate our support for Georgia's European integration.