Working at the European Commission

My workplace in Brussels is one of the six Executive Agencies the European Union has, the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). The primary role of Agencies is not to work on policy making but to help to manage the various EU programs. The EASME is in charge of for instance the Horizon 2020, the Eco-Innovation initiative and LIFE programs. Established by the European Commission, the EASME has to report to seven different Directorates-Generals (DG) in the Commission depending on the program in question. The most frequently I have come across DG Environment, but others are for example the DG RTD (Research & Innovation) and DG CLIMA (Climate Action).

Ideally, the Agency acts as a communication channel between the European Commission and organizations in the different member states - be it SMEs, research institutions, NGOs or public bodies. The feedback the Agency receives from beneficiaries would then be reflected in future EU programs and policies. As a working environment the Agency is very unique - it has both elements of the bureaucratic EU procedures but also its own dynamic atmosphere. This type of working environment is new to me but I managed to find my own place within the team rather quickly. 

I was surprised by the lack of a formal dress code. Basically people dress to feel comfortable at work, and my colleagues wear everything from nice dresses to jeans with a nice sweater. The rule of thumb is that for meetings with external people, the look is more professional than when being among equals in the office. 

On average everyone working in my Agency speaks three languages - English, French and their own national language. Knowing French is useful both in the office and on the streets but I unfortunately do not speak a word of it. Even though it is not a requirement, the assumption is that everyone speaks French and the chitchat is often in French, which I am unfortunately not able to follow then at all.

The best part of the day is of course the lunch break and coffee break together with other trainees. The building we work in hosts besides EASME also many research related EU institutions such as the European Research Council and DG RTD. My fellow trainees are a mixture of researchers, social scientists and engineers. Some are almost done with their Master's degrees while others have already completed PhDs and Postdocs. They come from all across Europe and have an international background. And most importantly, they are extremely funny people so we laugh a lot and the lunch break really feels like a break from work!