EU equivalent to the Civil service fast stream

The EU fast stream option wasn't avalible last year and is unlikely to be resurected in the near future (certainly not this year). Not sure why it was discontinued.
Don't know what to suggest other than join fast stream and try and move your career in that direction or take a shot at the diplomatic service option. Depends what your interested in.

Reply 2

34253

2

I think you need to go through the FCO?

Reply 3

FCO (diplomatic option) can land you anywhere in the world - not so likely to end up in europe and defo won't get you into Brussels. The previous EU option would have but has gone.

http://www.faststream.gov.uk/index.asp?txtNavID=93&txtOverrideDocID=33

Thats pretty much what you would have wanted.

Reply 4

studentbug

OP

Oh, I didn't formulate my question so well.

I wonder if the European Union has its own "fast stream" (that perhaps is similar in the way it functions to the British civil service fast stream). Not through the British civil service but in to EU, through EU, so to speak.

Reply 5

Nope each country sends its own delegates, it seems we cant be bothered to train any more :biggrin:

Reply 6

The answer above is wrong - most EU employees are not national civil servants. This site should tell you everything you need to know about job opportunities:
http://europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm
There isn't a formal annual graduate programme like the fast stream and your chances of finding a suitable concours to apply for vary considerably depending on nationality, qualifications, experience etc. You also need to be reasonably fluent in at least two official languages. It's very competitive.

Reply 7

Could you expand a bit? That site had vacancies for nurses and nuclear inspectors and lingists - do you get policy work through there as well?
Since you seem to know what your on about, how did the EU Fast Stream differ? (and why was it axed?)
cheers!

Reply 8

username48778

0

The Concours is way the to become a civil servant in the EU, but it's incredibly competitive.
Depending on your current situation, I'd check out the stagiare programme, which is an excellent way to gain experience within the EU institutions. It's like an internship but well paid - enough to survive on in Brussels.

http://ec.europa.eu/stages/index_en.htm

Another option is the Junior Experts in Delegation programme (JED), which is also incredibly competitive but if you're interested in being posted abroad then it's worth looking into.

http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/jed/

Reply 9

The UK civil service European Fast Stream was aimed at offering extra EU-specific and language training to fast streamers who were interested in entering the administrative concours, to give them a better chance of passing. The UK used to be under-represented in the EU staff (maybe because fewer people have adequate linguistic skills) and the European Fast Stream was trying to address this problem. I think it was scrapped because a) it had been successful and we're not really under-represented any more and b) there aren't many generalist administrative concours nowadays. They seem to be aiming more at recruiting people with at least three years experience in a particular field (unless you're a national of a recently joined member state where there have been a few more opportunities). The only British people I know of who've got policy jobs recently all had policy relevant PhDs plus work experience at a fairly senior level.
Policy jobs are described as administrative posts on the EPSO website so that's what you're looking for. The last poster is right - the best way for new graduates is to do a stage with the EU and learn how the system works.

Reply 10

Cheers Jennipenny :smile:

Reply 11

starry skies

I remember a chap from BERR talking about how there were opportunities to do stages while on the fast stream when I was at the open day, so applying for the graduate fast stream is still worth thinking about even if you're aiming for Europe.

Reply 12

Prince Rhyus

15

The way around it is to become an SNE - Seconded National Expert - and that is more straight-forward. There is a European section of the civil service gateway but it's only open to existing civil servants - you need a government email address to get a username and password. Once you've got that, all of the European vacancies (and there are loads) are posted up there.

That's not to say they are not competitive - they are. But spending time on the Fast Stream will give you that expertise that you'll need to apply for them - as well as the academic background that goes with them.

Most secondments last for a couple of years - I know a couple of people who've done this.

Not sure what's happening at Cabinet Office level re: the European Fast Stream.

As far a "Fast Stream for the European Union", I don't think there is one - certainly I've not come across it. AFAIK each member state seconds staff to the EU and has its own selection processes.

Reply 13

According to the European Commission's statistics, it employs 32000 people -just over 1000 of whom are detached / seconded national experts (from all 27 member states).So the secondees are actually only a very small part of the EU staff. They can also only stay in Brussels for four years before having to return to their own government. They tend to get the more technical posts dealing with policy implementation, based on their previous national roles, so are concentrated in certain directorate-generals like competition and transport and I think are also often found in the executive agencies (but if you want policy work that's not so interesting). So if you want to make a career there (and get the more interesting posts) then there's nothing for it but to try and get through the concours, which incidentally Member State governments are not allowed to influence (to avoid obvious nepotism).

If anyone is really keen on an EU career and has a politics/ economics/ law degree and speaks French, it's worth looking into the College of Europe MA programmes. The UK government offers a certain number of scholarships each year and you'd certainly learn the material necessary to have a good chance of getting through the concours, and it does give you the chance to build up enviable networks of contacts in Brussels so can help getting a Brussels-based job in political lobbying, consultancy, NGOs etc as well as the institutions themselves.

Reply 14

username48778

0

In addition to a stage, you could also look at being an intern with an MEP and then/or an MEP assistant. Applying to one that works on a committee/delegation you're interested in, or represents a region near you is probably best. It's another way to get experience in Bxl, improve your French, and make contacts for future positions be it within the EU or in a political lobbying/consultancy type job, as jennypenny says.

Reply 15

studentbug

OP

Wow, from the sound of what you guys have been saying, it sounds bureaucratic - which makes me think that the best positions will be given to graduates with lots of connections and networks within the EU, any truth in this?

And another more subjective question, would you say that it's worth it? If you DO get in to the system, are there realistic chances to climb in the ladder or once again, will the top jobs be given to "friends" and civil servants that the individual countries send?

Reply 16