Minister Adlercreutz to discuss EU career opportunities at universities across Finland

Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Anders Adlercreutz will visit several Finnish universities this spring to talk about his experiences and discuss career opportunities at the EU. The purpose of the university tour is to offer information related to EU careers and increase students’ interest in applying for EU positions.

“The more Finns we have working in EU institutions, the more those institutions know about the special characteristics of Finland. Getting more Finnish young people interested in EU careers is a crucial part of our work to exert influence in the EU. It is in Finland’s interest that those working in Brussels have close ties to everyday life in Finland. For young people, EU careers are an excellent opportunity to work on issues that affect the whole world,” Minister Adlercreutz says.

The tour kicked off on 12 March at the University of Turku, and the next stops will be the University of Tampere (8 April), the University of Vaasa (9 April) and the Vasa campus of Åbo Akademi University (9 April), the University of Jyväskylä (22 April), the University of Helsinki (23 April) and Aalto University (23 April). More visits are planned for autumn 2024. 

The events are open to both students and university staff. Minister Adlercreutz will be joined at the events by a Senior Specialist for EU Affairs from the Prime Minister’s Office, who will provide more detailed information on EU job opportunities and the application process and discuss measures to promote EU recruitment in Finland. 

To ensure that EU policy takes into account the interests of all Member States and the Union as a whole, it is important to have a balanced number of citizens from all Member States working in EU institutions.

Increasing retirement means that the relative share of Finns among the employees at EU institutions has begun to fall sharply. At the same time, the number of applicants from Finland, and especially the number of Finns who have succeeded in the competition for EU careers, has been quite low. As a result, Finns will soon be underrepresented in EU institutions.

In addition to promoting the EU competence and recruitment of Finnish public officials, efforts are being made to encourage recent graduates, students and young people to apply for EU positions. 

The Government has strengthened the measures and increased the resources used to promote EU recruitment as part of Finland’s efforts to exert influence on the EU. In spring 2024, the Prime Minister’s Office will launch a network of stakeholders that rectors and student organisations from higher education institutions will be invited to join. The aim is to deepen cooperation and share information related to EU recruitment. 

The European Union institutions also offer a number of opportunities for internships. These can be a very useful experience, regardless of whether participants end up working for the EU. All institutions have their own calls for traineeship applications, which are usually held a couple of times a year. 

Working for the EU offers an opportunity to promote the Union’s values of peace, freedom, democracy, equality and human rights. EU employees work on issues affecting all EU citizens, such as climate issues, security or the digital transition.

The EU institutions pay competitive wages, offer diverse training and study opportunities, and provide a wide range of possibilities for professional and personal development throughout employees’ careers.

Inquiries: Johanna Hulkko, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 160 942 and Crista Grönroos, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 50 441 4257, Prime Minister’s Office