The Employment and Social Affairs Committee has proposed changes to new EU rules on traineeships, in a report adopted on Tuesday by 42 votes to nine, and with six abstentions. The objective is to ensure proper working conditions for trainees and to dissuade companies from disguising regular jobs as traineeships.

Types of traineeship

The Employment Committee MEPs have set out a clear definition of what constitutes a traineeship, stressing that it should be for a limited time and involve entry-level work, facilitating the transition from education to employment. They want all traineeships to be included under the new rules, except for mandatory traineeships that are an integral part of studies or apprenticeships.

No contract, no traineeship

Employment MEPs stress that all prospective trainees should receive a written traineeship agreement describing pay, tasks, learning objectives, rights and obligations, and the duration of the traineeship. Traineeships should last no longer than six months, unless duly justified. Trainees should also have access to social protection, including health insurance, unemployment benefits and pension contributions, the text says.

Combating abusive practices

A traineeship that is not paid in accordance with national law, lacks a training component, or has no mentorship or evaluation, should be considered an abusive practice, according to MEPs, as it means an employment relationship is being disguised as a traineeship. The members have introduced additional alarm bells to help detect and combat these practices, such as when a trainee undertakes multiple or consecutive traineeships with the same employer or the lack of a comprehensive vacancy notice.

To facilitate the enforcement of the new rules, the MEPs on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee support a proposal to oblige companies to share upon request data on traineeship numbers, durations, working conditions, and more, with the competent national authorities.

The new rules would make it easier for trainees to report malpractice, as there would be channels for reporting poor working conditions anonymously and safely. The MEPs also want organisations to designate a person to whom trainees would be able to turn for advice and support in cases of suspected malpractice.

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Rapporteur Alicia Homs Ginel (S&D, ES) said: “Today the European Parliament is sending a clear message to young people across Europe: their work matters, and their rights must be protected. After a year and a half of intense work, this directive is our response to the calls from young people during the Conference on the Future of Europe and the European Year of Youth. It tackles widespread abuses and disguised employment, guarantees fair pay and social protection, and ensures that traineeships are a genuine path towards standard quality employment”.

Next steps

The Employment and Social Affairs committee also voted to start interinstitutional negotiations, by 41 vote to 14, and with one abstention. If no objections are raised during the announcement of the mandate at Parliament’s upcoming plenary session, talks with the Council on the final form of the directive can begin.

Background

The European Commission’s draft traineeship directive came in response to a 2023 European Parliament call to set minimum traineeship quality standards, including rules on duration, remuneration and access to social protection, in accordance with national laws and practices.