Rule No. 1345 of 23 April 2012 on traineeships and study visits in the Council of Europe Secretariat

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe,

CONSIDERING that it is necessary to specify the conditions and arrangements for traineeships and study visits in the Council of Europe Secretariat;

HAVING REGARD to the Charter on Professional Ethics of 15 July 2005;

HAVING CONSULTED the Staff Committee in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 3, of the Regulations on Staff Participation (Appendix I to the Staff Regulations);

D E C I D E S:

Part I - Traineeships

Chapter I - General provisions

Article 1 – Arrangements for traineeships at the Council of Europe

1.       Traineeships consist of a period of time spent in departments of the Council of Europe Secretariat.

2.       The Council of Europe offers two kinds of traineeship:

a.       traineeships in the framework of the official programme addressed to persons who have completed a minimum of three years of university study and have been awarded a degree for the first cycle of higher education within the meaning of the Bologna Declaration, and who wish to acquire practical experience and knowledge of the functioning and day-to-day activities of the Council of Europe;

b.       traineeships outside the framework of the official programme addressed to:

§  persons who have attended a university or an equivalent establishment for at least three years (six semesters) and who wish to specialise in a specific field related to the activities of the Council of Europe;

§  persons expected to complete a traineeship as part of their training course, particularly:

-    pupils or students who are working towards professional qualifications in technical fields such as secretarial assistance, accountancy, computing or communication;

-    students who are expected to complete a traineeship as part of their course at a university or an equivalent educational establishment;

-    persons who are following high-level vocational training organised by a non-profit-making organisation (such as a public institute or organisation);

-    persons who already hold a degree and are required to complete a traineeship in order to qualify for employment in an occupation;

-    national lawyers seeking to acquire professional experience with the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights.

For these traineeships outside the framework of the official programme, priority will be given to persons coming in pursuance of an agreement concluded between the training organisation and the department concerned.

3.       Admission to a traineeship shall not confer on the trainee the status of a Council of Europe staff member.  On no account does it confer entitlement to subsequent appointment on a permanent or temporary basis.

Article 2 – Purposes of the traineeship

1.       A traineeship enables the trainee to gain a general overview of the Organisation's activities, objectives and work.

 

2.       A traineeship gives the trainee the opportunity to supplement the knowledge acquired through his or her studies or work and to put that knowledge to practical use.

3.       A traineeship is intended to promote European integration, enabling the trainee to work in a multicultural and multilingual environment where the values of the Council of Europe are respected.

Article 3 - Duration of traineeships

1.       Traineeships in the framework of the official programme:

-        The duration of the traineeship is determined by the Directorate of Human Resources, and is a minimum of eight weeks and a maximum of five months.  An extension of the traineeship is possible in exceptional and duly justified circumstances, but its duration may not exceed a total of five months.  Any extension of a traineeship has to be approved by the Directorate of Human Resources.

-        There are two official traineeship sessions per year.  The date on which each session begins is set by the Directorate of Human Resources.

2.       Traineeships outside the framework of the official programme:

-        The traineeship in principle lasts for a minimum of three weeks and a maximum of eight weeks.

-        However, the duration of the traineeship may be altered in accordance with an agreement concluded between the institutions or establishments and the Council of Europe departments concerned.

3.       Prohibition of multiple traineeships:

-        In order to enable the largest number of applicants to benefit from an opportunity for a traineeship at the Council of Europe, nobody may undertake more than one traineeship in the Organisation, whatever form it may take.

Chapter II – Admission to a traineeship

Article 4 – Conditions of admission

1.       Trainees are selected among nationals of Council of Europe member states.  The Director of Human Resources may make exceptions for the benefit of nationals of non-member states when there is a special interest in the Organisation's activities.

2.       Trainees must have very good knowledge of one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe (English or French) and be able to express themselves and draft properly in one of these languages.  Good knowledge of the other official language would be an advantage.

3.       Trainees must have reached the age of 18 by the beginning of their traineeship.

Article 5 - Selection of trainees

1.       General principles:

-        The selection of trainees is carried out in accordance with the principle of equal treatment and the principle that there shall be no direct or indirect discrimination based on, inter alia, racial, ethnic or social background, skin colour, nationality, disability, age, marital or parental status, gender or sexual orientation, or political, philosophical or religious opinions.

 

-        The Directorate of Human Resources may maintain or adopt measures conferring specific advantages intended to promote equal opportunities for all, insofar as the said measures are based on objective and reasonable justification.

2.       Traineeships in the framework of the official programme:

-        The selection of trainees is carried out by the Directorate of Human Resources in agreement with the departments to which they are likely to be assigned.

-        Applicants must complete an on-line application form available from the Council of Europe website, indicate the department of their choice on that form and submit it electronically to the Directorate of Human Resources.

-        Applications must be submitted during a period specified by the Council of Europe and are valid only for one of the two traineeship sessions.  The periods for the submission of applications are determined by the Directorate of Human Resources.

-        At the end of the selection procedure, applicants are informed by the Directorate of Human Resources of the outcome of their application (acceptance, waiting list or rejection).

-        Applicants may be sent only one traineeship offer for a given traineeship session.  The traineeship may not be deferred to a subsequent session.

3.       Traineeships outside the framework of the official programme:

-        The selection of trainees is carried out by the departments to which they are likely to be assigned.

-        Applicants must send an application (curriculum vitae and covering letter) directly to the department of their choice, as appropriate to their training course and/or specialist field.  Applicants are informed directly by the departments concerned of the outcome of their application.

Chapter III - Programme and organisation of traineeships

Article 6 - General provisions

1.       A traineeship shall be undertaken in one of the departments of the Council of Europe Secretariat.

2.       Traineeships are supervised and coordinated by the Directorate of Human Resources, in co-operation with a designated staff member within each of the departments to which trainees are assigned.

3.       The department receiving the trainee shall ensure that, throughout the period of the traineeship, the trainee has available to him or her a workstation and an appropriate working environment.

Article 7 – Trainees’ advisers

1.       Each trainee performs the duties assigned to him or her under the responsibility of a specifically designated adviser in the department to which s/he is assigned.

2.       Advisers shall guide and supervise trainees' work throughout the period of the traineeship.  They shall ensure that the duties assigned to trainees correspond to their field of study, are of genuine interest to both trainees and the department, are of an appropriate level of difficulty and are sufficiently varied, considering the duration of the traineeship.

3.       A trainee's adviser shall inform the Directorate of Human Resources as soon as possible of any significant occurrence during the traineeship, such as absence, sickness, accident, inappropriate conduct, interruption of the traineeship or termination of the traineeship.

4.       At the end of a traineeship, the adviser shall send to the Directorate of Human Resources, under cover of the head of his or her administrative entity, a report specifying the duties which were assigned to the trainee and the way in which s/he performed these.

Chapter IV - Trainees' obligations

Article 8 - Loyalty

1.       Trainees have an obligation to comply with the instructions given by their adviser and his or her superiors in the department to which they have been assigned, and with the instructions of the Directorate of Human Resources.  They must also comply with the provisions relating to the traineeship programme and the Council of Europe’s rules and regulations.

2.       Trainees must perform the duties assigned to them and in their conduct must have regard exclusively to the interests of the Council of Europe, not seeking or receiving any instructions from any government or any authority outside the Council of Europe.

Article 9 - Discretion

1.       Trainees shall maintain the utmost discretion in respect of facts and information of which they become aware during the performance of the duties assigned to them.  They shall not communicate, in any form whatever, any document or information which has not been made public to any unauthorised person.  This obligation shall continue after the traineeship has terminated.

2.       Trainees shall also comply throughout the period of their traineeship with the regulations in force at the Council of Europe on the use of the Organisation's information system.

Article 10 - Publications and public statements

1.       Trainees shall not make public statements relating to the fields of activity of the Council of Europe.

2.       All rights relating to work done for the Council of Europe are the property of the latter.

Chapter V - Financial and administrative provisions

Article 11 - Remuneration

1.       Traineeships are not remunerated by the Council of Europe.

2.       However, in the context of the equal opportunities programme of the Directorate of Human Resources, a limited number of persons with disabilities may, on request to the Directorate of Human Resources, receive a flat-rate grant to facilitate their participation in this traineeship programme.

3.            Furthermore, the Partial Agreements of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights may decide to award a flat-rate grant to their trainees.

4.            The other administrative entities may also decide to award a flat-rate grant to their trainees in exceptional circumstances, subject to the availability of funds.

Article 12 - Travel and accommodation expenses

Travel and accommodation expenses are not met by the Council of Europe.

Article 13 - Sickness/accident and civil liability insurance

1.       All trainees shall be insured by the Council of Europe against sickness and accident risks for the period of their traineeship.

2.       All trainees shall have their own civil liability insurance.

Article 14 - Working hours

Trainees have an obligation to comply with the working hours applicable to all Secretariat staff.  Part-time traineeships are not allowed, except by specific prior agreement with the training institutions, establishments or organisations.

Article 15 - Leave

1.       A traineeship confers entitlement to the same public holidays and non-working days from which the staff of the Council of Europe benefit. 

2.       Trainees are entitled to two days' leave per month of training completed.  This entitlement accrues on a pro rata basis per incomplete month, with effect from the first day of the month.  Requests must take account of the needs of the department.

3.       In the event of sickness, trainees have an obligation to notify their adviser immediately and, if their absence exceeds one and a half days, to send him or her a medical certificate stating the period for which they will be absent.  This medical certificate will then be forwarded to the Directorate of Human Resources.

4.       Trainees may not take leave without permission or a valid reason.

Article 16 - Completion of traineeship

1.       The traineeship shall terminate upon expiry of the period specified for it.

2.       In addition, a traineeship may be cancelled:

a.       either at the trainee's request, giving reasons, addressed to his or her adviser and accepted by the Directorate of Human Resources;

b.       or at the adviser's request, giving reasons, accepted by the Directorate of Human Resources, in the event that the trainee has failed to comply with his or her obligations, or if, at any time, it appears that the trainee knowingly made inaccurate statements or supplied false declarations or documents when applying for the traineeship or during that traineeship.

3.       The final decision to terminate a traineeship shall be taken by the Director of Human Resources.

4.       On completion of their traineeship, trainees receive a certificate stating the duration and the department in which it was carried out.

Part II – Study visits

Article 17 – Arrangements for study visits

1.       The purpose of study visits is to enable persons who are studying a subject related to the activities of the Council of Europe to extend their study:

-        either by consulting documents,

-        or through contact with Council of Europe staff.

2.       The maximum duration of study visits is one month except in cases of derogation granted by the Secretary General.

3.       Study visits to the Council of Europe are not remunerated.  Travel and accommodation expenses are not met by the Council of Europe.

4.       Persons wishing to make a study visit should submit their request directly to the departments concerned.

5.       Study visitors are bound by the obligations in respect of discretion and loyalty laid down in Articles 8 and 9 of this Rule.

Part III – Final provisions

Article 18 – Entry into force

This Rule repeals Rule No. 765 of 6 December 1989, Instruction No. 10 of 11 March 1975, Instruction No. 18 of 4 August 1980 and Instruction No. 41 of 27 June 2000.  It shall come into force on the first day of the month following its signature by the Secretary General.

Strasbourg, 23 April 2012

The Secretary General

Thorbjørn JAGLAND