The European Parliament took a step forward on Tuesday to improve working conditions for interns across the EU and discourage the misuse of internships to replace regular jobs.
The Employment and Social Affairs Committee voted in favour of strengthening proposals made by the European Commission last year, with 42 votes in support, 9 against, and 6 abstentions.
According to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), internships should be time-limited and serve as a bridge between education and employment. The new rules would apply to all internships, except those that are mandatory for earning academic credits or apprenticeships.
The proposals require all interns to receive a written agreement that details their remuneration, tasks, learning objectives, rights, and obligations. Internships should not exceed six months unless a valid justification is provided. Interns must also have access to social protection, health insurance, unemployment benefits, and pension contributions.
To combat the misclassification of jobs as internships, MEPs outlined criteria such as repeated or consecutive internships with the same employer and the absence of detailed job vacancy announcements. Employers would be required to provide data on the number, duration, and conditions of internships to national authorities when requested.
In June 2023, the European Parliament urged the Commission to present a legislative proposal, which was submitted at the end of the legislative term.
The report passed on Tuesday will be voted on in plenary in October. Negotiations with EU member states to finalise the legislation are expected to be challenging, with rapporteur Alicia Homs (S&D) stating the current position of member states is "unacceptable" to the Parliament.
