Once again, interesting job opportunities are available for people interested in working for the European Commission in Luxembourg. The Directorate-General for Translation has launched a selection procedure for temporary staff to translate into Maltese legislative and policy documents prepared in the Commission for EU citizens.
Around 40 Maltese nationals have already joined the hundreds of EU officials from all member States who work to bring Europe closer to its citizens by putting the EU regulations and directives, publications and websites in a language they can understand. They form a close-knit community, but have had no difficulty integrating in the cosmopolitan society of their new country of residence.
“When I moved to Luxembourg, I didn’t know what to expect,” a young Maltese assistant said. “I soon discovered that it has many things in common with Malta.” The two smallest member States of the European Union have almost the same population, although Luxembourg’s area is eight times larger. “And, as in Malta,” added a translator who left the island two years ago to move to the institutional heart of Europe, “many people in the Grand Duchy speak English or Italian”.
As a matter of fact, language is not a problem for the inhabitants of Luxembourg. Alongside the three official languages – French, German, and Luxembourgish, a Franconian language similar to German – many other tongues are spoken in the elegant streets around the city centre. “A real paradise for a linguist,” commented the Maltese translator.
“We translate all sorts of documents, from legislation, reports, statistics, white and green papers, to brochures, booklets and web pages for public consumption,” said Javier Valeri Cobo, the acting head of the Maltese department.
“Entry requirements for this selection include at least three years of university studies, attested by a degree, followed by a minimum of two years’ experience in translation,” added Mr Valeri Cobo. “Candidates who do not satisfy the latter requirement are still encouraged to apply and send their curriculum vitae via the EU CV on-line website. Their data will then be recorded in a database, where the European Commission could, in the near future, look for Maltese candidates for specific job openings.”
The call should be of interest not only to language professionals such as translators, language teachers, lecturers, writers and journalists, but also to professionals in specialist fields such as law and engineering with a good command of foreign languages.
In addition to the interesting economic conditions, Luxembourg offers many attractive features, not least of which is its location right at the heart of Western Europe.
The successful candidates would be offered a temporary contract of up to four years, with the possibility of one renewal for a further two years. Temporary agents enjoy essentially the same conditions of work as permanent officials. Furthermore, they would still be eligible to apply for any future competition leading to permanent employment with the EU institutions.
An information meeting for prospective candidates will be held on Monday, 2 April at the Erin Serracino Inglott Hall (LT1, Lecture Centre) of the University of Malta from 5 to 7pm. Maltese officials who already work in the Maltese Department in Luxembourg will talk about their job and answer questions from prospective applicants.