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Article by Annalisa Cangemi – Fanpage.it journalist

On April 8, the Opinion on the Internship Directive, for which Nicola Zingaretti, head of the PD delegation, is rapporteur, was approved in the Culture Committee at the European Parliament. The text now continues its process in Strasbourg.

“After four months of complex negotiations, we have approved in the CULT Commission the Opinion on the Internship Directive, for which I am rapporteur. This is an important step to ensure quality internships throughout Europe. With this text we have set clear criteria: internships will have to be regulated by a written and paid contract, have a defined duration, concrete training content, and real consistency between the tasks performed and the training course. We want the skills acquired to be recognized and the rights of trainees and employers to be explicitly protected,” commented Nicola Zingaretti, head of the PD delegation to the European Parliament, in a note that came out immediately after the committee’s okay on the opinion.

“We have also asked the Member States,” he continues, “to take concrete measures to monitor and combat abuse on internships, ensure fair access especially for those who start from disadvantaged backgrounds, ensure social protection, security and welfare for interns, and define a time limit indicating the maximum, i.e. not excessive, duration of an internship. Now come the next steps: in June the EMPL Commission will vote, in July the Plenary, and after that the dialogue with the Commission and Council will begin. Then it will be up to the member states to transpose the directive into their national laws. We will not stop. Internships must be an opportunity for growth, not exploitation.”

What’s in the Stage Directive

The main points of the directive, which could turn the world of internships around, improving working conditions for many young people who currently risk being exploited by employers during internships, are:

  1. written contract is paid
  2. defined and not unlimited duration
  3. Joint definition of training and learning content
  4. Consistency between the assigned tasks and the training cry
  5. Validation, recognition and transferability of acquired skills
  6. Clarity and explicitness on the rights and duties of the trainee and the host entity
  7. Adequate economic and working conditions and social protection

The fourth requirement is crucial, since very often young people find themselves doing tasks far removed from the work they thought they would be doing in offices and companies, which have little or nothing to do with a course of training and professional growth. While the fifth criterion serves to formalize and certify the course taken, which can then be more easily spent in the search for employment.

In addition, member states will need to put in place measures to:

  1. Monitor high percentages of trainees compared to workers at the same employer, with particular attention to cases where multiple traineeships follow one another without then providing for actual placement in the workforce
  2. Counter discrimination and promote equitable access to internships, especially for people with fewer opportunities
  3. Place emphasis on protecting the welfare and safety of trainees, with measures to prevent psychological and sexual harassment
  4. Support SMEs and ngos through European funds and incentives to provide quality internships
  5. Ensure accessibility for trainees with disabilities
  6. Eliminate unwarranted requirements such as prior work experience and recognize internship as professional experience
  7. Set a limit to prevent the internship period from lasting too long
  8. Ensure safe channels for children to report unfair practices or abuses in the workplace

What will be the next steps for the Stage directive

The next step, after approval in the Opinion’s Culture Committee, is scheduled for a vote in June in the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL). In July, on the other hand, a vote in plenary is scheduled, leading after the summer to dialogue with the Commission and the Council. At that point, it will be necessary for member states to transpose the directive so that the internship market can change.

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