“I began working at a Dutch NGO for nature & environment in 1996 as a strategist. My focus was on cooperation with politicians in The Hague. After some time, the European Union was incorporated as well. In Brussels, for example, we became active in certain networks of nature and environmental organizations.”

“One of the bodies in the EU is the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). This committee brings together representatives from employers, employees, and civil society organizations to advice on EU regulation. In the Netherlands, only the Consumers' Association was represented as a civil society organization for a very long time. In 2015, my NGO decided to nominate me as a member of the EESC. Since then, I have been representing the 'Green11' in Brussels, an alliance of thirteen Dutch nature and environmental organizations. In the meantime, LTO and WOMEN Inc., two other Dutch civil society organizations, have joined the EESC, as well.”

“The EESC is a massive melting pot of interests, perspectives, ideas, and cultures with over 320 members from the 27 EU member states. On the one hand, this makes it difficult to develop a common vision and concrete, supported advice. But on the other hand, it is also extremely interesting and enriches your knowledge and understanding of other views. If you want to enjoy being active in the EESC, you must enjoy seeking consensus and finding compromises within all these interests. To work in Brussels, you must be open to other people's ideas.”

“At the EESC I was, among other things, rapporteur of opinions on the European Climate Law and the 'Fit for 55 package'. Now I am a rapporteur on the reform of the electricity market. What matters for us that the European Commission or the European Parliament adopts certain points from our work into legislation. These are the greatest successes we can make.”

“It takes about two years to get used to the bubble of Brussels with all its institutions and also such a large committee as the EESC. For example, I had never heard of the EESC before 2015, even though I knew a lot about European decision-making. There is much to discover in Brussels.”

Jan Dirx

"For the Dutch Parliament, I keep an eye on developments and propositions in European legislation in Brussels. A lot of Dutch legislation derives from the European Union. Some EU laws even take effect immediately in the Netherlands once they have been approved in Brussels. Dutch members of parliament need to be aware of this. Additionally, I persuade members of the Dutch Parliament to travel to Brussels to speak with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Dutch Permanent Representation on their dossiers. In my job you have a lot of meetings and plan frequent working visits in order to create connection between the Dutch Parliament and the EU."

"It is crucial to understand what is happening in Brussels for all political parties in the Dutch Parliament, including those that are skeptical about the EU. Whether you like it or not, in the Netherlands we have to deal with what is decided here. If you are against something, it's better to know about it in advance, so that you can jump in quickly and influence the process."

"My office is in an annex of the European Parliament in Brussels, where there is a representative from each EU member state's national parliament. I cooperate a lot with these people. I also work closely with colleagues in The Hague who are EU advisors to various parliamentary committees in the Lower House. I pay them a monthly visit in The Hague to stay in touch with what is going on there."

"I have always been interested in the EU. However, I didn't know that this job existed before I worked at the Parliament! Many people don't know about my position either. I work here on my own, along with a trainee that changes every six months. The Dutch Permanent Representation, for example, employs dozens of individuals to work on behalf of Dutch ministries, so this is obviously something different."

"I get many e-mails on a typical working day. With questions from other parliaments or from my colleagues in The Hague, but also newsletters that I use to stay as informed as possible."

"The best part of my job are the working visits with MPs. I've noticed that sometimes the world opens up for MPs if I can get them to speak with the correct equivalents in Brussels. My work then delivers immediate results, which gives a lot of energy!"

Janneke Timmer

"A dike reeve’s job includes attending a lot of meetings, consultations, project visits, and networking. I'm the link between organizations, challenges, and assignments. In fact, you are a kind of mayor of the water board. Contacts are primarily within the Netherlands, but also international. The way we manage water is unique to the Netherlands. The entire world comes here to observe how we operate. Before the Corona crisis, as many as 200 foreign delegations visited the Dutch water boards annually."

"I have been a dike reeve for over 12 years now, and as such I am the vice president of the Union of Water Boards and I am in charge of international policy. They have their own office in Brussels from which they aim to secure the interests around water management in the European Union. Through that network, I have been asked to become a member of the European Commission's so-called Mission Board on climate adaptation."

"The Mission Board aims to advise the European Commission on major steps that could be made in the field of climate adaptation and climate change. On the Mission Board, I am among many well-known climate scientists. I can complement their academic knowledge with my practical expertise. Our input has helped steer the EU budget in a different direction. For example, there is currently increasing emphasis on a regional approach and practical applied research around this topic."

"Additionally, at the moment, I am the president of the European Union of Water Management Associations. In that role, I travel to all kinds of member states to see what we can do for each other. Different countries may focus on very different themes or have they different interests at stake. In Portugal, for example, the focus is mostly on reservoirs and how to manage the electrical supply in times of drought. Very different from the Netherlands. Even so, you are able to notice connections forming on such a European platform where you can support one another. For example, Spaniards have taught us how to deal with drought here in the Netherlands."

Hein Pieper

"In Brussels there is an EU ministry for humanitarian aid and crisis management, in policy language called 'DG ECHO'. On a daily base this ministry identifies what is going on in terms of crises within and outside the EU. If a country asks for it, they can call for help from other European countries through DG Echo to combat the effects of a crisis."

"In 2009, the Dutch Minister of the Interior decided to organize a so-called "host nation support" exercise together with DG ECHO. A major flood was simulated in The Netherlands, emergency services from Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom participated in this exercise. I was asked to be involved in the evaluation of the exercise, something I gained experience in during my work at the Police Academy. That is how I got in touch with European work. Before that, I didn't even know that 'Brussels' did this kind of thing."

"I find this kind of international work really cool. It resonates with so many of my values as a person and a professional. Solidarity, giving and receiving help, thinking globally and the pleasure of intercultural encounters. The frustration that comes with it too, by the way... Because cultural differences can be very big between European countries."

"After several trainings, I finally completed the High-Level Course at DG ECHO. Now I am officially an expert in crisis management from the EU. If a country sends Brussels a request for assistance, they can send me out as a team leader. That can be inside or outside Europe. The last mission where I shaped coordination was after cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar. On behalf of the EU, I direct the European crisis deployment on the ground. At that moment, I am no longer Erie Braakhekke of the Police Academy in the Netherlands, but Erie in the role of Deputy Team Leader of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism-Team."

Erie Braakhekke

"In my daily work I am focusing on Public Affairs; representing the interests of our municipality in The Hague, the seat of our national government, and the European Union. The two are often directly linked. Many policies find their beginning in Brussels and then appear on the national Dutch government agenda. Eventually, it also lands within the municipality."

"There are various reasons for a municipality to get involved with EU-related matters. Many of us initially think about subsidies. We also had that focus, but right now this is slightly shifting. We have started to put more emphasis on influencing policy. Policies made in Brussels will influence what will happen over here in a few years. We try to discuss it and engage now, to avoid having it hover over us like a dark cloud at a later stage."

"Our work can entail very practical things. Take for example the railroad line that runs right through the city. In order to support the Green Deal, the EU plans to increase rail freight transport by up to 50%. At the same time, in The Hague, our national government has the ambition to build a lot of housing within cities, particularly near stations and railroad lines. These two things might clash."

"I thought I was an EU expert because I learned a lot about the EU in my education. However, now that I am involved with 'Brussels' and occasionally go there, I notice what happens in practice and through informal networks. Consequently, you do get a different picture. I think the road to becoming an 'EU expert' is much longer than I initially thought. It requires a lot of reading and speaking with many people."

"I carry out my work primarily in the Netherlands. However, that doesn't mean that I am not in contact with Brussels. Next week, for example, an MEP is coming here for a visit. We will show them how we, locally, deal with the policies they debate. If we successfully manage to organize such a visit, I look back on my workday with a good feeling!"

Naomi End

"The province of Drenthe has a European agenda. This covers seven topics where collaboration between our province and the European Union is needed. One of those topics is climate adaptation. This is a challenge for citizens and businesses in our province, but obviously in the rest of Europe as well."

"As a government, you have a role to consider topics that are socially significant but have not yet seen great commercial traction. On those topics, you can be a pioneer and initiate innovation. Besides a role to facilitatethis, we are very happy to share our knowledge with the rest of Europe so that others may also benefit from it."

"I think I visit Brussels about six times a year. When I go there, I make sure I have many appointments and spend my time in a useful way. For example, speaking with the Brussels lobbyists of the Northern Netherlands, who are active on behalf of the three northern provinces and the municipalities of Assen, Emmen, Leeuwarden and Groningen."

"For us, the priorities of the European Commission are important. The Commission outlines its goals for the upcoming year in a work plan. We assess whether our own objectives are still a fit to these goals. Where necessary, we adapt them. For members of the European Parliament and the Permanent Representation, it is important to be aware of the wishes and concerns from regional practice. We ensure this through discussions by our administrators and lobbyists, positioning papers, and representation in important networks."

"I studied European Studies. That taught me the basics of how the EU works. It is necessary to know the broad outlines of how things work in Europe, but I do not need to be an expert on all the details. Also because the EU is actually very accessible; everywhere I go people are very open and willing to talk to me."

Claudia de Boer

In my work, I teach students how to professionally deal with multiple aspects of the European Union. They learn how decisions are made and what happens if a country or company doesn't play by the rules. Where do you go if your European rights are violated?

Students who anticipate on working in private businesses sometimes ask me: 'why do I have to learn about European policy and European legislation? That's politics!'. My answer always is: it's not. Those policies have a lot of influence on the European market and as a company you need to know what you can and cannot do. There can also be opportunities for you if you know your way around Europe.

I spend a lot of time keeping up with European news. This is quite hard work, because a lot is happening in the European Union every day. The press releases from the European Commission are quite difficult to understand. Sometimes I give my students the task to dissect them.

Before doing this job, I used to give guest lectures in high schools about the European Union. I find it strange that this is not a standard part of the curriculum. Many people don't really understand how the EU works. The EU is not comparable to anything else we have in this world. Occasionally you hear on the news that the EU has decided something, or that money is being handed out. But how the EU works is never really explained. The story usually doesn’t go further than a historical description about coal, steel and peace after World War II.

Emma Prins

"I am sort of an ambassador of the province of Flevoland to the European institutions. In this role I am involved in advocacy. For example, lobbying for funds and for better or more feasible legislation. Executives of our province are also participating in all kinds of networks in Brussels, and I support them with this. I may be writing their speeches, for example, or prepare amendments."

"People sometimes think everything in Brussels is complicated and non-transparent in Brussels. Well; I am right in the middle of it all and think it is very clear and well organized here. Everything can be found online, very transparently. Even phone numbers of employees at European institutions. You can pretty easily pick up the phone and talk to someone. You can also see the timing of a legislative process entirely online."

"Whenever I talk to people at the European Commission, they are really interested in what I have to say. They themselves often have little time to see how things are going 'in the region'. Therefore, they like to hear from me how their policy works out in practice. This can be about all kinds of subjects that concern my province. From European regional investment funds to fisheries policy."

"Despite the fact that hundreds of regions are actively representing their interests in Brussels, I don't feel like I'm a voice in the wilderness. There are a lot of people walking around here, but when it comes to a specific topic, that group is already much smaller. On the topics that are important to me, I really am a relevant player."

Sidony Venema

"During my Master European Policy I found it difficult to get a clear picture of the kind of work I could do after graduation. When I was looking for an internship, someone suggested me to give it a try at the House of the Dutch Provinces in Brussels. I had never heard of that before, but was quickly intrigued; what exactly do they do there and how does it work? Then I just gave it a try."

"In short, I am the eyes and ears of the province of North-Holland in Brussels. For this job, it is important that you know about the way things work in Europe. At university I learned the theory, but the practice I really had to learn here at work. For example, about what is the best timing to try to influence a legislation. That process is not as straightforward as it is written down in the textbooks."

"I lived in Brussels for several years, but now I live back in North-Holland. For us Dutch, it's great that Brussels is so close. We can do European work close to home, I regularly commute back and forth. One

week in Brussels and the next in the provincial government building in Haarlem. For people from other EU countries this is much more difficult."

"I wouldn't easily classify myself as a 'European professional,' but if you ask my colleagues they really see me as an EU specialist. So maybe I am! (laughs)"

"Sometimes this work can be lonely, it can feel like being a voice in the wilderness. To do my job well, I need the expertise of my colleagues in Haarlem. I tell them: pay attention, in three years this legislative proposal will arrive so we have to participate in the conversation now! It often happens that my colleagues are occupied with very different things. They may not be easily convinced of the importance of making their voices heard in Europe. The timelines between the Netherlands and Brussels can be quite different."

"The biggest misconception in the Netherlands is that Brussels dictates us with rules, as if it were imposed. On the contrary, I am convinced that we have the opportunity to have our say in many discussions here. This allows us to leave our mark on what is or what is not realistic and feasible."

Ilse Buijs

At the Oerol Festival on Terschelling, I keep track of all European collaborations. We participate in a number of European networks as a festival. Within these networks, we collaborate not just with international artists, creators and art collectives, but also with other festivals and organizations.

The funding of one of the major networks that we are part of comes from Creative Europe, the European Union's program for the cultural sector. It covers everything from literary translations to collaborative projects. The IN SITU network is devoted to promoting art in public spaces. Our festival has been a member of that for 16 years. The network creates opportunities to exchange with each other. This might involve discovering artists and their work from all over Europe, but it can also involve practical issues you are dealing with as a festival.

We collaborate on projects for Creative Europe and Erasmus+, among other things. Our projects support various EU objectives, including the Green Deal on climate. One example is the European Bauhaus initiative of the European Commission. The idea behind it is that every major change in the world also has an aesthetic element. Take the climate crisis: rationally we can understand very well that it is happening, but it is difficult to really feel it. The latter is something where the arts can make an important contribution. We can come up with ways for people to individually or collectively sense and understand such a big problem.

You need to have strong translation skills to do this work. I don't mean that literally by, say, translating English to French. You need to be able to translate policy language from Brussels into, in my case, an artistic project. That translation is quite difficult, but also a fun puzzle. You have to know and understand both worlds to see where they overlap. An artist's abstract story should be molded into very practical executable plans, with measurable targets.

Simon Tubb

“Municipalities, provinces,and water boards in The Netherlands are frequently impacted by policies made in Europe. My colleagues and I advise them on how to deal with this. We do this on our websites, through our newsletter and our helpdesk. Municipalities can ask questions about particular topics at the help desk, such as European procurement law.”

“I provide legal advice based on European rules, directives, and regulations. Those rules are often written down in quite complex ways. Therefore, implications in the day-to-day duties of municipality officials are not always immediately clear. In that case, I make that translation for them.”

“In my position, you have to be alert and keep an eye out for developments that could be important to our target audience. I keep track of whether important decisions have been made via the website of the European Commission or other news sources.”

“To do this work, it is crucial to understand how European regulations are made. Because you are writing for municipalities or provinces, you have to be familiar with the way those organizations work. I would not be able to give good advice if I did not know how certain European legislation trickles down into a municipality or province. Sometimes when I have answered a helpdesk question, I get a response: ‘Thank you, this is very helpful!’. That always makes me very happy.”

“In my spare time, I occasionally have to describe what I do for work. I believe this is because we often see how the national government deals with European law, instead of people having to deal with it themselves. Although a lot of legislation comes from Europe, it is not always immediately visible how it affects daily life. Take stall vendors at fresh produce markets, for example. They have all kinds of rights as a result of the European Services Directive. Municipalities need to know how to deal with that when organizing a street market.”

“When I received your invitation, I thought: ‘indeed, I am also a European Professional!’ That never really crossed my mind before. I always saw myself as a legal advisor.”

Sahar Orwa

In 2018, Leeuwarden was the Cultural Capital of Europe. During this time the founders of our organization saw how important it was to connect Friesland with Europe. Especially since in The Netherlands the focus is often on Amsterdam and the West. They started a foundation with the aim to connect local schools with other schools in Europe. Nowadays, we work on many European projects through the Erasmus+ program.

We want students to gain international experience and also have the opportunity to go abroad and learn new things about the world. We have a lot of age groups in our projects, but mostly focus on vocational education training students. Our projects cover a variety of topics including sustainability, healthy living, digitalization, technology, culture and more.

In most Erasmus + projects we partner with four to six European partners. Within these projects, we share our experience on a certain theme or subject. We exchange best practices and share learning- and teaching materials.

My role is to be an assistant project manager. I don’t consider myself an expert on EU-regulation, but I do work with people who know everything about it. In order to setup an organization like this, you need to be in touch with all the technical aspects: how to connect to EU priorities, apply for funding and follow the strict rules.

If you want to work with Erasmus+ projects, you need to be a good networker. You need to be comfortable in approaching people in different countries and asking them things about the topic you are working on. Sometimes I need their help to translate materials.

In our projects we regularly travel to our partners in other counties to work on the outputs together. Sometimes my friends ask me: “why are you travelling again? Can’t you do that online?” My reply usually is: “you can, but it is not the same.” You don’t get the same results and interactions online. When you meet your partners face to face, you really experience the international aspect of this work.

The European professionals