{"schemaVersion":3,"releaseId":"rel_20261114_8683fef1649f","builtAt":"2026-11-14T23:00:00.221Z","canonicalUrl":"https://www.diplomatic.careers/jobs/european-commission-legal-officer-brussels-eu-careers-empl-com-2026-2159","job":{"slug":"european-commission-legal-officer-brussels-eu-careers-empl-com-2026-2159","title":"Legal Officer","state":"open","closesAt":"2026-11-26T23:00:00.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-11-14T13:23:06.143Z","updatedAt":"2026-11-14T13:30:30.091Z","lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-14T13:23:06.190Z","sourceUrl":"https://eu-careers.europa.eu/jobs/legal-officer-12_en","sourceName":"European Commission careers","applicationUrl":"https://eu-careers.europa.eu/jobs/legal-officer-12_en","workModes":["on-site"],"grades":["AD-5–AD-7"],"gradeKey":"ad-5-to-ad-7","careerLevel":"l3","professionalFunction":"legal","subjectArea":"labour_employment","requiredLanguages":["English","French"],"requiredLanguagesOneOf":[],"citizenshipEligibility":"member_states","degreeLevel":null,"yearsExperienceMin":null,"positionsCount":1,"internationallyRecruited":true,"summary":"Support the development and application of EU social security coordination law to protect social security rights and facilitate worker mobility across Europe.","sourceDescription":"Detail page\nReference: EMPL/COM/2026/2159\n\nApplication deadline: 26 November 2026, 12:00 (CET)\n\nInstitution: European Commission\n\nLocation: Brussels, Belgium\n\nDomain: Employment\n\nContract type: Temporary staff\n\nGrade: AD 5 - AD 7\n\nUnit: EMPL.E.2\n\nDirectorate-General or Department: DG EMPL\n\nBack\n\nVacancy notice\n13 November 2026\n\nEnglishDownload (200.84 KB - PDF)\n\napplication form\n13 November 2026\n\nEnglishDownload (234.7 KB - PDF)\n\nVacancy notice (Vacancy Notice TA AD post 270704.pdf)\n\nVACANCY NOTICE FOR\nTEMPORARY AGENT SELECTION\nJob title (same as on the job\ndescription) Legal Officer\nReference EMPL/COM/2026/2159\nApplication deadline 26.11.2026 - 12.00 (Brussels time) (10 working\ndays)\nDirectorate-General (full name) Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion\nUnit EMPL.E.2 Social Security Coordination\nPlace of assignment Brussels\nGrade range AD5/7\nDomain * EMPLOYMENT/LAW\nContract type Temporary Agent 2b\n*please use one of the standardised domains that can be found here\n• The job title and text must be coherent with the one published in SYSPER.\n• Please keep in mind that you address potential external candidates: avoid Commission jargon,\ndo not mention tools or applications specific to the Commission.\nAbout us (“We are”)\nOur Unit is part of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), which is entrusted with initiatives that\ncontribute to the achievement of a highly competitive social market economy in the European Union, such as\ncreating more and better jobs, promoting skills and entrepreneurship, improving the functioning of the labour\nmarkets, confronting poverty and social exclusion, modernising social protection systems including pensions, health\nand long-term care, facilitating the free movement of workers, promoting workers' rights, health and safety at work,\nand protecting against discrimination in the workplace, as well as the rights of persons with disabilities.\nThe policy and legislative initiatives in our DG are supported by the European Social Fund (ESF+), the Social\nClimate Fund, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), the social investments and skills window of\nInvestEU, the Digital Europe Program and the Connecting Europe Facility.\nOur unit is part of Directorate E, which is responsible for advancing and supporting high-quality labour mobility within\nthe EU by promoting free movement of workers, reducing barriers to cross-border labour mobility and by facilitating\nthe EU legal framework on the coordination of social security systems. Directorate E also coordinates the follow-up\nto the Fair Labour Mobility Package, adopted in September 2026, which includes proposals to the strengthening of\nthe European Labour Authority, and on the digital European Social Security PASS (ESSPASS) initiative. Moreover,\nthe Fair Labour Moblity Package announced a proposal for further simplifying and modernizing the social security\ncoordination Regulations, to be adopted in 2027. DG is also responsible for the promotion of the external dimension,\nincluding in the social security coordination field.\nThe mission of our unit is to contribute to the good functioning of the European labour market, by protecting the\nsocial security rights of citizens moving within Europe. Thus, the main purpose of our work is to ensure that EU rules\non social security coordination are fit for purpose, that they are correctly applied, and to make the access for mobile\ncitizens to their social security rights easier. The digitalisation of social security coordination procedures, between\ninstitutions, or between citizens and their institutions, is another important objective. Unit E2 is the owner of the\nElectronic Exchange of Social Security Information system (EESSI), and of the digital ESSPASS initiative.\n\nTo achieve its objectives, the unit pursues the following main activities:\n• To develop, present and negotiate legislative proposals to continue the process of modernising and updating the\nlegislative framework, in particular to take into account the political priorities of this Commission, new developments\nat EU and national level as well as of new case-law of the Court of Justice. This includes the follow-up to a\nRegulation revising the social security coordination Regulations adopted end of September 2026 and the preparation\nof a new Regulation to further simplify and modernize the current Regulations to be adopted in 2027.\n• To monitor the correct application of EU law in the field, in particular by investigating complaints and questions\nintroduced by individuals, the European Parliament and other stakeholders, and take, where appropriate, the\nnecessary actions;\n• To ensure, in close cooperation with the IT strategy and solutions unit and Member States, the proper introduction\nof the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) system in relation to the business and legal\naspects of the solution.\n• To support the legislators to reach an agreement on the proposal on digitalising social security coordination and\nestablishing digital the European Social Security PASS (ESSPASS).\n• To contribute to all external activities of the European Union in the field of social security coordination, notably with\nEFTA countries, candidate countries, the UK, Switzerland, and within the framework of Association Agreements.\n• To promote evidenced-based information on EU social security coordination, in particular by using networks of\nexperts for training, data collection and legal analysis, and thereby contributing to an informed debate in the field.\nAbout the role (“We propose”)\nWould you like to become part of a dynamic team of highly qualified lawyers and other specialists that work on the\ncore EU framework that provides for the coordination of national social security systems, which is indispensable to\nensure the right of free movement of workers within the Union? Are you interested in working on one of the key\ncornerstones of EU labour mobility, on topics that are legally complex and at the same time politically highly\nrelevant? You will be working on a variety of tasks, including contributing to the preparations and follow-up to legal\nproposals, monitoring the implementation of EU law in the field of social security coordination; handling of individual\ncomplaints and, where appropriate, launching infringement proceedings; drafting replies to written and oral EP\nquestions and petitions as well as contributing to preliminary questions.\nQualifications, experience and skills (“We look for”)\nThe Unit in charge of the co-ordination of social security schemes is looking for a new colleague to join a very\ndynamic team of 23 colleagues.\n• Specialist skills and experience\nStrong legal skills and background.\nSolid experience in the field of free movement of workers and social security system coordination\nKnowledge of the procedure on and experience in the preparation of Commission legislative instruments\nExperience in the Commission procedures for monitoring the correct application of EU law.\nAbility to produce high-quality legal texts and to present complex and specialised information in a clear and\naccessible way. Good communication and negotiation skills would also be an advantage.\n• Personal Qualities\nAbility to cooperate effectively with colleagues within and outside the unit. Ability to make frequent presentations to\nlarge audiences.\nCapacity to deal efficiently with multiple tasks.\nBe able to work under pressure and respond quickly to deadlines.\n• Linguistic skills\nThorough knowledge of English and a satisfactory knowledge of French to the extent necessary for the performance\nof the duties.\nHow to express your interest?\n\nYou should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:\n1. your CV 2. completed application form.\nPlease send these documents by the publication deadline to\nBenoit.ABELOOS@ec.europa.eu indicating the selection reference\nEMPL/COM/2026/2159 in the subject.\nNo applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.\nEligibility\nFor eligibility please consult this page with all the information needed.","description":["Support the development and application of EU social security coordination law to protect social security rights and facilitate worker mobility across Europe."],"responsibilities":["Contribute to legal proposals and follow-up on EU social security coordination rules.","Monitor EU law implementation, handle complaints, and support infringement proceedings where appropriate.","Draft replies to parliamentary questions and petitions and contribute to preliminary questions."],"requirements":[],"applicationInstructions":[],"engagementType":"staff","datePosted":"2026-11-13","applicationDeadline":"2026-11-26","locations":[{"label":"Brussels, Belgium","city":"Brussels","country":"Belgium","countryCode":"BE","remote":false}]},"organization":{"slug":"european-commission","name":"European Commission","shortName":"European Commission","websiteUrl":"https://commission.europa.eu","careersUrl":"https://eu-careers.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-vacancies/ec_vacancies"},"filters":[{"field":"organization","value":"european-commission","label":"European Commission"},{"field":"city","value":"brussels","label":"Brussels"},{"field":"country","value":"belgium","label":"Belgium"},{"field":"area","value":"labour-employment","label":"Labour & employment"},{"field":"area","value":"legal","label":"Legal"},{"field":"level","value":"l3","label":"P3 Established professional"},{"field":"engagement","value":"staff","label":"Staff"},{"field":"language","value":"english","label":"English"},{"field":"language","value":"french","label":"French"},{"field":"citizenship","value":"member-states","label":"Organization member-state nationals"},{"field":"mode","value":"on-site","label":"On-site"}],"eligibilityGuide":null,"salaryBand":null,"organizationBenefits":[{"title":"Income tax exemption","summary":"European Commission officials pay European Union tax on their EU remuneration and are exempt from national income tax on that remuneration.","details":["European Commission officials pay European Union tax on their EU remuneration and are exempt from national income tax on that remuneration."],"sourceUrl":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20250101","updatedAt":"2026-07-18T11:23:52.898Z","scope":"organization-wide"},{"title":"Relocation","summary":"Eligible European Commission officials receive an installation allowance plus reimbursement of appointment travel and removal expenses when the post requires a change of residence. Family status determines the installation allowance.","details":["Eligible European Commission officials receive an installation allowance plus reimbursement of appointment travel and removal expenses when the post requires a change of residence. Family status determines the installation allowance."],"sourceUrl":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20250101","updatedAt":"2026-07-18T11:23:52.898Z","scope":"organization-wide"}]}