The International Leader Program of the European Union

(Programa de visitantes de la Unión Europea, en español)

What is the EUVP?

The European Union Visitors Program (EUVP) invites young, promising leaders from countries outside the European Union to visit Europe to gain a first-hand appreciation of the EU's goals, policies and peoples and to increase mutual understanding between professionals from non-EU countries and their EU counterparts.

The EUVP is jointly sponsored and administered by the European Parliament and the European Commission. An EUVP visit consists of an individual 5- to 8-day program of meetings with EU officials at the EU institutions in Brussels, Strasbourg and/or Luxembourg. All programs are coordinated and arranged by the EUVP Secretariat rather than by individual participants. Travel and per diem costs are covered by the EUVP.

The program has been in operation since 1974. That first year, 5 selected Americans made their way across the Atlantic. Since then, more than 600 have followed – by the end of 2003, 611 American grantees had visited the EU through the EUVP. In its first years of operation, the program was only open to Americans, its original impetus being to improve knowledge and understanding of EU development specifically among “shooting stars” from the United States. Since then, however, the scope of the program has grown considerably so that, in 2004, the EU welcomed 170 grantees from more than 70 different countries. Nevertheless, American participants continue to make up the largest single-country group, with 20 spaces each year reserved for US grantees. (To read about the history of the program, click here.)

Who is eligible to participate?

Those eligible to participate are government officials (local, state and federal), journalists, trade unionists, educators, officials of non-profit, non-governmental organizations and other professionals aged in their mid-20s to mid-40s with career-related interests in the European Union. Please note that the EUVP is not designed as a program for students: its participants are required to have completed their university education or equivalent training and to have been employed for several years in their chosen career field.

As mentioned above, in addition to the United States, EUVP candidates are selected from a large number of non-EU countries throughout the world. Non-US applicants should contact the Commission Representation in the country in which
they reside.

For a list of these representations, please click the link below: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/delegations/intro/web.htm .

How are participants selected?

EUVP participants are selected by a committee chaired jointly by a Member of the European Parliament and a Member of the European Commission. Sixteen visitors from the United States are selected each year. The total number of visitors worldwide is generally about 160.

What is the application process?

The Washington Delegation is responsible for applications from Americans, living and working in the United States. Applications should be addressed to:

EUVP Coordinator
Delegation of the European Commission
2300 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037

The letter should be brief and must contain:

1. A description of the applicant's current position;
2. The applicant's area of expertise;
3. A brief outline of the sector to be studied in Europe, indicating
   specifically how it relates to the applicant's career objectives;
4. A completed application form;
5. A detailed résumé.

The deadline for applications is March 1st each year for the following
year. Applications MUST be received in the Delegation's office
BEFORE March 1st. Faxed applications are accepted at (202) 429-1766, but must
be followed by originals in hard copy.

Go to Application Form