The Embassy in Madrid is looking for an intern for the period from 1 September 2026 to 1 March 2027 (minimum 4 months, maximum 6 months). Internship with the agriculture team at the Dutch Embassy in Spain. You will be part of a dynamic team and an extensive economic network. You will conduct an in-depth study on existing and upcoming European regulations related to the fresh produce chain (fruits and vegetables), and analyse their implications and opportunities for economic relations between Spain and the Netherlands within the context of European cooperation. You will also assist in the organisation of fairs and events. This is a diverse internship with engaging projects in an important EU Member State in the fields of nature, agriculture, and food.

- Your main assignment is to conduct an in-depth study on the implications of EU legislation related to packaging, environmental footprint, and food waste and loss, and their impact on the fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) chain between Spain and the Netherlands, as well as within Europe.
- Contribute to a pilot project on the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) with Dutch and Spanish stakeholders.
- Assist in the organisation of two major fairs, Fruit Attraction and Conxemar, and contribute to the team’s efforts to promote sustainable trade, knowledge exchange, and innovation.
- Support the organisation of a stakeholder event as a follow-up to the agriculture team’s protein study and contribute to activities related to our annual plan.

- Is in the final years of a relevant academic programme (HBO / WO).
- Is dynamic, analytical, accountable, and creative.
- Has an interest in the societal and political aspects of agriculture and food systems.
- Can work independently and adapts to the work pace.
- Has good communication skills and a strong cooperative spirit.
- Speaks and writes Dutch and English well.
- Has knowledge of and affinity with sustainable food systems and nature.
- Spanish is important to understand and communicate with local stakeholders. Therefore, a minimum level of B1 (oral and written) is required for this position.

• Je kunt uitsluitend solliciteren via de button ’direct solliciteren'.
• De selectieprocedure omvat de briefselectie en een selectiegesprek. De selectiegesprekken vinden plaats in Mei 2026.

Wat bieden wij
An internship at an embassy offers an excellent opportunity to experience how the Netherlands operates internationally. Working on sustainable agriculture in an important EU Member State such as Spain will give you insight into how the Ministry contributes to bilateral cooperation within a European context through networks, knowledge exchange, and policy engagement. The internship offers both personal and professional development. You will further develop skills such as intercultural cooperation, analytical thinking, result orientation, and creativity. You will be fully involved in the activities of the agriculture team.

Leeropdracht
The learning assignment will be further defined in consultation with you. Its main components include:

• An in-depth study on the consequences of the EU packaging, footprint, and food waste and food loss directives.
• Gaining insight into how this legislation impacts bilateral trade between Spain and the Netherlands, as well as the broader European context;
• Identifying opportunities and challenges in political and legislative cooperation between Spain and the Netherlands to help shape sustainable and practical policy outcomes for producers, traders, and sector organisations;
• Providing recommendations on how the LAN team can position itself to play a facilitative role on this topic, in line with the policy guidelines of the Ministry (LVVN).

Geopolitical tensions underline the importance of stronger European cooperation. The European directives mentioned are important steps to reduce the environmental impact of fruit and vegetable production and consumption. The Netherlands and Spain are among the leading countries in Europe when it comes to production and trade in fresh produce. Alignment between these leading countries is important to give traders and producers a clear framework to implement the packaging directive. This assignment is a practical and forward-looking project focusing on how European legislation can be improved while maintaining sustainability ambitions and supporting European trade.


Voorwaarden en vergoedingen
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Algemeen aanvullende beurs
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