I applied online. The process took 5 months. I interviewed at European Commission (Paris) in Jun 2019
Interview
The process starts on the official page of the European Commission website dedicated to the traineeships. Everything is very strict and official. It takes some time to build the file. After submitting, you won't hear from the Commission during about 2 months. Then, you're put on an eligibility list, from which the different Directorate-General can select their trainees. The overall process takes 5-6 months.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why do you want to work for the Commission ? Are you familiar with the policy our unit is working on? Tell me about yourself and other basic fit questions.
I applied online. The process took 7 months. I interviewed at European Commission (Brüssel) in Feb 2010
Interview
Application through online form. There is then a pre-selection process and then you might or might not get a phone interview. Then you get a final e-mail letting you know if you've been selected about 6-8 weeks before the start of the internship. I however got a much later call. I got the E-mail saying I wasn't selected and then a few weeks later, I got a call anyway from a secretary wanting to set up an interview with her boss later that day. I assume someone else had turned down the internship.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
So, you want to work in intellectual property, huh?
I applied online. The process took 7 months. I interviewed at European Commission
Interview
I applied on August 2012. I received an acceptance email on December. I sent many emails to Heads of Unit, Officers and Directors. Many of them answered me. Also a director answered me telling me that I forwarded my email to the HR. Then, on February I received an offer and I accepted it. I started on 1st March 2013.