Senior EU Climate and Environment Law Advisor Roster - IICA-3 (Retainer)

Job categories Administration, Legal, Project Management, Partnerships

Vacancy code VA/2023/B5132/26011

Level ICS-11

Department/office ECR, AUMCO, Austria MCO

Duty station Multiple

Contract type International ICA

Contract level IICA-3

Duration Retainer contract up to 12 months (max. 220 working days)

Application period 11-May-2023 to 26-May-2023

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor and in close cooperation with beneficiaries, the Senior EU Climate and Environment Law Advisor will provide technical expertise to specific line Ministries and relevant public authorities. The experts should have a high level of expertise and professional experience in one of the fields of the EU action and policy focusing on EU climate and environmental law, as relevant to the support in stabilization processes and EU integration of the Western Balkans countries including capacity building expertise in the areas of assistance with harmonization, approximation and standardization throughout the EU accession process.

Selected experts will work on:
Cluster 4, in specific Chapter 27 (environment and climate change), of the EU acquis communautaire  (mandatory specialization)

The selected candidates will perform functions such as the following, with a focus on EU climate and environmental law:
Provide technical expertise and advice on EU accession related activities to the beneficiaries under Cluster 4, chapter 27, in line with respective needs assessment. Tasks include:

Chapter-specific support:

• Draft work plans
• Perform the mapping of existing policies and legislation / gap analyses
• Draft legal texts, guidelines, tables of concordance and policy papers
• Law/by-law development / transposition of EU directives

Horizontal support:

• Provide process advice, in line with the revised methodology for the accession negotiations
• Provide guidance and support throughout the (screening) process
• Advice beneficiaries in development of roadmaps / terms of reference

Other Tasks and Responsibilities may include:

• Draft summaries and expert mission reports
• Provide legal/technical expertise in program development for events e.g. trainings and workshops 
• Draft concept notes, design and develop (inhouse) trainings and similar in relation to the reforms that beneficiaries are undertaking with the view to the respective EU integration process.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Advanced University Degree either in Law, Business Administration, Economics or Engineering with a focus on Environmental Science and Climate Change or other relevant discipline is required.
• University Degree (Bachelor’s degree / first level) with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience
Required

• 7 years of experience in working for/with an EU institution and/or working for/with the beneficiary countries on EU accession related elements is required.
• Specialization in climate and/or environmental law is required.

Asset

• Participation in accession negotiations of an EU candidate country and experience in the coordinative structures for supporting the negotiations for the EU accession will be an asset.
• Positive accession experience of/in neighboring EU member states is an advantage.
• In-depth knowledge of the Western Balkans region will be an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in English (speaking, reading and writing) is required.
• Knowledge of locally spoken languages including lingua franca is an advantage.