A hub for polyglots and the seat of power for the EU and NATO, Brussels has come a long way from its rumoured origins as a chapel in the swampy River Senne. With a great mix of old gothic palaces and postmodern structures, it is difficult to exactly pinpoint Brussels’ true character. From the Upper Town with its Royal Palace and park, Parliament buildings and the heart of EU business in Quartier Leopold, to the narrow, bustling, medieval-feeling streets of Lower Town and the Grand Place, there are more than enough pockets of culture, atmosphere and social excitement to hold a trainee’s attention for six months. Having been Europe’s cultural capital in 2001, the city underwent a thorough spruce-up, benefits of which can still be felt today. Brussels is bi-lingual, with most of the population speaking both Flemish and French. However, a phenomenon wrought by the rise of French immigration and the perceived lower prestige of the Flemish language has resulted in French becoming the lingua franca, much to the chagrin of the Flemish population. The gradual ‘Frenchification’ of Belgium has been widely accepted in Brussels, though venturing into the rural flatlands may require a trainee to brush up on their Flemish. In saying that, those with little language skills will be relieved to know that English is widely spoken among locals. A foreign secondment to Brussels actually won’t been going far - you can hop on the Eurostar at London St Pancras and be there in under two hours. A weekend back in London may ruin the point of a secondment, but the convenience of a quick popover may be appealing to those who worry about becoming homesick.

Work: As Europe’s administrative and legal heart, Brussels is the place to be for EU and competition law. New competition law rulings and approaches frequently emerge from the European courts and the European Commission. Opening an office in Brussels has typically been seen as the ideal way to secure a foothold on the continent for UK firms. In fact even Kent County Council has established an office there. The economic downturn had little effect on international firms’ workloads in the competition sector, with most still enjoying a healthy workload in merger control matters, cartel issues and abuse of dominance claims. However, it was a tough time for the banking sector, with Fortis Bank and Dexia both requiring multibillion-dollar bailouts by the governments of Belgium, France and Luxembourg.

The magic circle firms in particular have a great reputation in the competition arena and there has been a noticeable rise in the presence of American firms. Cleary Gottlieb and Freshfields remain top in Brussels’ competition/EU matters. Cartel investigations in particular can be complicated and often require the apparatus of an international firm. This could be seen in Cleary’s defence of IMAX in a proceeding before the European Commission where there was an alleged abuse of a dominant position.

For a trainee wanting to qualify into competition practice, “you can’t think of anywhere better to learn about it than Brussels.” Alas, for some trainees the secondment experience can feel too short to fully get to grips with the complexities of field or the Belgian people. Said one: “It was good to be busy, and the quality of work was really good, but not having time to make any new strong connections was a little disappointing.” Explained one trainee who had experienced a wide variety of claims in state aid, trade matters and public procurement: “Competition law is really wide reaching and it covers economics, political and topical matters.” Given the political importance of the city, trainees need to be on their best behaviour as “you can be expected to deal with anyone from the office of the Director-General of the Belgian Competition Authority to EU parliamentary officials.” Work colleagues were described as “very friendly, helpful – they make sure you settle in.” In saying that, those assuming the French way of life would permeate Brussels will probably find this is not the case - many trainees get in at 8:30am and clock off at 7:30pm. “I had a tough couple of months working nearer to midnight on an isolated deal,” reported one source. Although we have heard they are “much more relaxed about taking a long lunch.” The good news is that there’s every chance of getting far more responsibility than would be expected back in the UK, with one source saying: “You’re not really a trainee as you become the first point of call for people in London on EU queries.”

Rest and Play: Trainees tend to score individual or two-bedroomed apartments that are “no more than a ten-minute walk from the office” and are considered “very cute, very Belgian.” “The firm does pretty much everything to help in the move,” enthused one source, citing transport, internet and even a BlackBerry as examples of costs covered. “In theory you could save your money,” said one trainee of the living allowances but note that expensive extravagances like chocolate, waffles and pomme frites may keep budgets high. The nightlife here is “very much an early evening affair,” and the shops close early as well. One great advantage to working in Brussels is that socialising isn’t reduced to hanging with the expat community; instead it includes an array of 20 to 30-year-olds from a variety of other EU states. “I went out a lot with the Brussels people too,” said one source who’d discovered some of the best spots in the city. It’s actually possible to cram most of the major tourist sites into a leisurely week, including the UNESCO listed Grand Place and the cosmic Atomium, from which you can grab some perspective on the Belgian capital. Brussels was also home to many surrealist painters, including Margritte, whose works you can catch at the Musee Margritte. A good rail network means that other towns in Belgium are never more than 50 minutes away so it may pay to take a day trip to the University town of Leuven or Lion’s Hillock – the site of the battle of Waterloo.