Kaliningrad (Russian Federation) wins the 2005 Europe Prize

Strasbourg, 28.04.2004 – The 2005 Europe Prize has today been awarded to the Russian town of Kaliningrad. This decision was taken unanimously by the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) during its April session in Strasbourg.

Having already won the Council of Europe’s Flag of Honour and the Plaque of Honour, Kaliningrad is the first Russian town to win this high distinction.

Since 1991, this town of 430,000 inhabitants, having the status of a special economic zone, has been developing international relations through numerous twinnings and co-operation agreements, especially with towns in Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands.

On the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Europe Prize, the Council of Europe wished to give a symbolic character to its choice of Kaliningrad, which will this year celebrate its 750th anniversary.

Created by PACE in 1955, the Europe Prize is the highest distinction that can be bestowed on a European town or local authority for its actions in the European domain. The prize consists of a trophy, a medal, a diploma and a scholarship to be spent on a study visit within Europe for young people from the winning town.

The Plaque of Honour, which is the second highest distinction after the Europe Prize, was awarded to 10 towns:

France	DREUX (Eure-et-Loir)
Germany	BERATZHAUSEN (Bavaria)
	GLINDE (Schleswig-Holstein)
	HEIDENHEIM (Baden-Wurttemberg)
	KRONACH (Bavaria)
Hungary	KECSKEMET (Bacs-Kiskun District)
	KISKUNHALAS (Bacs-Kiskun District)
Italy	CALCINAIA (Province of Pisa)
Poland	KROTOSZYN (woj. Wielkopolskie)
	TORUŃ (woj. Kujawsko-Pomorskie)

The Flag of Honour was awarded to 24 municipalities or local authorities:

France	Béziers (Hérault)
	Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais)
	Méru (Oise)
Germany	Bad Abbach (Bavaria)
	Bechhofen (Bavaria)
	Beckum (North-Rhine Westphalia)
	Bogen (Bavaria)
	Dransfeld (Lower-Saxony)
	Enzkreis (Baden-Wurttemberg)
	Kranenburg (North-Rhine Westphalia)
	Langenargen (Baden-Wurttemberg)
	Mühlacker (Baden-Wurttemberg)
	Pfarrkirchen (Bavaria)
	Weil am Rhein (Baden-Wurttemberg)
Hungary	Szentes (Csongrad County)
Netherlands	Schouwen-Duiveland (Zeeland)
Poland	Płock (woj. Mazowieckie)
	Świnoujście (woj. Zachodniopomorskie)
	Wągrowiec (woj. Wielkopolskie)
Russia	Kostroma
Spain	Las Rozas (Madrid)
Switzerland	Morges (Vaud)
Turkey	Bahçeşehir
United Kingdom	Seaham (Durham)

35 municipalities or local authorities were granted the European Diploma:

Austria	Bad Schallerbach (Upper-Austria)
	Feldkirchen i.K. (Carinthia)
	Weiz (Styria)
France	Aixe-sur-Vienne (Haute-Vienne)
	Montfort-sur-Meu (Ille-et-Vilaine)
	Saint-Etienne-les-Orgues (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
	Villebon-sur-Yvette (Essonne)
Germany	Bobenheim-Roxheim (Rhineland-Palatinate)
	Durach (Bavaria)
	Durbach (Baden-Wurttemberg)
	Fürth (Bavaria)
	Großhabersdorf (Bavaria)
	Herborn (Hessen)
	Hude (Oldb) (Lower-Saxony)
	Ostalbkreis (Baden-Wurttemberg)
	Pfaffenhausen (Bavaria)
	Pirna (Saxony)
	Waldbronn (Baden-Wurttemberg)
	Waldsolms (Hessen)
Hungary	Csorna (Györ-Moson-Sopron County)
	Köszeg (Vas County)
Italy	Bagnacavallo (Province of Ravenna)
	Salerno (Province of Salerno)
Latvia	Saldus
Poland	Będzin (woj. Śląskie)
	Białogard (woj. Zachodniopomorskie)
	Grodzisk Wielkopolski (woj. Wielkopolskie)
	Kołobrzeg (woj. Zachodniopomorskie)
	Radom (woj. Mazowieckie)
	Żywiec (woj. Śląskie)
Romania	Oradea (Bihor County)
Serbia and Montenegro	Gjilan (Kosovo)
Ukraine	Ivano-Frankivsk
United Kingdom	Bracknell (Berkshire)
	Verwood (Dorset)