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The Europe Prize |
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Why award a
"Europe Prize" ?
To reward local and regional authorities for their active promotion of the European ideal (twinnings, European events, exchange visits, etc.).
The awards
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe offers four awards:
The
European Diploma
The Flag
of Honour
The Plaque
of Honour
The Europe
Prize
The European
Diploma
The first step in selecting Europe Prizewinners. Some 30 diplomas are awarded every year. Mayors of the winning towns are presented with a parchment bearing the date and the authority's name at an official ceremony at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg during the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly.
The Flag of
Honour
The flag, embroidered and fringed with gold, is the most popular award and an essential step towards the Plaque of Honour and the Europe Prize. Twenty to twenty-five are allocated every year and over 950 have been awarded since 1961. A member of the Parliamentary Assembly presents it to the winning authority at a municipal ceremony open to a wide public.
The Plaque of
Honour
It consists in its upper part of brass figures representing the rape of Europe, in the central part of the twelve stars of Europe with the year the Plaque was awarded inscribed in the middle, and on the lower part a stylised map of the Great Europe indicating the name of the prize winning municipality. It is presented to the winning municipality by a member of the Parliamentary Assembly at a ceremony to which the local population is invited. Eight to ten plaques are awarded each year and 145 have been presented so far.
The Europe
Prize
The highest award, created in 1955 to recognize outstanding efforts in promoting European unity. Fifty-eight towns have been honoured ; only one or two prizes are awarded each year to Plaque and Flag winners.
This is no empty honour. The Trophy (held for a year), the bronze medal and the commemorative parchment accompany a 7.600 euros scholarship to fund European study visits for young people.
The President of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly presents the prize at a municipally-organised "Europe Day" attended by the Europe Prize Sub-Committee.
Who may apply ?
Any local or regional authority in any of the Council of Europe 44 Member States.
How to apply ?
The Authority's Mayor, Chief Executive or representative must apply in writing before 31 December each year to the :
Committee on the Environment and Agriculture
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly Council of Europe
F - 67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel : + 33.3.88.41.21.08
Fax : + 33.3.88.41.27.17
E-mail : anne-marie.menger@coe.int
The local authority will then receive the Regulations and a questionnaire (currently available in French, English and German in PDF Format).
Deadline
Completed questionnaire to the above address by 31 December.
Selection
The Europe Prize Sub-Committee (Members of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly) examines applications end of April and submits its choice to the Parliamentary Assembly's Environment Committee for approval. Winning authorities are informed by telefax. Confirmation and suggestions for organizing the ceremony follow by post.
Validity of the
application
Several years, but authorities should provide the Secretariat (address above) with an update on their European activities by 31 December every year.
How to apply
for a higher award ?
Send a report of the previous year's European activities, with press articles, to the Secretariat