Hans-Gert Poettering, President of the European parliament, speaks at the first-ever Youth Charles Prize ceremony in Aachen, Germany. The prize will be awarded annually from this year.
A Hungarian youth project "Students without Boundaries" was awarded the first Charlemagne Youth Prize on the evening of 29 April in Aachen. Every year more than one hundred students from Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and other countries gather for leadership workshops on European issues. The second and third prize went to the United Kingdom and Greece respectively. The award was handed over by EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering and the Chairman of the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize, André Leysen, co-organisers of the event. The Charlemagne Youth Prize acknowledges projects that foster a shared sense of European identity and integration among young people.
For Hans-Gert Pöttering "the launching of this competition for the first time has shown above all that Europe remains a subject of fascination". The President of the European Parliament is "delighted that so many young people from all the Member States of the European Union have participated. With their projects and ideas they have expressed their belief in what we have in common as Europeans".
Martin Schulz, the Chairman of the Socialist group in the European Parliament, took part in the ceremony and handed the 2nd prize to the organisers of the London Festival of Europe. Margaritis Schinas, MEP and member of the Greek jury, also attended the event.
And the winning projects are... from Hungary, the UK and Greece
The winning project ´´The Students Without Boundaries´´ takes place annually in Hungary involving 135 students from Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine and Serbia, who take part in leadership workshops. The programme facilitates the exchange of views among students on issues such as European educational opportunities, enlargement of the EU and structural fund. The two weeks spent together is also an excellent opportunity to share cultural heritage. Upon returning home the students continue community building experience on-line.
Hans-Gert Pöttering said: "This project, whose participants reflect the diversity of Europe, communicates knowledge about the EU and understanding of its values in an exemplary fashion. This project is a living experience of European values".
´´London Festival of Europe´´ (UK) was awarded 2nd prize for organising an annual two-week series of free public lectures, debates and art events in some of London's most prestigious venues, which saw 1500 people attend its 10 events. The first festival was held in March 2007 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. Its eleven volunteer organisers created "a huge number of events to illustrate the various facets of a united Europe", stresses the jury.
Finally, the 3rd prize went to the first High School of Byron in Greece. For almost 30 years the school has sought to ensure that its students develop a European identity. Among others, it has introduced a new school subject related to the European Union, which is a unique initiative in Greece. "The intensive involvement with all aspects of European integration and the large number of activities make this project special and exemplary," stated in the jury.
Prizes and selection procedure
The prizes for the three best projects receive funding of €5 000, €3 000 and €2 000, respectively. The three laureates will visit the European Parliament in June.
In March national juries consisting of at least two MEPs and one representative of a youth organisation selected a national winner from each of the 27 Member States. On 3 April, the European jury, consisting of three MEPs, the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering and four representatives of the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize, selected the three winners from the 27 projects submitted by the national juries.
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