EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT:Launch of the 2014 European Charlemagne Youth Prize

The competition for next year's European Charlemagne Youth Prize was launched on Thursday, 24 October. Now in its seventh year, the prize is awarded to young people who have developed projects to foster understanding between people from different European countries. The deadline for submissions is 20 January 2014.

The Charlemagne Youth Prize is organised jointly by the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation in Aachen and awarded each year for projects run by people aged between 16 and 30.

The winning projects should provide models for young people living in Europe and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community.

Past winners include youth exchange programmes and artistic and internet projects with a European dimension.

EP President Schulz said, launching the 2014 edition of the Charlemagne Youth Prize:

"Take part in the Charlemagne Youth prize. Play your part in shaping the Europe of tomorrow and make your voice heard. Your ideas can make a difference!"

Prize money of €10,000

The three winning projects (chosen from the 28 projects nominated by national juries in the individual EU member states) will be awarded €5,000, €3,000, and €2,000 respectively. Their representatives will be invited to visit the European Parliament in Brussels or Strasbourg in the autumn.

Representatives of the 28 national winning projects will be invited to the Charlemagne Youth Prize award ceremony and the International Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen award ceremony two days later during a four-day trip to Aachen in May 2014.

2013 winners

Europe on Track, a Spanish youth media project, won first prize in 2013. The runner-up was a Polish project, Discover Europe, an exciting photo contest which unites students through their creativity and vision of Europe. Third prize went to an Estonian Youth exchange project "The Story of my Life", a residential camp which unites people from different sections of society through dialogue.

Timeline:

Launch of the competition and online applications: 24 October 2013

Deadline for applications: 20 January 2014

Selection of the 28 projects by the national juries: 3 March 2014

Selection of the three winning projects by the European jury: 10 April 2014

Award ceremony in Aachen: 27 May 2014

REF. : 20131018IPR22653