Launch of the 2013 Charlemagne Youth Prize
The selection procedure for next year's European Charlemagne Youth Prize was launched on Thursday. The prize is awarded to young people who have been involved in projects to promote understanding between people from different European countries. The deadline for submitting projects for next year's prize, the sixth since it came into being in 2008, is 28 January 2013.
The Charlemagne Youth Prize, which is jointly organised by the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation in Aachen, is awarded to projects undertaken by people between 16 and 30 years old. The winning projects should serve as role models for young people living in Europe and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community. Youth exchange programmes, artistic and internet projects with a European dimension are amongst the projects selected.
Launching the 2013 edition, European Parliament President Martin Schulz said: "The European Charlemagne Youth Prize is your opportunity to present your idea of Europe - to make your contribution to European integration...Play your part in shaping Europe the way you want!".
Total prize money of €10,000
The three winning projects will be awarded funding of €5,000, €3,000, and €2,000 respectively. Their participants will also be invited to visit the European Parliament in the autumn.
The representatives of the national winning projects be invited to take part in the Charlemagne Youth Prize award ceremony in May 2013, and to attend the International Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen award ceremony, two days later, during a four-day trip to Aachen.
2012 winners
In 2012, Europe on the Ground, a Greek youth media project, was awarded first prize. Second prize went to Europe Meets School, an exchange programme for Erasmus students (Czech Republic) and the winner of the third prize was the Cycle Me Home project, a documentary road-movie (Hungary).
Timeline:
Launch of the competition and online application: 11 October 2012.
Application deadline: 28 January 2013.
Selection of the 27 projects by the national juries: by 19 March 2013.
Selection of the 3 winning projects by the European jury: 25 April 2013.
Award ceremony in Aachen: 7 May 2013