The competition ‘Juvenes Translatores’ (Latin for 'young translators’) launched by the European Commission is open to anyone born in 1993 and of any nationality, provided that they are enrolled at a school located in an EU Member State. Selected schools will be invited to enter up to five pupils, who will be free to translate from and into any of the EU’s 23 official languages.

The contest will be held at the same time in all selected schools, under the school’s supervision. Contestants will have two hours to translate a text, which the Commission will send to the schools shortly before the competition starts. Dictionaries can be used, but not electronic devices.

After the contest, the translations will be evaluated by Commission translators and the winners invited to Brussels in the spring of 2011 for an award ceremony hosted by Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou. During the trip the winners will also meet EU staff translators.

Secondary schools wishing to enter pupils for the 2010 EU Young Translator Contest can register from today at Juvenes Translatores web. The registration period for the contest  runs until 20 October. The online application form is available in all official EU languages. The competition, which is open to pupils born in 1993, will be held on 23 November, at the same time in all selected schools.

The total number of schools that can participate is being increased this year from 690 to more than 750, in response to strong demand since the launch of the contest in 2007. The number of schools selected from each Member State will mirror the number of seats each country will have in the European Parliament in 2014. If a Member State exceeds its quota, the Commission will use a random selection method to determine which schools can participate.