The 'European Charlemagne Youth Prize' aims to encourage the development of European consciousness among young people, as well as their participation in European integration projects.

Representatives of the 27 national projects selected are invited to the award ceremony in Aachen, Germany this morning. The prizes for the best three projects will be presented by the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, and a representative of the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen.

The three winning projects will be awarded funding of €5,000, €3,000, and €2,000 respectively. They will also be invited to visit the European Parliament in the next months.

Background

The European Charlemagne Youth Prize is granted to projects undertaken by people between 16 and 30 years old, which should serve as role models for young people living in Europe and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community.  The Prize is awarded to projects undertaken by young people which foster understanding, promote the development of a shared sense of European identity, and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community.

The European Charlemagne Youth Prize is awarded jointly and annually by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. The Polish youth project "YOUrope needs YOU" was awarded with the first prize in the European Charlemagne Youth Prize (ECYP) competition of 2009.