The 2017 Europe Prize – the highest level of the Prize which is awarded each year by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the town most active in promoting the European ideal – has been awarded to Lublin in Poland.  Lublin is a city with robust international cooperation, a busy cultural life and 25 twinned cities around the world.

The Europe Prize

•  Created by the Parliamentary Assembly in 1955, the Europe Prize is the highest distinction that can be bestowed on a European town for its actions in the European domain. It consists of a trophy, a medal, a diploma and a scholarship to be spent on a study visit within Europe for young people from the winning municipality.


• It rewards municipalities for their active promotion of the European ideal (twinnings, European events, exchange visits, etc.), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe offers every year four awards: the European Diploma, the Flag of Honour, the Plaque of Honour and the Europe Prize.

Lublin in Poland wins the 2017 Europe Prize

The 2017 Europe Prize – the highest level of the Prize which is awarded each year by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the town most active in promoting the European ideal – has been awarded to Lublin in Poland.

Capital and center of Lublin Voivodship (province), Lublin has 25 twinned cities in total in Europe, North America, Israel and China. According to the PACE Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, Lublin is a city with robust international cooperation in numerous fields (economic, cultural and educational) which translates into many projects being carried out with foreign partners. The city also organises a range of celebrations to mark Europe Day such as a simulation of a session of the European Parliament for young people.

The city is the hub of bustling cultural life, with different events held annually, and attracting a wide audience: the Night of Culture, Central Europe Theatre Festival "Neighbours", the International Dance Theatre Festival, the Magicians' Carnival or the Lublin Basket Cup.

It rewards municipalities for their active promotion of the European ideal (twinnings, European events, exchange visits, etc.), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe offers every year four awards: the European Diploma, the Flag of Honour, the Plaque of Honour and the Europe Prize.

Four other towns, namely Bamberg in Germany, Issy-les-Moulineaux in France, Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraine and Ravenna in Italy, were also shortlisted for the Prize, and the committee commended their applications.

Take a look at the towns which have been Winners of the Europe Prize since 1955

Any municipality in any of the Council of Europe 47 member States may apply for the Europe Prize 2018 (deadline: 15 January 2018)

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