The 2026 Europe Prize has been awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the city of Reggio Emilia in Italy. The Prize is awarded each year to the city that has been most active in promoting the European ideal.
Reggio Emilia is a city of 171,000 inhabitants located in northern Italy. Its twinning network comprises 12 cities and seven international agreements.
In 2025, the city took part in over 47 European projects, and more than 2,000 students participated in European training programmes, Erasmus+ experiences and mobility activities.
The Eurodesk Centre’s ‘Youth4Europe’ project won the 2025 Eurodesk Award for its innovative approach to integrating European citizenship into everyday life, transforming public spaces into venues for youth participation and debate.
The city has shown remarkable solidarity, notably by welcoming over 4,000 Ukrainian refugees, participating in the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, and facilitating youth exchanges between its schools and those of Melitopol.
The city is also a member of Eurotowns, a founding member of the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities Programme, and an active partner in the POLIS network, the Network of Cities Against the Death Penalty and Cities in Placemaking.
Created in 1955 by PACE, the Europe Prize is the highest distinction awarded to a European city for its actions in the European domain. In addition to the trophy, the winning city receives a grant to be used for a study visit to the European institutions for its young people.
Five other cities – Augsburg and Münster in Germany, Ostrów Wielkopolski in Poland, Mollet del Vallès in Spain and Vinnytsia in Ukraine – were shortlisted for the Prize, and the committee commended their candidacies.
In addition, the committee awarded four Plaques of Honour, six Flags of Honour and twelve European Diplomas, which also form part of the Europe Prize. See here for the full list.
Completed questionnaire to be submitted by 15 January 2026.
Please note that there is only one method to submit one's application: the on-line form. Unfortunately, applications submitted by other means cannot be accepted.
Guidelines:
Any municipality in any of the Council of Europe 46 member States.
Several years, but municipalities should provide the Secretariat with an update on their European activities.
For each distinction the online form must be used. Please submit a report of the previous year's European activities, with press articles, to the Secretariat.
The Europe Prize Sub-Committee (composed of members of the Parliamentary Assembly) examines applications for all 4 distinctions at the end of April and submits its choice to the Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for approval. Winning municipalities are informed by post and/or e-mail. Confirmation and suggestions for organizing the ceremony follow by post.
List of winners of the Europe Prize since 1955
Press releases from previous years
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Distinctions from previous years
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
European diploma presentation ceremony photo galleries (French only)
European diploma presentation photo gallery 27 June 2019 (French only)
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.
In 2021 a new Europe Prize trophy replaced the original trophy dating from the creation of the Prize in 1955. Designed by a team of young graphic artists from the Strate School of Design in France and manufactured by Atelier S. Gérard in Paris, it was selected as the winning design after a 2019 competition among young people from across the Council of Europe’s member States. As with the previous trophy, it will travel from city to city throughout Europe, displayed for a year in each winning town.
The Prize 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.
The awarding of the various prize levels is progressive. Following the entry level European Diploma, applicant municipalities should subsequently apply for the Flag of Honour then the Plaque of Honour in order to compete at the highest level: the Europe Prize.
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