The European Young Journalist Award was announced by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enlargement, in cooperation with the European Youth Press association and cafebabel.com. This award invites aspiring journalists aged 17 - 35 from all over Europe to reflect and express their views on Europe and the European Union's (EU's) enlargement. This year's participants will be able to submit written print and online articles with national jury members looking for a touch of journalistic flair and analytical treatment, expressing their thoughts and feelings about Europe. The 2009 Award welcomes a second category - "radio". Aspiring young radio journalists will also now be offered the chance to demonstrate their technical and journalistic skills on a European level.

National competitions will be offered in the 27 EU member states, EU candidate countries, and EU potential candidates. The EU is planning further enlargement towards the East. Originally starting with the six founding members, the EU grew to include 27 member states. Now three candidates (Croatia, Turkey, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), five potential candidates (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo) are working on fulfilling the EU criteria to become the next European member states and candidate countries.

The enlargement of the European Union is changing the vision of Europe - what are youth opinions on this? The article must be written in a journalistic style and represent the personal perspective of the writer in the context of his or her country. Below are some themes suggested for articles in 2009:

1. "20 years since the removal of the Iron Curtain: has the integration with the Central and Eastern European countries changed the face of Europe?
2. Five years after: the impact of the accession to the EU of the ten member states that joined in 2004
3. The quest for EU membership: why is the European perspective crucial for the Western Balkans and Turkey?
4. Accession into the EU of new member states: good for the EU or good for the acceding country?
5. What does belonging to the EU mean for you/your country?"

Submissions must be made via the competition website or can be sent via email to info@eujournalist-award.eu and must be accompanied by a completed online entry form.
Click here for more information.


Click here for the registration form.

Click here to read about previous winners.

Young People's Media Network listserv on March 9 2009.