Despite its shortcomings, delays and mostly online work, the Conference on the Future of Europe is already proving, via the thousands of contributions on its platform, the breadth of citizens’ expectations for our future institutions and the importance of placing citizens at the heart of Europe’s future. For the fourth time, EuropeanConstitution.eu will support citizens’ engagement in the promotion of Europe and European integration by awarding the Jean Monnet Prize. We look forward to receiving your applications!
What is the Jean Monnet Prize for European integration?
The Jean Monnet Prize for European Integration aims at honouring Jean Monnet’s memory and life achievements. It does so by rewarding talented individuals or groups having contributed to supporting or strengthening European Integration through a project they designed and implemented. The winning project receives a €1,500 grant.
The 2021 Jean Monnet Prize is organised under the patronage of the European Parliament and with the support of our pro-European partners.
The full statute of the 2021 Jean Monnet Prize can be consulted here.
Who can apply?
All projects either implemented or under implementation promoting European integration can apply to the Jean Monnet Prize.
EuropeanConstitution.eu takes a broad view of European integration and believe it is as much about the people than about institutions. Many projects can therefore be considered to contribute to European integration or promote the European spirit.
You bring European citizens together across borders? Apply! You create or facilitate exchange programmes within the EU? Apply! You contribute to language learning or cultural encounters? Apply! Your project promotes the discovery of European history or shared knowledge about our heritage? Apply!
We believe that people’s imagination and creativity are endless; this is why we are opening wide the range of projects we can support. If your project relates to the EU, we want to hear about it!
When and how can I apply?
The Jean Monnet Prize is awarded annually on 9 November, on the day of Jean Monnet’s birth.
The application period for the 2021 edition runs from 9 September to 9 October 2021, 23:59 CET. All applications are to be made through our website. The online application form will be provided here on 9 September.
Past editions
The 2020 edition was organised under the patronage of the European Parliament and in partnership with a number of pro-European partners, including the College of Europe, the Good Lobby, Pulse of Europe, the European Democracy Lab, European Alternatives, the European University Association, the European Students’ Union, the Federation for Education in Europe, and the Alliance4Europe. In total, 66 projects were submitted.
The Prize was awarded to the Home is Where the Herz Is project, which gives a voice to the ten largest communities that have made the city of Vienna their home. The project consists in ten special editions of the Metropole magazine featuring content from young Viennese journalists with roots in the communities.
The first runner-up was the Voters Without Borders campaign, a European Citizens’ Initiative aimed at providing citizens residing outside of their Member State of citizenship with full electoral rights. The second runner-up was Mia Europo, a youth-oriented magazine helping the next generation of Europeans discover and understand Europe — a Europe they are already a part of and yet hear very little about.
In 2019, the Jean Monnet Prize was organised under the patronage of the European Commission, through its Representation in France and of the European Parliament.
The 2019 edition of the Jean Monnet Prize was awarded to ZEIT Online for their Europe Talks project, bringing thousands of citizens into one-on-one discussions ahead of the European elections.
Runners-up were the University of Tirana, for its support of Albania’s accession to the EU, and Mathilde and Sophie Hériaud, for their citizen-oriented project Toi d’Europe. Read here for more information about the 2019 edition.
In 2018, the Jean Monnet Prize was organised under the patronage of the European Commission, through its Representation in France.
For its work to advance mobility and the first-hand discovery of Europe for all youths, #FreeInterrail won the 2018 edition of the Jean Monnet Prize for European Integration.
Political Critique and UE Lib’ were recognised as runners-up. Read here for more information about the 2018 edition.
Read more about Jean MonnetJean Monnet was born in Cognac, France, on 9 November 1888. Through his family’s cognac business, he travelled extensively, including to the United Kingdom and the United States. He contributed to the war effort of both World Wars by aligning the war industries of Allied powers and, during World War II, worked tirelessly to prepare the US industry for the country’s direct involvement. Jean Monnet also served as Deputy Secretary General of the League of Nations during the inter-war period.
After 1945, Monnet became an influential supporter of European unity, including through his Action Committee for the United States of Europe and led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the first European institution endowed with supranational powers, of which he became the first president. A strong supporter of European federalism, Jean Monnet has been called “The Father of Europe” and was instrumental in setting up what became the European Union.
Read more about Jean Monnet, including in his own words at the Jean Monnet Foundation.
The 2021 Jean Monnet Prize is organised in partnership with:
For more information, reach out to us at jeanmonnetprize@europeanconstitution.eu.
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