Iron curtain, the five newest member states, the Balkans and Turkey in the EU – got something to say about these topics? Win the European commission’s prestigious title for your country and a trip to Berlin this summer, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall!

In 2008, cafebabel.com English editor Nabeelah Shabbir and former e-community editor Jean-Sébastien Lefebvre took home the figurative gongs for the UK and France, their native countries. The ‘Enlarge your vision’ prize was based around the ‘EU enlargement’ theme of the online competition - a tour around the western Balkans and the privilege of meeting the 34 other winners.

This year, cafebabel.com have teamed up with the European commission to ask you directly to send in your articles, and compete for the title in your country.

The prize: the title of ‘European young journalist’ in your country, followed up by a cultural trip all expenses paid in Berlin in September 2009.

When: submit your article by 31 May!

Who : You are between 17 and 35. You are a citizen or resident of the 27 member states of the EU or the 8 candidate and potential candidate countries of the EU.

What: Your article should have been written between 2007 and 2009 on cafebabel.com or any other media (print, online, audiovisual) about one of the following FIVE topics :

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

The article can be a maximum of 2, 000 words. An abstract of 200 words needs to be provided in English.

There will be ONE winner awarded by each of the 35 countries*

EU-admittanceHow to participate?

1.Send an email to Monika Oelz (info@cafebabel.com) with your name and surname to inform us that you would like to participate

2. Register on the website under this address : http://www.eujournalist-award.eu/index.php?id=115

Looking forward to your emails – and tell your friends!

Young Journalists Award

  • Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romana, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK