Presidium Assembly of the Association of Towns Awarded the Europe Prize in Gdynia
On 8 December 2025, Gdynia hosted a meeting of the Association of Towns Awarded the Europe Prize – a network of cities recognised for advancing European values.
Participants included:
- Aleksandra Kosiorek, Mayor of Gdynia;
- Tomasz Augustyniak, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia;
- Mariusz Banach, Deputy Mayor of Lublin;
- Krzysztof Stanowski, Director of the International Cooperation Centre of the Lublin City Hall,
as well as representatives of – Altötting, Darmstadt, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Würzburg (Germany). Online participants included representatives of Khmelnytskyi and Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine), Częstochowa, Nancy (France), and a representative of the Council of Europe.
Joint discussions on challenges and plans
During the meeting, the attendees examined key organisational aspects, from selecting the host city to determining the main theme of the 2026 General Assembly to be held in Gaziantep (Türkiye) together with the accompanying Youth Forum. Much of the debate centred on the Association’s future, potential areas of collaboration, and the issues European cities are dealing with.
A major topic concerned youth engagement and ventures to combat hate speech and misinformation – issues that impact nearly every European city today. The meeting also featured presentations from Gdynia and Ivano-Frankivsk and visited the “Bankowiec” Mini-Museum.
European values and shared responsibility
The Europe Prize, awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe since 1955, recognises cities with a remarkable commitment to fostering European values. Since 1984, the laureate cities have cooperated within a dedicated association, creating a space for exchanging experiences and building relations based on solidarity and cooperation. Today, the Association of Towns Awarded the Europe Prize includes over 80 cities. Members are bound together by shared principles – a firm belief that European cooperation, open dialogue, and amicable relations among neighbours are vital for peace and development.
Lublin in the Association
Lublin, received the Europe Prize in 2017, and since 2023 has served as the Chair City of the Association, playing an active role in defining cooperation priorities and advancing joint initiatives.
Further details can be found on the Association’s website.
