The 2026 Europe Prize has been awarded to Reggio Emilia in Italy. This prestigious distinction is granted annually by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the city that has demonstrated the strongest commitment to promoting the European ideal.
Reggio Emilia is a city of 171,000 inhabitants located in northern Italy. It has developed an extensive international outreach, maintaining twinning relations with 12 partner cities and engaging in seven additional international cooperation agreements.
The city has shown remarkable activity in European initiatives. In 2025 alone, Reggio Emilia participated in more than 47 European projects, while over 2,000 students took part in training programmes, Erasmus+ exchanges, and various mobility schemes. Its Eurodesk Centre also gained recognition: the “Youth4Europe” project received the 2025 Eurodesk Award for its innovative approach to embedding European citizenship into everyday life, transforming public spaces into arenas for youth participation and civic debate.
Solidarity and international cooperation are key aspects of Reggio Emilia’s European engagement. The city welcomed more than 4,000 Ukrainian refugees, contributed to the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, and supported youth exchanges between local schools and institutions in Melitopol.
Reggio Emilia is also an active member of several European and international networks, including Eurotowns, the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities Programme—of which it is a founding member—as well as POLIS, the Network of Cities Against the Death Penalty, and Cities in Placemaking.
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, four Plaques of Honour, six Flags of Honour, and twelve European Diplomas were awarded as part of the Europe Prize framework.
Established in 1955 by PACE, the Europe Prize remains the highest distinction awarded to a European city for its actions in the European domain. Alongside the trophy, the winning city receives a grant to support a study visit to European institutions for its young people.
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