“Happy Birthday EU”. This is the motto for a logo competition launched jointly today by the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Art and design students, and design professionals who have graduated in 2006, are invited to design a birthday logo that will be the official symbol for the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome next year. The Commission and all other European Institutions will use the winning logo for all events during 2007 related to the 50th anniversary. The Member States, regional and local authorities will be invited to use the logo for their particular events. The closing date for the competition is September 30, 2006. The selection of the winning logo will be made by a jury consisting of representatives from the five institutions and co-chaired by Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström and Vice-President of the European Parliament Alejo Vidal-Quadras. The award for the best logo is € 6000. There will also be awards for the second and the third best logos, € 4000 and € 2000 respectively. The three awarded designers will be invited to a prize ceremony in Brussels in the autumn.
Student of art, graphic design, communication design, visual communication, media design or related disciplines from the 25 Member States and Bulgaria and Romania are all invited to participate in the competition. So are design professionals who have graduated from University or College in 2006. They are invited to create a logo and also, if they so wish, a slogan about European integration. The logo must refer to the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and reflect the EU’s achievements – such as peace and prosperity – and its future i.e. what kind of EU they want for future generations.
The winning logos will be selected in a two-step process.
First, a panel made up of internationally renowned design specialists will view all entries and select the ten most convincing proposals.
The three best logos will then be selected by a second jury, consisting of representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, co-chaired by Vice-Presidents Margot Wallström and Alejo Vidal-Quadras. The jury’s decisions will be announced at the award ceremony in Brussels in October.