EC ontvangt meer dan 1.350 nominaties voor the European Year 2012 Awards (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Directoraat-generaal Werkgelegenheid, sociale zaken en inclusie (EMPL) i, gepubliceerd op woensdag 26 september 2012.

A total of 1,373 interesting and diverse submissions have been received from all over Europe to participate in the European Year 2012 Awards. Launched by the European Commission i to celebrate the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, the call was closed on 16 September.

Organisations and individuals from EU i Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway were able to submit from 21 June until 16 September nominations in six categories: Workplaces for all Ages, Towards Age-Friendly Environments, Social Entrepreneurs, Reporting on Ageing and Relations between Generations, Life Story Challenge and generations@school.

Germany has submitted the largest number of entries (172), followed by Spain (122), Portugal (110), Austria (93), Poland and Romania, with 92 nominations each.

The majority of nominations were received for the Journalism Awards (423), followed by those presented in the generations@school (361), Social Entrepreneurs (234) and Friendly Environments (233) categories. Last but not least, the Life Story challenge and the Workplaces for All Ages Awards received 63 and 59 nominations respectively.

Through an online voting system, a total of 190 voters representing national stakeholder organisations have taken part in the process of shortlisting finalists at national level.

An international jury is due to meet on 9 October in Brussels to decide the winners and two finalists in each category. The Jury will be composed of high-level officials and experts, including Lenia Samuel, Hors Classe Advisor and Ralf Jacob, Head of Unit for Active Ageing, Pensions, Healthcare at the European Commission Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion; Anne Sophie Parent, Secretary General AGE Platform; Thierry Lefèvre, Senior Advisor CSR Europe, and Rainer Höll, Deputy General Manager Ashoka.

The winners of the 2012 Active Ageing Awards will be announced at a ceremony which will take place in November in Brussels.