European Parliament Ends Long-Running Citizens’ Prize as Part of Spending Review
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The leadership of the European Parliament has opted to discontinue an award programme granted to EU citizens, as part of a wider drive to rationalise expenditure.
Established in 2008, the European Citizens’ Prize was intended to recognise citizen-led initiatives that advanced European cooperation and upheld EU values, with approximately 50 projects receiving recognition annually.
Following its suspension in 2024 due to the European elections, the programme remained inactive and was formally discontinued on Monday evening during a bureau meeting attended by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and her 14 vice-presidents.
According to an internal note signed by Parliament Secretary-General Alessandro Chiocchetti, the initiative had, over time, required substantial investment and repeated regulatory adjustments while delivering limited tangible returns. The note states that the programme evolved into a complex and resource-heavy undertaking that yielded negligible measurable outreach and media engagement.
The document further indicates that recognised projects struggled to secure sustained attention at local and regional levels, thereby limiting the programme’s effectiveness in enhancing the Parliament’s institutional visibility at scale.
The discontinuation is expected to generate annual savings of roughly €200,000, largely from the communications budget. The reallocated funds are intended to support alternative activities considered more cost-efficient, although no specific initiatives have been identified publicly.
Chiocchetti’s assessment also flagged occasional reputational risks linked to the programme, including perceptions of political influence in nomination processes, as well as ethical concerns and allegations of misconduct involving certain recipients.
The move forms part of a broader restructuring effort led by the secretary-general aimed at streamlining the Parliament’s €127 million communications budget.
