European Commission launched a creativity competition on the single market, targeting young people

Business, Comm & Politics

European Commission launched a creativity competition on the single market, for young adults born in 1992 that are in an unique position to offer a fresh perspective on the European single market, as they grew up in a world where the free movement of people, goods, services and capital between the 27 countries of the European Union has always been a fact of life.

European Commission targets “Generation 1992” with a creativity competition aimed at tapping into the views, experiences, insights and expectations of what the single market means to young Europeans today. The competition, launched in April, is open to all European citizens born between 1 January and 31 December 1992, with entrants able to submit an original essay, video, photograph, cartoon or smart phone application and be able to chose to focus on one of four categories: education and citizenship; jobs and entrepreneurship; culture and leisure and consumers and environment.

In 1992, we had great hopes for the single market. Looking back, it has indeed helped citizens work anywhere they want, made trade easier and brought more jobs. However, 20 years on there is a feeling that progress towards a true single market has stalled. We need to relaunch the single market in order to give young adults born in 1992 renewed hope and greater opportunities. And we need this future generation to contribute to the development of our internal market policies for the next 20 years.

Michel Barnier

Commissioner for Internal Market & Services

The competition is one of the events organised across the EU to mark the 20th anniversary of the European single market. The activities, which will culminate in the Single Market Week for New Growth from 15 to 20 October 2012, will focus in particular on recalling the achievements of the single market and highlighting the new initiatives aimed at stimulating growth.

Entries for the competition are to be submitted online and the most outstanding ones will be posted on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Prizes – including tablets, smartphones, cameras, MP3 players and travel passes – will be awarded on an ongoing basis from April to September. In addition, 4-week internships in the European Institutions as well as in international companies will be offered to winners for each category of the competition. Twenty winners will be invited to take part in the Single Market Week in October, where they will present their winning entries at the award ceremony on 15 October.

More info on the competition are available on Generation 1992 Website and on the 20th anniversary website,

Generation 1992′ campaign – you in the European single market is an online communication campaign that encourages young people to express their views about the single market by participating in a creative contest. The campaign is addressed to the generation born in 1992, with all 20-year-olds invited to submit their experiences, stories, complaints and proposals how to make Europe a better place to live and work.

The people that want to participate to the campaign can submit up to 2 entries, either by yourself or as part of a group, provided they are in different formats. The deadline is September 9th. Judges will choose 20 finalists, who will earn a trip to the awards ceremony in Brussels this October to collect their prizes.