Europe in My Region 2016

Bloggers

Winners

Bloggers around Europe were invited to write about EU-funded projects. The blog posts were then translated and republished on Euractiv and shared on social media. A jury composed of professional journalists picked the 3 winning blog posts: Polish eco-blogger Janusz Mizerny came first with Biogas buses are the green solution for cities. The other two winners were close behind: Clarissa Hirst (Sweden): Playing with Russia in the Baltic Sea Sandpit: Challenges and Opportunities  and Andrea González González (Spain): The Cabárceno Natural Park, one of the first actions financed with European funds in Cantabria!

Enter the blogging competition

We will translate, republish and promote up to 40 blog posts on EU-funded projects. The three best bloggers will be invited to attend the European Week of Regions and Cities this October as fully accredited journalists.

Entering the competition could not be simpler:

• Choose an EU-funded project (for details of projects, see the REGIO project database, our map, the EU Budget for Results site, or national websites on beneficiaries of EU funding)
• Publish a blog post about it in any EU language (don’t break the guidelines, below)
• Email the blog post's address (URL) to us at regio-external-communication@ec.europa.eu.
• Subject line: “Entry: Europe in My Region competition”
• Include your social media accounts in the email, so we can mention you if/when we promote your post.

You can enter up to three blog posts on three (or more) different projects.

You have complete editorial independence, but you don’t have much time - the competition closes once the 40th post has been checked and approved, or on 30 June at the latest (whichever is sooner).

The competition is now closed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: updates will be posted on the competition blog throughout the competition.

What happens next?

We’ll first check your post for eligibility and to make sure that it respects the guidelines (below). Assuming it’s approved, your post will be:

• translated into English
• republished on a dedicated multi-user blog on BlogActiv.eu, a popular blogging platform dedicated to EU policy
• promoted by the European Commission and (if it meets their editorial standards) BlogActiv

Then an independent Jury will select the best three blog posts. We’ll keep you informed each step of the way.

What if I win?

If the Jury selects your post, we’ll fly you to Brussels this October to cover the European Week of Regions and Cities.

We’ll cover your flight and hotel expenses, and treat you like the other journalists accredited to the Week’s media programme.

Anything you publish following your participation in the European Week of Regions and Cities will also be translated and republished, as before (maximum three posts each).

What if I don’t have my own blog?

No problem: what we’re looking for is an interesting piece on one of our projects, wherever it’s published. These days, that could be a Note on Facebook, a blog post on LinkedIn or a newspaper’s platform, or even a great photo & caption combination on Instagram.

Just as long as:

• it’s public!
• it’s significantly longer than a status update ;)

Can I enter the photo competition as well?

Good idea. If you enter the photo competition about the same project, then:

• make sure your best photo(s) are in your blog post
• use the app on our Facebook page to enter the photo competition
• and send us the email, as set out above, noting in the body of the email that you’ve also entered the photo competition.

Guidelines: what’s allowed, what’s not?

Apart from the fact that your post must be about an EU-funded project, you have complete editorial independence – if you think, for example, that the project you’re covering was not a good investment, go ahead and say so.

But you can’t preach hatred, racism, or violence, use obscenities or ethnic slurs, or insult, slander or defame anyone.

What criteria will the Jury use?

We’re looking for insightful, interesting posts about EU-funded projects, so the Jury will be scoring each post for:

• Insight: What does this post tell us about this project? Does it unearth interesting facts, or ask interesting questions? Is it original?
• Quality: How well is it structured and written? Does it feature good visuals, or provide links for further reading?
• Community and engagement: Has the post stimulated a conversation?
• Style and Voice: Blogs are not traditional news articles - does the post have an interesting personality? Is it provocative or funny, moving or thoughtful?

Who are the Jury?

Experienced journalists and bloggers, and not working at the EU Commission.

I have another question

Please email us at regio-external-communication@ec.europa.eu, with Subject: “Question: Europe in My Region competition”

Noone has answered my email

If you sent an email to regio-external-communication@ec.europa.eu and have not received an answer:

• Please first check you used the correct Subject line (see above)
• Also check your spam folder.

If you are sure you didn’t receive anything, please email us again, with Subject: “Question: Europe in My Region competition”.