During her address, Guardiola underlined that this award \u201creflects a deep conviction: Europe is not built solely from central institutions. Europe is built across the entire territory, from every corner, from the regions, from municipalities and, ultimately, from its citizens\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mar\u00eda Guardiola explained that the jury wished to recognise the more than three decades of work of the European Committee of the Regions, highlighting its key role in incorporating the voice of cities and regions into the European Union\u2019s decision-making process.<\/p>\n
In this regard, the acting president stressed that the European Committee of the Regions represents \u201clike few other institutions, that close, tangible, real Europe, and for more than three decades it has carried out an essential task: bringing the voice of municipalities and regions to the heart of European decision-making, a task that is often discreet but absolutely indispensable\u201d.<\/p>\n
This recognition also carries strong symbolic value, as it links back to the origins of the award itself: in its first edition, in 1995, it was granted to Jacques Delors, promoter of the European Committee of the Regions and a key figure in contemporary Europe.<\/p>\n
The jury, chaired by the acting president of the Regional Government of Extremadura, highlighted \u201cits contribution to integrating Europe\u2019s cities and regions into the common project, enabling citizens to raise their everyday concerns and issues to the EU institutions, thereby ensuring that European Union legislation incorporates the territorial dimension and respects the principle of subsidiarity\u201d. In the view of the jury members, in times of complexity and polarisation, the Committee of the Regions \u201chas promoted balance, attentive listening, and multi-level and cross-border cooperation. It has also demonstrated that cooperation and territorial diversity are strengths that make Europe fairer, more realistic, and more resilient. Its actions embody the unity in diversity that underpins European integration and guarantee that Europe is also built from its regions and cities\u201d.<\/p>\n
The award ceremony will take place on 25th<\/sup> May at the Monastery of San Jer\u00f3nimo de Yuste, in the presence of His Majesty King Felipe VI, in a ceremony that will once again place Extremadura at the heart of Europeanism.<\/p>\n The president of the Committee of the Regions, Kata T\u00fctt\u0151, expressed her satisfaction with this recognition, which represents \u201cthe voice of cities and regions in the European decision-making and we bring our realities into the decision-making\u201d. In her opinion, \u201cwhen multiple storms are hitting our continent, it is more important than ever to keep the European Union strong from the inside\u201d, she said in a video message.<\/p>\n European Committee of the Regions<\/strong><\/p>\n The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the European Union institution which, for more than three decades, has structurally ensured the active participation of territories and citizens in the construction of the European project. Established by the Maastricht Treaty, the CoR was created with the aim of integrating the local and regional dimension into the Union\u2019s decision-making process, thereby contributing to a more democratic, cohesive and citizen-focused Europe.<\/p>\n Following the commemoration of its 30th<\/sup> anniversary in 2025, the European Committee of the Regions now represents the result of a consolidated institutional trajectory, marked by a sustained and growing contribution to the process of European integration. Over these three decades, the CoR has established itself as the principal institutional forum for representing regional and local authorities within the European Union, enabling European policies to incorporate a territorial perspective that is realistic, plural, and grounded in the direct experience of those who govern and manage territories on the ground.<\/p>\n In an era characterised by acceleration, polarisation, and the temptation of simple responses to complex problems, the European Committee of the Regions has embodied a way of building Europe based on balance, listening, consensus, and cooperation across levels of government. It has demonstrated that territorial complexity does not weaken the Union, but rather makes it fairer, more realistic, and more resilient. This vision directly connects with the European political legacy symbolised by Charles V: the conviction that stability and cohesion are only possible when the multiple realities that shape the European space are respected.<\/p>\n The CoR has also been a school of practical Europeanism. Within it, representatives from highly diverse territories have learned to deliberate, to seek consensus, and to place the broader European interest above legitimate local particularities. This institutional pedagogy, exercised over decades, has contributed in a discreet yet profound way to the consolidation of a shared European political culture.<\/p>\n Carlos V European Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Since 1995, the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation has awarded the Carlos V European Award with the aim of recognising the work of individuals, organisations, projects, or initiatives which, through their effort and dedication, have contributed to the general understanding and enhancement of Europe\u2019s cultural, social, scientific, and historical values, as well as to the process of European construction and integration. During the award ceremony, the Monastery of San Jer\u00f3nimo de Yuste brings together both European and Ibero-American figures. The Carlos V European Award embodies the spirit of building a united, fair, equal, supportive, and free Europe. The formal award ceremony becomes an act of State, supported by His Majesty King Felipe VI, who holds the honorary presidency of Yuste Foundation.<\/p>\n
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