Speech by Commissioner Elisa Ferreira at the New European Bauhaus prizes 2024 Awards Ceremony

NEB prizes 2024: Awards Ceremony

Dear colleagues, dear Commissioner Ivanova, dear Ruth, dear friends of a more sustainable,inclusive, and beautiful Europe.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the fourth edition of the New European Bauhaus prizes.

When we first started, in 2021, the New European Bauhaus had just been born – and the prizes were the best possible way to scout out all the projects and ideas out there that already embodied the initiative's main values and principles:

bottom-up, people-centric, inter-disciplinary approach to build a more sustainable, inclusive and high-quality living for everyone.

Since 2021, we have received more than 5000 applications!

And this is the goal of the NEB prizes: to recognise these pioneers, to scale up those talents, to support young people to be a part in building a greener, better future.

This year, we received over 500 applications. And with us today, we have the best among them - a warm welcome to all finalists!

You come from all over Europe, from our neighbouring countries in the Western Balkans and for the first time this year, we are so happy to welcome finalists from Ukraine!

To recognise Ukrainians' spirit of resilience and embrace of our shared Bauhaus values, this year we are awarding ‘Special Recognition to Ukraine's Reconstruction and Recovery Effort' to 2 projects from Ukraine.

And it is my privilege to welcome Ambassador Chentsov here today.

In addition, in this year's prizes, we also put the spotlight on regions, for which the transition to a carbon neutral economy may pose a particular challenge.

Regions at the heart of EU Cohesion Policy.

European Bauhaus projects and local initiatives for an inclusive and high-quality transition are instrumental for these regions' future.

Therefore, an important share of this year's Prizes will be awarded to real-life examples from these regions.

Thanks to everyone who made this year's prizes a success.

And especially everyone who applied for this year's competition.

It is your work on the ground that is making our world more sustainable, inclusive and beautiful.

I am so happy to welcome you here today!