What is the Simone Veil Prize?

The Simone Veil Prize is an annual European cultural prize funded under the Creative Europe programme promoting heritage as a positive, forward-looking force for respectful coexistence in European society. It reflects the European Union’s commitment to safeguarding cultural diversity, countering discrimination and antisemitism, and promoting shared historical perspectives.

The prize is rooted in the values of the Creative Europe programme and aligned with the EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021-2030).

In her speech at the Euro-Chanukah 2025 celebration, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said:  

I made a promise that we would establish a prize to celebrate Jewish cultural heritage and its central role in shaping European identity. Tonight, I am glad to say that in 2026, we will announce the first winner of the Simone Veil Prize for European Jewish Cultural Heritage. It was Veil herself who said: ‘Le judaïsme a pris plus de place pour les valeurs qu'il m'a apportées, ces valeurs de tolérance, de liberté d'esprit, de démocratie.' Tolerance, freedom of mind, and democracy. These are Jewish values. These are European values. And we will continue working to ensure they shape our public life.

Who was Simone Veil?

The prize honours the legacy of Simone Veil (1927-2017), a Jewish Holocaust survivor who dedicated her life to reconciliation, passionately promoting human rights and European unity. As the first president of the European Parliament, she campaigned against antisemitism and fought for a unified Europe of shared ideals, making her a powerful symbol of the values the prize seeks to celebrate.

Award categories

Each year, the Simone Veil prize will recognise local and cross-border projects in five categories that embody the values and vision of the Creative Europe programme, with a particular emphasis on an inclusive approach to heritage, community participation, and cultural dialogue.

The five categories

Shared histories

Recognising initiatives that help deepen public understanding of Europe’s interconnected history, showing how Jewish heritage contributes to the continent’s broader cultural landscape.

Heritage for dialogue

Recognising initiatives that use cultural heritage as a tool for intercultural dialogue, strengthening social cohesion across faiths, cultures, and generations, and countering discrimination and intolerance.

Living Heritage

Celebrating projects that engage communities in keeping Jewish heritage alive, relevant and open to the needs of the contemporary European society.

Cross-border cooperation and shared narratives

Recognising joint initiatives that advance a transnational understanding of European heritage, foregrounding the interconnections created through mobility, exchange, and cultural interaction.

Next generation, youth engagement and education

Supporting projects that actively involve educators, students, and young people in shaping the future of European memory and heritage.

The Simone Veil Prize pays particular attention to grassroot initiatives that bring heritage to life within communities, and to projects that amplify lesser-known narratives within Jewish heritage, including those of women, youth, minorities and peripheral regions.

The prize will also encourage cross-sector cooperation, connecting cultural heritage with education, research, digital innovation, creative industries, community and sustainable development.

How the prize is organised

Following an open call, the European Commission has selected a consortium to implement the prize. The consortium brings together expertise in heritage, community engagement and communication.

It consists of the following three organisations:

• GOPA Com
• GOPA Pace
• European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ)

An independent jury will select up to 25 annual finalists, from which five Grand Prix winners will be awarded, one in each prize category. The five Grand Prix winners will receive a monetary award of €10 000 each.