Introduced in 2017, the award recognises actions by the EU public service that have a visible and positive impact on the lives of citizens, and aims to encourage the sharing of good ideas and practices.

In this third edition of the award, the overall winners were the Commission’s department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) for their efforts to repatriate EU citizens stranded abroad during the pandemic. Prizes were also awarded in four categories:

• excellence in citizen-focused services delivery
• excellence in communications
• excellence in innovation/transformation
• excellence in crisis management

All nominations were assessed by an independent advisory board, and the winners were chosen by the Ombudsman.

This year, a special award was also given to an action that went beyond all categories – a solidarity project set up by EU staff. Also, for the first time, the public could choose their favourite project via an online vote.

Find more in this online publication !