Anders Knape awarded 2016 Emperor Maximilian Prize

Anders Knape (SE-EPP), chair of Karlstad municipal council, has become the first Swedish local politician to be awarded the Emperor Maximilian Prize, the European prize for regional and local politics created by the province of Tyrol and the city of Innsbruck. Mr Knape accepted the prize at a ceremony in Innsbruck on 9 May, Europe Day.

Anders Knape was born in Karlstad in 1955, and has been involved in European local politics for over 20 years. He chaired the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions for two terms (2007-2015).

The international jury highlighted the fact that Mr Knape's commitment to European politics has always been founded on his mandate as a local politician. Mr Knape has always been an advocate for the needs of local government, as a very active president of the Chamber of Local Authorities in the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, as chair of the Committee of the Regions' Commission for Financial and Administrative Affairs, and as executive vice-president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions.

"I'm proud and honoured to receive the Emperor Maximilian Prize 2016. It's not only a recognition of my work but also a confirmation that Sweden is an active part of European cooperation. The local level is closest to the citizens of Europe. The key to solving the challenges that Europe faces is to strengthen local democracy by implementing the principle of subsidiarity and the Charter of Local Self-Government", said Mr Knape.

The Emperor Maximilian Prize was launched in 1997, as the European Prize for Local and Regional Politics. The winner is awarded a certificate and a medal (a commemorative coin depicting Emperor Maximilian I in 1509), as well as a cash prize of EUR 10 000.

The expert jury is made up of representatives of the University of Innsbruck, the Committee of the Regions, the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE), the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the province of Tyrol and the city of Innsbruck.