The European Economic and Social Committee’s 476th plenary session got under way this afternoon with the award ceremony for the Committee’s 2011 civil society prize. The winners are: first prize: Erasmus Student Network (ESN); second prize: European Alternatives; third prize: The Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU). A representative of each organisation was called to receive the prize and then gave a short address. They all truly impressed as speakers and we members of the judging panel (basically, the enlarged Presidency) were delighted to have been able to make such a choice from a very strong field. If you want to know more about the organisations and why they were awarded their prizes, you can watch a video here. And you can learn more about our worthy winners here.