1.1 The competition is open to all citizens or permanent residents from the EU Member States and the Southeast European Candidate Countries (Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey) or Potential Candidates (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo under UNSCR 1244/99).

1.2 Persons employed by the European Commission, organisers or members of the jury involved in the competition, are not eligible to participate.

1.3 Each participant may submit up to three photos to the competition.

1.4 The European Commission, Directorate General for Enlargement intends to use the 24 semi-finalist photos selected by the competition jury for its information and communication activities related to the information and communication project "Southeast Europe: People and Culture", including the publication of the photos on the "Southeast Europe: People and Culture" website and reproduction in related future promotional material. To that purpose, separate contracts will be concluded with the semi-finalists.

A draft contract can be seen here.

1.5 The deadline for submission of photographs is 20 January 2010.

2.1 All participants must register for the competition either by completing an online entry form on the website or by sending a filled in registration form, which can be downloaded here, with a copy of their photos on CD to the following address (date of postmark no later than the competition deadline 20 January 2010):

Southeast Europe People and Culture /
Photo Competition
MEDIA CONSULTA International Holding AG
Wassergasse 3
10179 Berlin, Germany

2.2 All personal information gathered during registration will be held by the European Commission's Directorate General for Enlargement, who will use the data solely for the purpose of the competition.

The European Union is committed to user privacy. The policy on "protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions" is based on Regulation (EC) N° 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000.

3.1 The photo motif must visualise the defined competition theme, "Southeast Europe: People and Culture" by depicting the culture, arts, sports and everyday lives of people living in today's Western Balkans (Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo*) and Turkey.

3.2 Pictures including explicit violent, sexist, prejudiced or in any way discriminatory content will be excluded.

3.3 The photos can be in colour or in monochrome and taken with a digital or film camera (if film is used, the photographs must be submitted as digital scans). The participants have the right to edit the photos. This means that the presentation of the motif may be manipulated in colour or in composition (montage, collage, touching-up, etc). Sharpening and correction of the tonal value are also permitted.

3.4 The photos can only be submitted digitally. The photos must be of the following quality:

• Minimum 2480x3508 pixel / 21x29,7 cm (DIN A4) or 8MP
• maximum 7016x9933 pixel / 59.4x84.1 cm in 300dpi – please do not extrapolate in either JPEG or TIF format.

3.5 When submitting entries, participants confirm that the material is their own and copyrights have not been violated.

3.6 Participants must get written consent from any individuals depicted in the photographs submitted. For people under the age of 18, formal authorisation of their parent/s is needed. You can download the consent form in different languages here: en al bs hr mk sr tr

4.1 The jury will evaluate the photos according to the following criteria:

• Visualisation of the competition theme
• Level of creativity and originality
• Photo composition
• Clarity of presentation
• General appeal of the image

4.2 The jury will select three winners. Moreover, after agreement with the photographers, the 24 semi-finalist photos selected by the jury will be uploaded on the Southeast Europe: People and Culture website (www.southeast-europe.eu), where the public will have a chance to vote on their favourite. The photo with most votes will become the winner of the "Public's Favourite Award".

4.3 The jury’s decision is final.

4.4 The jury reserves the right to demand the photographers’ sources in cases where disrespect of photographic standards is suspected.