The Central European Initiative (CEI) and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), in special partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)’s Media Program South East Europe, have opened a call for applications for the 2015 CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism.

The Call is divided into two categories: “Professional Journalists”, which carries a €4,000 prize, and “Young Professional Journalists”, which carries a €1,000 prize.

The Award aims to honour the work carried out by investigative journalists and their contribution to investigative reporting despite the difficult conditions under which they often must operate. Since its establishment in 2008, the CEI SEEMO Award has significantly contributed to promoting quality investigative reporting in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe, providing recognition and visibility to the work of remarkable journalists from the region.

The Call is open to nationals of the 18 CEI Member States: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia/FYROM, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

An international jury, made up of distinguished journalists and media experts from the region, will take into account the relevance of the matters covered by the journalistic works, which should have a focus on the target countries. They will also assess the quality of reporting in terms of documentation, data, writing and production, as well as the impact on society of the messages conveyed.

The winners will be honoured during the South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF), which is set to take place in Bucharest, Romania from Nov. 5 to 7, 2015.

The deadline for submission of applications is Saturday, May 30, 2015 at 23:59 (CEST). The Application Form is available online at www.cei.int/CEI-SEEMO-award-2015.