Since 1997, the federal province of Tyrol, a European region with legislative powers, and the European City of Innsbruck, have been - based on a decision of an international jury - annually awarding the Emperor Maximilian Prize for special achievements in the field of European local and regional politics.
The annual award of this prize, especially to outstanding European politicians, has made a significant contribution towards the consolidation of the status of municipalities and regions in the structure of European policy.
The major European institutions, such as the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the European Committee of the Regions have always encouraged these efforts, and valuated the awarding of the Prize as a recognition of these efforts.
In light of considerable international problems in the areas of economic and financial policy, peace policy and climate and social policy, the indispensable involvement of municipalities and regions in solving these problems must be pointed out again and again, whereby the awarding of the Emperor-Maximilian-Prize can make a small but important contribution.