20 June 2024
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PostEurop has launched the 2024 Europa stamp competition based on the theme of ‘Underwater Fauna and Flora.’
How do I vote in the 2024 Europa stamp competition?
Philatelists and stamp fans can now view and vote for the entries for this year’s 2024 Europa Stamps Competition. The online competition will end on 9th September 2024 and the winning stamps set will be announced at the PostEurop General Assembly, which is taking place in October 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia.
Related article: Underwater Fauna and Flora
Above: Cyprus' stamp release on the theme of 'Underwater Fauna and Flora'.
The 2024 Europa stamps theme
In 2024 the theme for Europa stamps is ‘Underwater Fauna and Flora’. Originally the theme was going to be ‘National Archaeological Discoveries’ but this has been postponed to 2025.
Related article: New stamps issued in May 2024 by Post Luxembourg
The stamps issued from across Europe depict the flora and fauna that thrive beneath the seas, rivers and lakes of Europe. Each stamp offers a glimpse of the biodiversity that thrives beneath the water through a variety of artistic mediums including photography and illustration.
Above: The Czech stamp for this year includes fish, crustaceans and amphibians
The theme also highlights the importance of conservation efforts, showcasing different species of aquatic life that frequent Europe’s oceans, rivers and lakes.
What are Europa stamps?
Europa stamps are special stamps issued by postal enterprises across Europe, all of which bare the official Europa logo. Europa stamps helps build awareness of the common culture and history of Europe as well as the promotion of philately.
Above: France's Europa stamp shows a variety of marine life
Europa stamps were first issued in September 1956 after postal administrations of the founding 6 members of the European Coal and Steel Community issued stamps with a common design. In 1959 the European Conference of Postal Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) was formed and the initials CEPT were displayed on joint issue stamps. From 1956 to 1973 the stamps had a common design but this was replaced by stamps with a common theme in 1974. In 1993 PostEurop took over the management of the Europa stamp issues and the CEPT logo was replaced by the EUROPA logo. Since their inception, Europa stamps have become a symbol of Europe’s desire for closer integration.
Related article: Åland stamps carrying a message of peace
Previous Europa stamp themes
Every year PostEurop’s Stamps & Philately Working Group selects the theme for upcoming Europa stamps. In 2023 the Europa stamp theme was ‘Peace – the Highest Value of Humanity’, which was changed to show solidarity with Ukraine.
Related article: Guernsey stamps: Ancient Postal Routes
Previous themes have included ‘National Birds’ in 2019, ‘Ancient Postal Routes’ in 2020, ‘Endangered Wildlife’ in 2021 and ‘Stories and Myths’ in 2022.
Related article: Stories & Myths