Young European Designers Celebrate 70 Years Of Europa Stamps With Inspiring Postcard Designs

Two young designers have been named winners of the PostEurop EUROPA Stamps 70 Anniversary Postcard Design Competition, celebrating the 70th anniversary of one of Europe’s longest-running philatelic collaborations.

Held this spring, the international online competition invited young European artists and design students aged 18–25 to share their vision of Europe by creating an original postcard design inspired by the themes of connection, diversity and shared identity.

The competition attracted 32 entries from 12 European countries, showcasing a remarkable variety of creative approaches to what Europe means today. An international expert jury selected two winning designs, each winner receiving a prize of €500. Four additional entries were awarded Honourable Mentions.

All six selected designs were produced as official postcards and presented at the PostEurop General Assembly 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan (5–9 October 2026).

The Two Winning Designs

Winner: Ellie O’Mahony (Ireland, b. 2003)

Ellie O’Mahony’s design draws inspiration from the common yarrow, a medicinal wildflower found throughout Europe. Known by many different names and associated with local traditions and folklore, the plant is recognised for its ability to stop bleeding an,d inadvertently, symbolises healing, resilience and shared cultural heritage.

The flower’s clustered shape is arranged to form the silhouette of Europe, creating a powerful visual metaphor for unity among European countries.

“I challenged myself with this design. I think the theme of unity is needed now more than ever. Design should reflect the world as it is and how we’d wish it to be.”— Ellie O’Mahony, Ireland

Winner: Pavel Cantor (Romania, b. 2006)

Pavel Cantor’s colourful and playful illustration celebrates Europe’s diversity and unity through children holding balloons shaped like European countries. The different colours represent each nation’s unique identity, while the connecting strings symbolise cooperation and a shared future. The design invites viewers to identify their own country while celebrating the strength of unity through diversity.

“For me, the EUROPA theme represents strong unity among nations. The children in my design are running towards a bright future with their ‘kite-nations’, reminding us to dream big. I believe that, as Europeans, we can achieve great things as long as we remain united and keep our freedom of spirit.” — Pavel Cantor, Romania

Four Honourable Mentions

The following participants were awarded Honourable Mention Diplomas (from left to right):

Arthur Desmaris (France, b. 2005)
Lauren Mulcahy (Ireland, b. 2004)
Lea Pils (Germany, b. 2000)
Nuraddin Mustafazade (Azerbaijan, b. 2005)

Jury Statement

Johanna Finne, Head of Åland Post Stamps and Vice Chair of the PostEurop Stamps & Philately Working Group, chaired the international expert jury.

“It was a true pleasure and privilege to review such inspiring designs created by young people. The entries expressed a wonderful spirit of optimism, creativity and hope, making the jury process both enjoyable and rewarding. We would like to thank everyone who participated in the competition.

The two winning designs stood out for their strong concepts and their ability to communicate the values at the heart of EUROPA Stamps. Together, they capture the spirit of EUROPA Stamps after 70 years: connecting people across borders through creativity.”

International Expert Jury

The jury for this design competition consisted of experts:

Klaus Welp – Visual artist
Martin Mörck – Artist and engraver
Jolien Van de Velde – Stamp Issue Coordinator, bpost
Tommi Kantola – Design Manager, Posti Finland
Johannes Stoll – Art Director
Orkhan Garayev – Artist
Johanna Finne – Head of Åland Post Stamps and Vice Chair of the PostEurop Stamps & Philately Working Group

Celebrating 70 Years of EUROPA Stamps

Since the first EUROPA stamps were issued in 1956 by six European postal organisations, the series has grown into a unique symbol of European cooperation, bringing together more than 50 postal operators across Europe.

For 70 years, EUROPA stamps have celebrated shared values, cultural heritage and the connections between people and countries. This competition continues that tradition by giving a new generation of designers the opportunity to contribute their creativity to the EUROPA story.

For more information, visit www.europastamps.eu

About PostEurop

PostEurop is the association representing European postal operators. It is dedicated to supporting and developing a sustainable and competitive European postal communication and logistics market that is accessible to all citizens, ensuring a modern and affordable universal service. Its members employ 1.6 million people, operate over 212,000 service and pick-up points across Europe, handle billions of items annually, and deliver to over 295 million homes and 48 million companies across Europe.