Submissions for the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism opened for journalists on Tuesday.

The €20,000 prize money will be awarded to outstanding journalism, promoting or defending the core principles and values of the European Union, among them human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights.

Its first award ceremony will be held in October this year, close to the fourth anniversary of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s brutal murder.

The prize is open to professional journalists and teams of professional journalists of any nationality to submit in-depth stories that have been published or broadcast by a media outlet based in one of the 27 European Union member states.

The winning entry will be selected by an independent jury composed of representatives of the press and civil society from the 27 EU countries, as well as representatives of the main European journalism associations.

MEP David Casa said that through this new established prize, the European Parliament is sending a strong message of its commitment towards the protection of journalists.

“Journalists should be free to carry their investigations without any threats or consequences. We cannot allow another journalist to be murderered because of his or her investigations. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism will not only serve as a well-deserved tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia, but it will also serve as a reminder that the European Parliament will do its utmost to protect and defend journalists.

"Our message is clear to those who kill or threaten journalists: the European Parliament is your enemy. We will also not allow states to suppress freedom of speech,” Casa said.

Submissions can be made on www.daphnejournalismprize.eu, with the call for applications open until September 1.