Contest Terms and Coditions

OBJECTIVE AND PURPOSE

With the aim of encouraging creativity and the active participation of citizens in discovering and promoting projects co-funded by the European Union in Cyprus under the Cohesion Policy Programme “THALIA 2021–2027”, the Directorate General Growth (DGG), Ministry of Finance, is organising a photo contest titled “THALIA 2021–2027: Europe Through Your Lens” (hereinafter referred to as the “Contest”), to run through the website  thalia.com.cy/διαγωνισμός-φωτογραφίας/  (hereinafter referred to as the “Website”) with the central message:

Snapping our way into learning about the projects co-funded by the European Union in Cyprus, within the framework of the Cohesion Policy Programme “THALIA 2021–2027”

Through the Contest, the following goals are pursued:

• To highlight the positive impact of the EU on the daily lives of Cypriot citizens
• To enhance public awareness and interaction with the implemented projects
• To associate emblematic projects in Cyprus with the Cohesion Policy and the “THALIA” programme
• To showcase the Programme’s contribution to the social and economic development of Cyprus.

At the same time, the art of photography is promoted as a means of communication, creative expression, and connection with the actions of the European Union.

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION

1. Right to Participate in the Contest: Participation in the Contest is open to individuals who are Cypriot citizens or permanent residents of Cyprus and are over 18 years old.

2. Participation in the Contest is free of charge.

3. Exclusion of Participants
The following individuals are excluded from the Contest:

• Employees of the Directorate General Growth (DGG)
• Anyone submitting false information, making it impossible to verify their identity. Exclusion may occur at any stage of the Contest, even during the prize awarding phase.

4. The theme/subject of the photographs must relate to projects that have been implemented or are being implemented in Cyprus with co-funding from the EU under the Cohesion Policy Programme “THALIA 2021–2027” or previous Cohesion Policy Programmes, included in the  List of Eligible Photography Projects. The List includes a selection of co-funded projects that lend themselves to photography.

5. Each submitted photograph must meet the following specifications:

• Colour space: sRGB or Adobe98, 8-bit
• Maximum dimension must not exceed 1920 pixels, 72dpi
• Saved in JPG format
• No watermarks / copyright notices / logos on the images
• Only borderless photos
• Digital editing to enhance the image is allowed, and slight cropping is permitted, but the main elements of the composition must not be added or removed. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, and colour balance are acceptable. Editing out dust, small objects, etc., is allowed. Images may be sharpened before printing. Editing techniques that could realistically be achieved in a darkroom will be accepted, but the Directorate General Growth (DGG) reserves the right to reject any entry it considers to be excessively edited, compromising the integrity of the original image.
• Winners whose photos were taken with a digital camera must be able to provide a high-resolution digital image file of at least 8 megabytes (minimum pixel size: 3500px on the longest side, at 300dpi). Winners whose photos were taken with a smartphone must provide the highest resolution file available from their device.

6. Participants are required to obtain the appropriate consent from any person appearing in their photograph, in accordance with applicable law, and must comply with all relevant legislation during the creation of their photos.

7. Participants must be the sole creators of their submitted work.

8. Each participant may submit only one entry/photograph.

9. By submitting a photograph to the Contest, participants are deemed to have agreed to and be bound by the Contest’s terms and conditions.

10. Photographs that, in any form or manner, may undermine the fundamental values of the state or the European Union will be disqualified.

11. The Contest organisers reserve the right to withdraw any photograph if there is reason to believe that a participant has violated the terms and conditions of the Contest.

12. If participants publish their photographs on Instagram/Facebook, they are encouraged to include the hashtags #ThaliaCY and #ThaliaPhotoContest.

13. Participants retain the copyright of their photographs. By participating in the Contest, they agree to grant the Directorate General for Growth (DGG) a royalty-free license to publish and/or exhibit the photograph and/or use it in communication materials promoting the “THALIA 2021–2027” Programme and co-funded Cohesion Policy projects. Whenever DGG uses the photographs, the Contest and the name of the creator will always be credited.

14. Duration of the Contest
The total duration of the Contest will be from 1 June 2025 (Launch of the Contest) until 15 July 2025 (End of the Contest). The Contest will take place in two phases:

• Phase A of the Contest – 1 June 2025 to 30 June 2025: Submission of photos by individuals interested in participating in the Contest
• Phase B of the Contest – 1 July 2025 to 15 July 2025: Public voting to select the three most popular photos.

15. How to Participate in the Contest
Those interested in participating in the Contest must, between 1 June 2025 and 30 June 2025:

i. Visit the “Website” ii. Upload the photo they wish to enter into the Contest, which must comply with the Contest’s terms/specifications.

iii. Fill in the serial number (S/N), the title, and the location of the co-funded project they chose for photography, as recorded in the List of Eligible Photography Projects prepared by the Directorate General Growth (DGG).

iv. Fill in their full name and contact details (phone number, email).

v. Accept the terms and conditions of the Contest and click on the submission button.

vi. The photo will remain in a pending status until it is approved by the DGG for participation in the Contest. At that point, the contestant will receive an email notification confirming their participation. The photo will now appear on the Website with the following details: entry number, title, and location of the co-funded project.

vii. The photo will be eligible to receive votes when the public voting opens and until the voting period ends (1 July 2025 – 15 July 2025). The number of votes the photo receives, as well as the number of views, will be displayed below the photo and updated in real time.

16. Voting Procedure for the Contest
The photos will be accessible to the public for voting from 1 July 2025 until 15 July 2025. The public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite photo(s) among those published on the Website. The voting procedure allows only one vote per user per photo, in order to ensure the reliability of the results. To cast a vote, users must enter their email address and phone number.

* Please note that participants/contestants are not eligible to vote.

17. Prizes
As part of the Contest, 4 prizes will be awarded to 4 Winners (one prize per Winner), as shown in the Table below. It is pointed out that the Contest prizes cannot be exchanged for cash, services, or products.