Its aim is to recognise outstanding new literary talents from all over Europe, to promote the circulation and translation of literature amongst European countries, and to highlight the continent's creativity and diversity.

Each year, national juries consisting of experts in fields of literature, publishing and bookselling are set up in a rotating third of the participating countries to the Creative Europe programme.

After deciding on a shortlist of 2 to 5 books from their country's most promising writers, each jury selects its national winner.

[3] In response to these changes, the European Writers' Council announced that they would withdraw participation in the prize, stating that the new format "does not promote multilingualism.

An EUPL anthology is also published every year, with excerpts from all laureates' awarded books both in the original language and in an English or French translation.

[9] The winners were announced in April 2015, at the opening ceremony of the London Book Fair by Tibor Navracsics, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport at the time.