Professor Jerzy Piotr Gwizdała, Rector of the University of Gdańsk, received the European Medal awarded by the European Economic and Social Committee, the institution operating at the European Commission and the Business Centre Club. The Rector of the University of Gdańsk was awarded for promoting European ideas in Poland.

The European Medal is a non-commercial, nationwide initiative of the European Economic and Social Committee, an institution attached to the European Commission and the Business Centre Club. The aim of the award is to support Polish products and services on the European Union market and to present the idea of the European Union primarily to the business community. The European Honorary Medal is awarded to people from outside the business community who promote the ideas behind the initiators of the Medal.

The medal is awarded to products and services that meet European standards. The European Medal has been awarded for 19 years, and among the awarded companies are the largest Polish manufacturers, banks, financial and insurance institutions, leaders of the construction industry, IT and telecommunications companies, as well as smaller enterprises, known in the local market, universities, and the media.