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The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) on Monday announced Basque communications group EITB as the 2009 winner of its European Prize for Innovation.

EITB becomes the first European communications group to achieve the continent’s top prize for quality, competing in the final with companies such as Volkswagen and Robert Bosch.

The EFQM awards ceremony took place at the Plaza Hotel in Brussels (Belgium) during a Celebration award dinner, which served as the highlight of the foundation''s annual quality convention.

Basque councillor for Culture, Blanca Urgell, Director General of EITB, Alberto Surio, and EITB''s Director of Strategy and Social Relations, Patxi Arratibel, all attended the gala in Brussels, where they picked up the prize.

In a statement made to Radio Euskadi, Surio said he was "sincerely moved" and added that "receiving this award is an honour". He went on to stress that the prize was "a confirmation of EITB''s belief in innovation".

Also competing for EFQM''s top prize along side the Basque communications group were thirteen diverse organisations from across the private and public sectors. They included Poland''s Volkswagen group, Robert Bosch and EDF Electricity (both from France), Liverpool''s John Moores University (UK) and Austrian electronics company NXP Sound Solutions.

EITB made a strong pledge to support quality and the recognition achieved in Europe serves to renew that guarantee made almost a decade ago. After being the first communications group to receive the Silver Q Award in 2004 and the Golden Q in 2007 from the Basque Government and the Latin American Award for quality bestowed by Fundibeq in 2006, the Basque group continues to strive for the business excellence for which they have been multi-awarded.

The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) aims to improve competitiveness between European organizations of whatever size and from any sector by identifying and promoting the best business practices. Its business excellence prizes have been called annually since 1992 and cover five categories: multinationals; small and medium-sized businesses; small and medium-sized business affiliates, public sector and operational units.