As was evident in the campaign against joining the EEC, the fear of Ireland losing its national identity was very much present. Thus in 1966 the ICEM alongside the Commission of the EEC awarded two fellowships to the writers of an article or study relevant to the problems and activities of European communities that was to be written in Irish.
The ICEM aimed to demonstrate that by the Commission supporting this competition, the EEC did not wish for the member states to abandon their national identities. Mr. Colley TD, Minister for Industry and Commerce, expanded on this sentiment during the awards ceremony of this competition, stating that the European Community further enabled native cultural activities.
The proposed topics included problems and consequences of the EEC, and Security of Europe. The winners got the opportunity to visit the Institutions of the European Communities in Brussels and Luxembourg.