The event
is organized by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and takes place every two years, with the host city for 2022 being Marseille, France. It will take place from 3 to 4 March and will aim to engage local and regional politicians from across the EU in the debate on the future of Europe.
The theme of the exhibition is related to the challenges of local and regional governance in the context of sustainability and innovation. Innovative democratic practices, approaches to revitalize local economies, rapid response schemes for health crises or innovative policies to deal with migration flows will be shared through the exhibition.
Democracy in the European Union and youth engagement and European values in the context of the European Year of Youth (2022) are a special focus of the 9th European Youth Summit and the accompanying exhibition.
Through its participation in the exhibition, Stara Zagora Municipality was selected among 60 other EU applicants to present and will share the best practices of the International Youth Centre in the city, which is the first in the country to be awarded with the prestigious Council of Europe Quality Label. Over the last year and a half, the International Youth Centre has expanded the scope of its activities through funding under the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism's Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Improved Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups Program. The exhibition will present the main areas of work of the center and the mechanisms through which it reaches a wider range of young people who are engaged in the training activities of the IYC.