The main aim of the present practice is to increase the information flow to the citizens of Municipality of Sliven about the eurointegration of our country and to encourage the social engagement in the process of preparation for EU membership. The creation of a regional network of experts working in the area of eurointegration will help the spread of objective information about the EU and the programs of EU, in the whole society, as well as in its different groups, organizations and Municipalities in Sliven and the region.

After the establishment of a Municipal Council for European Integration an active participation in the process of eurointegration is registered in Sliven and the region. Conditions for carrying out permanent and traditional meetings and events of representatives of the local and regional authorities, organizations, business associations and other local communities, and conditions for creating working models for partnership, have been set up.

The need of information requires the skill to know how to find it. Most of the people, especially in small villages, do not have access to published information about the EU, and also have some difficulties in finding the information they need. The eurotelephone is coming to meet this need of information: Phone us and we'll tell you where to search. The eurotelephone is available non-stop, as well as during the non-working hours is a possibility of automatic reception of faxes, with your questions.

The main aim of the practice is to increase the information flow to citizens in the Municipality of Sliven about the European integration of our country and to encourage the social engagement in the process of preparation for EU membership. Internet the website and the e-bulletin regularly give recent and concrete information about local events, related to the process of integration, the programs of the EU etc. On the website is an e-mail address for requests [email protected]

During the visit of the Minister for European Affairs Mrs. Meglena Kouneva in Sliven on 20.08.2004 an information campaign was started Europe pass it on!

With the participation of vice-ministers, experts from the state/government administration and representatives of movement Volunteers for Europe in the town were organized a lot of meetings and discussions about the European requirements and perspectives for education, regional development, rural economy, law system, local self-government.

The great opportunities of the region of Kotel for development of different types of tourism are not well enough worked out. The Municipality took a decision that by attracting investments from different donor programs a budget and possibilities for working out the natural and cultural resources in the framework of a long-term integral project would be assured.

The Municipality of Montana is working on a project for putting into operation energy economizing measures in the VIII Secondary School Otetz Paisii, financed by the International fund Kozlodoui on a pilot project Energy Efficiency in State and Public Buildings - health services, education and culture. The conditions in the school would be improved and economies would be realized in an extent of 50% per year.

The Municipality of Sliven took the decision to create a European information center - Home of Europe for spreading and providing free access to information which is to increase the knowledge in Bulgaria and the Sliven Region of different aspect of the European integration, the process of expansion and the result of joining the European Union.

The aim of the project is the popularization of the European idea among young people on local level. A school Euro Center for information and services in the domain of the European integration has been established. 50 youths passed trainings for the process of expansion of the European Union. Youth Euro Days were organized; over 300 people participated in the discussions about the role of the citizens in the process of joining the EU. A 30-minute documentary film was shot. Published and distributed are 3 types of youth bulletins.

The creation of a local Euro Club Sliven is a practice which is part of the project Europe in the region of Sliven tradition with future , funded under Europe 2003 program of the Delegation of the European Commission and is to be implemented within the next year. According to the goals of Program Europe 2003 the organizers of the present practice aimed at creating conditions for spreading and providing free access to information, which is supposed to increase the level of information in Bulgaria and more precisely in the region of Sliven, about the different aspects of the European integration, the process of enlargement and the results of joining the European Union. The establishment of a local Euro Club, with the participation of all the partners on the project, working for the development of the Municipality and its affiliation to the European standards would be a permanent framework, through which conditions would be created for providing information and possibility for increasing the information stock of the local communities about the European Union.