The active participation in the preparation of Bulgaria for joining the EU is a priority of the Municipality of Sliven. A lot of work has been done in the areas of extension and improvement of the work in these domains. The local authorities are convinced that for the realization of successful integration of our country in the Eurozone a very important part is the carrying out of wide common debates, which have to provide more people with information about the challenges, the priorities and the obligations, coming from the membership of our country with the European Union.

The establishment of a European information center is part of the activities set up in the project Europe in the Sliven region tradition with future , financed by Program 2003 of the Delegation of the European Commission/ Phare Small Projects Program /which is going to be realized during this year 2005.

With the establishment of a European information club one of the main aims of the project would be reached - strong and permanent frameworks would be created for providing information and consultations about the European Integration, the process of enlargement and the results of joining the EU.

During the implementation of the practice the municipality will extend the number of services and activities of the already existing Municipal Information Center (MIC), so that more people from Sliven and the region could profit from the information materials and the expert view of the employers, specialized in different domains of the eurointegration. The Center will have enough space for seminars, educational courses and information meetings. The municipality of Sliven has found a two-storey building, in the center of the city, where the center would be established. The citizens of Sliven and the region will have a better access to the European information center, than they have had to the MIC. The building of the future Home of Europe has its own garden and four different rooms can be transformed into work places:

Office 1 - this would be the place where information related to the youth programs would be provided through the network Eurodesk and some other networks and with the help of Foundation for Regional Development of Sliven (FRDS) and Program Youth.

Office 2 This would be the place where information about associations, firms and business areas would be provided through the EIC network.

Office 3 Waiting-room, situated in the hall of the second storey.

Office 4 Office of the chairman of the European information center.

The creation of the European Information center Home of Europe includes the following stages:

1. Workplace layout/ Installation: includes the equipment of the center with office furniture and office equipment, providing a telephone post, internet access, satellite connection with the European programs and advertising. This stage also includes the preparations for the inauguration of the center, like sending invitations to the formal guests.

2. Inauguration: includes a presentation of the possibilities of the center, the library, the internet and satellite connection, demonstration of the program with the information data of the project, which are to be realized, the idea for a future information internet portal; sealing a monumental sign on the occasion of the inauguration of the center; exhibition of sculptures and drawings made by children and students from the municipality of Sliven and the awarding the best ones; showing to the guests the sights of the town.

3. Popularization of the activity of the Center under the motto Home of Europe a little spot of the European Union

Those are the activities of the center Home of Europe after the project is done:

- Carrying out a week of Open gate to Europe in order to popularize the European idea and the activity of the center;

- meetings with relative organizations from Bulgaria and Europe;

- meetings with children from nursery schools, and children from 1^st to 4^th grade and their teachers in order to popularize the children concourses of EU organizations;

- carrying out a competition for best sculpture or drawing, which is going to participate in the Green Week initiative in Brussels;

- starting the preparation of a project of the municipalities of New Zagora and Tvarditza for carrying out Week of Europe 2005 (The Municipality of Sliven was participating in the 2001 and 2004, Municipality of Kotel 2003 );

- The preparation for taking part in the initiation for carrying out Month of Europe in the Sliven Region in partnership with the members of the Regional Council for European Integration(regional governor, municipalities, Euro Clubs and others);

- Giving an annual award for the Day of Europe to the Euro Club best working for the eurointegration of the community;

- Carrying out meeting with members of Euro Clubs and realizing their initiatives in the Home of Europe

- Organizing lectures for small groups on the themes of eurointegration and the EU;

- Carrying out internet forums and surveys among the participants in the project and the people from the municipality;

- showing films about the EU and its programs destined to Bulgaria ;

- Making contacts with the European institutions and relative organizations.

The Home of Europe is expected to be widely popular in the community of the region, Bulgaria and Europe.

- Creating a modern European information center.

- Demonstration of the program with the information and innovation activities, set up in the project.

- Recording the inauguration of the Center.

One of the main aims of the project Europe in the Sliven Region tradition with future would be accomplished: there would be created some strong and permanent frameworks for providing information and consultations in combination with organizing and carrying out of information and communication activities in order to create the possibility of increasing the information of the local communities about the European Union, as well as about the EU programs for Bulgaria.