International activity

The city tends to extend its international cooperation with foreign cities taking into consideration the mutual interests, the potential partnership within EU programmes and exchange of best practices.


MEMBERSHIP

www.club-strasbourg.eu

Stara Zagora is an active member of the Strasbourg Club. Founded in May 2003 at the initiative of the Mayor of Strasbourg, on the eve of the largest ever enlargement of the European Union, the "Strasbourg Club" today includes the mayors of 38 cities, state capitals and regional urban centres of the new and future member states of the European Union.
The initiative aimed at promoting and reinforcing links between the main urban areas of the new and future member states of the Union and the Parliamentary capital of a united Europe . The goals are: exchange of experience in the field of varied fields as urban policies; tackling themes common to all of the Еuropean urban areas and ensuring that the Union's institutions take better account of the specific factors concerning major European towns and cities.



European Network 'CITIES FOR CHILDREN'

www.citiesforchildren.eu

The Municipality of Stara Zagora is a member of the European Network 'Cities for children' since its establishment in 2007. Iinitiated by the City of Stuttgart with the support of the Robert Bosch Stiftung , the Network offers European cities the possibility to exchange and to develop progressive concepts across national borders on how to promote the well-being of children, young persons and parents in the urban environment. It has been created in the view of the demographic situation in Europe which constitutes an enormous challenge for the long-term viability of our cities. Over 50 cities from 26 European countries take part actively in the Network activities.

In 2009 Stara Zagora was a moderator of one of the Working Group 'Traffic and safety', and organized and hosted the annual meeting of the group.

European Network

www.elisan.eu

The network was launched in January 2008 under the patronage of the Committee of Regions. The shared will of the members is to make better known social action at local level and to ensure a better account is taken of the locally elected representatives' participation in the implementation of an effective and coherent European social policy.

The main objective of ELISAN is to contribute to a dynamic of social growth and development for all the citizens, all over Europe and thus to promote one the social cohesion in Europe.



PARTICIPATION IN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN EVENTS



www.opendays.europa.eu

Municipality of Stara Zagora is a member of the Union of South-East Region Local Authorities of Bulgaria. The Union is represented by an office in Brussels. As a member of the Union Stara Zagora regularly takes part in Open days events during the yearly organized in Brussels large-scale „European week of Regions and Cities.