On 2-3 June 2022, an end-of-term visit of the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres took place in Stara Zagora Youth Centre, Bulgaria with the aim to evaluate the fulfilment of the 15 quality criteria of the Quality Label which Stara Zagora Youth Centre has been holding since 2017.

 In the frames of the visit, the Quality Label Expert Team was presented recent initiatives and major developments that have been introduced in Stara Zagora Youth Centre based on the recommendations made by the Expert Team during the previous monitoring visit in 2019. As part of a new EEA grant the youth centre has expanded its premises which will allow more young people to take part in its educational activities. The visit was held in the presence of the Head of Department of the Ministry of Education and Science in Bulgaria, Ms Maria Vasileva-Valova, the Deputy Mayor of Stara Zagora Municipality, Ms Ivanka Sotirova as well as local and regional partners and stakeholders of the youth centre.

As a result of the visit, the Quality Label Expert Team will make its recommendation to the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) to prolong the Quality Label for Stara Zagora Youth Centre. The final decision will be taken at the next CDEJ meeting on 10 October 2022.

 14 youth centres are currently holding the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres across Europe, including two Bulgarian youth centres in Stara Zagora and Plovdiv. The main mission of Stara Zagora Youth Centre is to promote Human rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law values among young people; to provide prerequisites for overcoming the isolation of youth at risk with major focus on NEET, ethnic minorities and refugees, as well as to support their inclusion into the society; and to promote intercultural dialogue by fostering international partnerships and organizing multinational youth initiatives.