Maribor is Slovenia's second largest city, and has always been known as a centre of education, culture and sport, which offers young people many opportunities to both develop the competencies and skills they will need for their professional careers, as well as plenty of opportunities for spending their free time and generally enjoying life. In recognition of Maribor's youth-friendly environment, the city was awarded the title of the European Youth Capital for 2013, which will further promote the city at the international level and facilitate the development of sustainable youth-oriented programmes and activities. Some of the primary objectives of the year-long EYC project include:

• creating conditions that will encourage and help young people achieve their potential
• providing infrastructure that will enable organisations to develop and implement a variety of activities and events for young people
• enabling the participation of young people directly in the decision-making processes that affect their lives
• strengthening networking and cooperation among various youth organisations
• encouraging the participation of a majority of Maribor's young people (aged 15 - 29) in the EYC project
• increasing the participation of young people in both youth organisations and the local community
• encouraging young people from outside Slovenia to visit Maribor
• promoting the EYC brand

For more information about the European Youth Capital in Maribor, visit the official site at www.mb2013.si.