The youth need to be actively and legally involved with the authorities in the decision-making process on a local level, for a better budget management and youth leadership actions. To this end, the Moldovan National Youth Council (CNTM) is selecting 5 districts to create the peer-structures between the local public authorities and civil society, Info-Prim Neo reports. CNTM is starting a new project that aims to develop co-management structures in 5 pilot districts in Moldova that will provide a mechanism through which the youth and youth NGOs may take part in the decision-making process that concerns them, alongside the local public authorities. CNTM chairman Eduard Mihalas told a press conference that the equal participation of the youth and the authorities in the decision-making process is a good practice that is promoted at European level, with the Council of Europe's Advisory Council on Youth being an example of such practice. “The necessity of such structures in Moldova stems from the inefficient use of public funds in the youth areas and from the mismatch of the local development activities and the National Youth Strategy. For example, in Stefan Voda district only sports activities were planned for 2012, and in Basarabeasca only celebrations for St.Valentine’s, Tatiana’s and Humor’s Day”, said Eduard Mihalas. He added that the youth are slightly passive, because most of the parents emigrate and the children are not interested in investing in themselves. Alexandru Petrov, CNTM youth policy coordinator, has said that, in order to support the peer-pstructures between the youth and local authorities, 5 pilot districts will be selected and they will benefit from training and financial support for developing an advocacy campaign on a local level. They will also benefit from a placement in one of the project’s partner-countries: Romania, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia. “The districts that will prove a real engagement from the authorities, NGOs and youth initiative groups determined to solve the youth’s problems on a local level, will have the highest priority”, specified Alexandru Petrov. The vice-president of the NGO “Cultura Noua” from the Straseni district, Radu Croitoru, thinks that thanks to such local structures the youth will have more co-operation opportunities with the authorities in the area, and that this would help fight certain problems such as youth unemployment and promote professional development and civic involvement. All those willing to participate in the contest can find the necessary information and the application form on CNTM’s website at www.cntm.md. The application deadline is September 14.