Chefs de Mission and representatives from 38 of Europe’s National Olympic Committees (NOCs) gathered in Brașov, Romania, this week for the first Chefs de Mission Seminar ahead of the 18th Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), which takes place from 14 to 21 February 2027.
The two-day event brought NOC delegations together with the Brașov 2027 Organising Committee and the EOC, represented by EOC Executive Committee (ExCom) member and EYOF Commission Chair Líney Rut Halldórsdóttir and by Brașov 2027 Coordination Commission (CoCom) Chair Damir Stajner. The Organising Committee was led by its President and Mayor of Brașov, George Scripcaru.
The first day was dedicated to plenary sessions, with the Organising Committee’s functional area leads presenting all aspects of planning and delivery for the EYOF, including NOC services, registration and accreditation, transport, accommodation and catering, protocol, medical services, anti-doping, volunteers, safeguarding, IT, marketing, ceremonies, media and communication, security, environment, sustainability and legacy, and sport, as well as the EYOA Programme and the Erasmus+ Sport project.
During the sport presentation, delegations were shown the ice hockey venue in Târgu Secuiesc, designated for the Girls’ Ice Hockey Tournament, and the venue in Sfântu Gheorghe, which will stage the girls’ and boys’ 3×3 tournaments. The day concluded with the Figure Skating Judges’ Draw and a question-and-answer session with delegations.
On the second day, NOC representatives took part in a full tour of competition venues across the region. The visit began at Cheile Gradistei Resort, one of the two Athletes’ Villages, which will also host the biathlon, figure skating, short track speed skating and ski mountaineering venues, before continuing to Predeal for the cross-country skiing and snowboard venues and to Râșnov for the ski jumping venue.
Delegations then visited the second Athletes’ Village and the alpine skiing venue in Poiana Brașov, before finishing the day at the ice hockey venue in Brașov, which will host the Boys’ Ice Hockey Tournament.
Líney Rut Halldórsdóttir said: “It has been a fantastic two days in Brașov, giving our NOCs the chance to see first-hand the excellent progress being made across every venue. With less than five months to go, it’s clear the Organising Committee has put together a thorough and well-considered plan.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Brașov 2027 as we count down to what promises to be a memorable Winter EYOF for Europe’s young athletes.”
EOC ExCom member and Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR) President Mihai Covaliu, said: “Hosting this Chefs de Mission Seminar in Brașov was an important milestone on our journey to the Winter EYOF Brașov 2027. It gave us the opportunity to welcome our fellow NOCs, show them the progress we have made across our venues and Athletes’ Villages, and demonstrate the passion and commitment of everyone involved in this project. Brașov is my home city, and seeing Europe’s young athletes compete here in 2027 will mean a great deal to me personally.
“For Romania, hosting the EYOF is a source of great pride, and we are determined to deliver an event that reflects the best of our country’s sporting tradition and hospitality. We look forward to welcoming Europe’s young athletes to Brașov in February 2027.”
Around 1,000 athletes aged 14 to 18 are expected to compete in Brașov.
The EYOF provides many young athletes from across Europe with their first experience of an international multi-sport event, while also offering an introduction to the Olympic values and the spirit of Olympism.
