Комитет на регионите BG European Union ES Comité de las Regiones V ý bor region ů CS Regionsudvalget DA Ausschuss der Regionen DE Regioonide Komitee ET Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών EL Committee of the Regions EN Comité des Régions FR Comitato delle regioni IT Re ģ ionu komiteja LV LT Region ų komitetas Welcome to the HU Régiók Bizottsága MT Kumitat tar-Re ġ juni Comité van de Regio's NL Committee of the Komitet Regionów PL Comité das Regiões PT Regions Comitetul Regiunilor RO SK V ý bor regiónov SL Odbor regij Alueiden komitea FI SV Regionkommittén
The Committee of the Regions A political assembly of the European Union, representing local and regional government.
Why a Committee of the Regions ? To give local and regional government a say over the drafting of EU legislation (70% of EU laws are implemented at local/regional level). To bring Europe closer to its citizens and to encourage a culture of subsidiarity. To provide a meeting place where regions and cities can share best practice and take part in a dialogue with the European institutions.
The CoR in brief Created by Maastricht Treaty (1992), first Plenary Session March 1994. 344 members representing local and regional government plus 344 alternates. 27 national delegations. 6 thematic commissions (sub-committees). 4 political groups
CoR members 344 members plus 344 alternates Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom………….………….. 24 Poland, Spain…...………………………………………………..... 21 Romania...………………………………………………………...... 15 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden…………………….. 12 Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Slovakia, Lithuania…..…………. 9 Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia……………………..…………………. 7 Cyprus, Luxembourg…….………………….…………………… 6 Malta………………………………………….…………...………... 5
Appointment of CoR members Local and regional representatives proposed by Member States. Formally appointed by the Council of the EU. Four-year renewable term of office
The President The President is the head of the Committee. He chairs plenary sessions and represents the Committee in relations towards the outside. President (2008-2010) Luc Van den Brande (EPP/BE) Member of Belgian Senate and Member of Flemish Parliament. Luc Van den Brande First Vice-President (2008-2010) Michel Delebarre (PES/FR) Mayor of Dunkerque and Member of French Parliament. The President and the First Vice-President are elected by the Committee members for a two-year term. Michel There is also one Vice-President per Member Delebarre State.
The Bureau 60 members, whose number per Member State reflects national and political balances: ‒ The President and First Vice-President; ‒ 1 Vice-President per Member State; ‒ 4 chairs of the political groups; ‒ 27 other members. Organisation of CoR work: ‒ Meets 7 times a year; ‒ Manages plenary session agenda; ‒ Draws up the Committee’s policy programme; ‒ Allocates opinions to commissions; ‒ Decides when to draft own-initiative opinions.
Plenary sessions Meeting of all CoR members. 5 times per year. Adoption of opinions and political debates
The Commissions COTER - Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy ECOS - Commission for Economic and Social Policy DEVE - Commission for Sustainable Development EDUC - Commission for Culture, Education and Research CONST - Commission for Constitutional Affairs, European Governance and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice RELEX - Commission for External Relations and Decentralised Cooperation CFAA – Commission for Financial and Administrative Affairs
The political groups EPP EPP PES PES European People’s Party Party of European Socialists ALDE ALDE UEN-EA UEN-EA Alliance of Liberals and Union for Europe of the Nations - Democrats for Europe European Alliance
The CoR and EU decision-making CONSULTATION CODECISION PROPOSAL DECISION European Commission European Parliament Council of the EU CONSULTATION European Economic & Social Committee
Mandatory consultation Mandatory consultation in the following policy areas : Economic and social cohesion Transport Education and youth Employment Culture Social affairs Public health Environment Trans-European networks Vocational training
Optional consultation The Council, the Commission and the Parliament may request an opinion from the CoR, where they consider it appropriate. The CoR may draw up an opinion on its own initiative, where it considers such action appropriate. The CoR may decide to draw up an opinion, where the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has been consulted, and where it considers that specific regional or local interests are involved.
Drawing up opinions 1. Consultation by the European Commission, the Council of Ministers or the European Parliament. 2. Proposal allocated by the Bureau to a CoR commission. 3. Appointment of CoR commission rapporteur, who starts work on the opinion. 4. First draft presented to the CoR commission. 5. Continuation of work by the rapporteur. 6. Discussion, amendments and adoption of opinion by the CoR commission. 7. Adoption of the opinion in plenary session, before publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Networks and Activities of the CoR 1. LISBON MONITORING PLATFORM (LMP) Lisbon Strategy for Growth & Jobs re-launched by Member States in March 2005. Lisbon Monitoring Platform launched by CoR in March 2006. Purpose: to ensure involvement of all levels of government in the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy. Provides a platform for regional and local authorities to discuss and exchange best practice on how to create growth & jobs. Reports annually on progress at sub-national level to Spring European Council.
Networks and Activities of the CoR 2. SUBSIDIARITY MONITORING NETWORK Subsidiarity: Decisions to be taken as close to citizens as possible. Proximity to citizens central concern for regional and local representatives CoR established Subsidiarity Monitoring Network in June 2007 in order to examine European Commission legislative documents for compliance. Single on-line inter-active point of entry for regional and local authorities to access information on EU legislative process, exchange best practice and make their voice heard.
Networks and Activities of the CoR 3. EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION (EGTC ) EXPERT GROUP New (Aug 2007) legal instrument to facilitate cooperation between regional and local authorities (cross-border, interregional, transnational). to give legal status to such groupings: possibility to set up secretariat, own assets. CoR informs, promotes and tracks establishment of EGTC, expert group provides platform for exchange of experience and best practice. First EGTC (January 2008): Eurometropole Lille- Kortrijk- Tournai (Franco-Belgian regional development).
Networks and Activities of the CoR 4 . OPEN DAYS European week of cities and regions Co-organised annually in the second week of October by CoR and Commission Directorate General for Regional Policy. Over 200 regions and cities represented, in addition to representatives from banking, business and civil society, some 5000 individual participants. Around 130 seminars and networking events in Brussels, a further 230 in the regions and cities. Investors' Café: special exhibition and networking opportunity for representatives from private sector and regions/cities.
The CoR and the Lisbon Treaty The Court of Justice to have jurisdiction in actions brought by the Committee of the Regions for the purpose of protecting its rights. Possibility for the CoR to bring actions on grounds of infringement of the principle of subsidiarity by a legislative act. Increase in members’ term of office from 4 to 5 years.
Key dates 1992 Maastricht Treaty creates the CoR 1992 1994 1994 First plenary session held in Brussels 1995 The number of CoR members increases from 189 to 222 as the EU-12 1995 expands to EU-15 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam strengthens the CoR by increasing its field of mandatory 1997 consultation and allows referrals from the European Parliament 2003 Treaty of Nice states CoR members must hold an electoral mandate or be 2003 politically accountable 2004 The number of CoR members increases from 222 to 317 in the EU-25 2004 2004 2004 Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe boosts the institutional status and political role of the CoR 2007 2007 The number of of CoR members increases from 317 to 344 members in the EU-27 2007 2007 Lisbon Treaty enhances the status and political role of the CoR
Structural Organisation Chart PRESIDENT and private office Joint Services Political group Secretary-General (shared with EESC) secretariats Directorate for Directorate for Registry Directorate for Directorate for Consultative Work and Legal Affairs Communication, Administration Press and Protocol
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