Transcript Welcome to the Committee of the Regions

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THE COMMITTEE
OF THE REGIONS
An advisory body of the
European Union, representing
local and regional authorities
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The CoR in dates
1993: Maastricht Treaty – CoR created
1994: 1st Plenary Session held in Brussels
2000: Nice Summit – CoR Members required
to be elected and to be politically accountable
2004: 95 representatives from new Member
States join the CoR
2007: 27 representatives from Bulgaria and
Romania join the CoR
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Why a Committee of the Regions?
To improve EU legislation using the
expertise of regional and local
representatives
To bring the voice of regional and local
authorities to Brussels
To bring Europe closer to its citizens
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The CoR in numbers
344 Members, representatives of local
and regional bodies + 344 alternate
members
4 Political Groups
6 Thematic Commissions
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CoR MEMBERS BY COUNTRY
344 members and 344 alternate members
Germany, France, Italy, UK………….................................24
Poland, Spain .…………………………………………………….21
Romania ……...…………………………………………………….15
Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary,
Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Portugal ...………………...12
Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia, ….……….9
Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia …………………………….…………..7
Cyprus, Luxembourg …………………………………..………….6
Malta ………………………………………………………..…………5
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About the Members
Regional and local representatives,
proposed by the Member States
Formally appointed by the Council
4-year term of office
Represented in political groups
Participation in thematic commissions
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The Political Groups
PES- Party of European
Socialists
PES
37,2%
ALDE
15,9%
UEN-EA
5,4%
EPP
37,5%
NA
4,1%
EPP - European People’s
Party
ALDE – Alliance of Liberal
and Democrats for Europe
UEN-EA - Union of
the Europe of Nations European Alliance
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Why political groups?
To enable transnational thinking and
acting
To link up the political families in the
different EU institutions and in the
member states
To implement the CoR’s mandate as a
political and democratically legitimated
Institution
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The European Socialists (PES Group)
in the Committee of the Regions
117 Members / 107 Alternate members
President: Mercedes BRESSO (IT),
President of the Region of Piedmont
PES Group Secretariat: 7 members of staff
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Political Priorities of
the PES Group
 MORE involvement of the CoR in the ongoing debate on the
future of European integration
 MORE account to be taken of local issues in the prelegislative phase
 ENFORCING the European model of society, particularly by
promoting services of general interest
 A MORE integrated approach to sustainable development
 MORE collaboration with local authorities in the EU's partner
countries under the "new neighbouring policy";
 MORE consideration of local authorities in issues of external
policy, such as migration or decentralised cooperation
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COR Commissions
 COTER
 Commission for Territorial Cohesion
 ECOS
 Commission for Economic & Social Policy
 DEVE
 Commission for Sustainable Development
 EDUC
 Commission for Culture, Education & Research
 CONST
 Commission for Constitutional Affairs, European
Governance and the Area of Freedom, Security &
Justice
 RELEX
 Commission for External Relations & Decentralised
Cooperation
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The COR and
EU decision-making
CONSULTATION
PROPOSAL
European
Parliament
CODECISION
European
Commission
CONSULTATION
ESC
CONSULTATION
Council
of the EU
DECISION
COR
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Plenary Sessions
Full meeting of the CoR
5 times per year
Adoption of opinions
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Consultation
MANDATORY consultation in the following policy areas:
 Economic and social
cohesion
 Education and youth
 Culture
 Public Health
 Trans-European
Networks
 Transport
 Employment
 Social Affairs
 Environment
 European Social Fund
 Vocational Training
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Consultation
Other policy areas:
 Council, Commission or Parliament may request an
opinion when they “consider it appropriate”
 CoR may choose to prepare an opinion when the
Economic and Social Committee has been consulted
and “specific regional interests are involved”
 CoR may choose to prepare an opinion on its own
initiative where it “considers it appropriate”
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Consultation
 Opinions
 Resolutions
Declarations adopted in accordance with an accelerated procedure.
 Outlook reports
Preliminary reports before the European Commission’s proposals
have been made public
 Impact reports
Serve to evaluate the impact of policy at regional or local level
 Studies
On various aspects of the regional and local dimensions of the EU
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Preparing further
enlargements
 Establishment of Joint Consultative
Committees
 Participation of observers at CoR plenary
sessions
 Conferences in acceding and candidate
countries
 Support to devolution
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The strengths of the CoR
 « United in diversity »
 The engagement of the members (an
extra-professional activity) and the
human factor
 a lobby with the brand of an
institution
 a transnational network
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Visit us online
NEW WEBSITE 2006
+ More dynamic
+ More info on the PES
Group Members
+ More info on the PES
Group Activities
+ More news
http://www.cor.europa.eu/pesweb
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PES GROUP SECRETARIAT
 Committee of the Regions
Rue Belliard, 101
Office: JDE 7039
B-1040 BRUSSELS
 +32 (2) 282.22.23
 +32 (2) 282.20.69
 [email protected]
 www.cor.europa.eu/pesweb
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