European Committee of the Regions

Info

The Committee of the Regions is the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives coming from all 28 Member States.

Geschiedenis

Established in 1994, the CoR was set up to address two main issues. Firstly, about three quarters of EU legislation is implemented at local or regional level, so it made sense for local and regional representatives to have a say in the development of new EU laws. Secondly, there were concerns that there was a widening gap between the public and the process of European integration; involving the elected level of government closest to the citizens was one way of closing the gap.

Its 353 democratically elected members represent the sub-national level (i.e. regions, counties, provinces, municipalities and cities) and ensure that the communities they represent fully participate in the EU's decision-making process. The European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council are obliged to consult the Committee in policy areas affecting regions and cities.

more information:
http://cor.europa.eu/en/about/Pages/key-facts.aspx