The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the political assembly of the European Union that represents local and regional authorities. Its first session was held in 1994, and it was established by the Maastricht Treaty from 7th February 1992 (it became effective 1st November 1993). The EU is obliged to discuss all the decisions related to the local and regional administration with the Committee, such as regional policy, environmental issues, education and transport.

The task of the CoR is to promote local and regional authorities’ views on EU legal regulations, which is done by submitting its standpoints of Committee’s proposals.

The Committee consists of elected politicians from municipal or regional offices, who are often representatives of regional administrations. They are appointed by the Council of the European Union for a 4 year term of office and can be re-appointed. They have to have mandate from the offices they represent or they have to be accountable to them.

There are four political parties in the Committee: Party of European Socialists, European People's Party, European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and European Alliance.

Important data  

  • 1992 – CoR is established by the Maastricht Treaty (or the Treaty on European Union)
  • 1994 – First summit meeting in Brussels
  • 1995 – After the expansion of the EU to 15 member states, the number of CoR’s members rose from 189 to 222 
  • 1997 – The Amsterdam Agreement enhances the role of CoR by the expansion of the obligatory consultation, and it also enables the European Parliament to apply for the standpoint to be formulated.
  • 2003 – The Nice Treaty established that CoR members have to have a mandate or they have to be politically accountable.
  • 2004 - After the expansion of the EU to 25 member states, the number of CoR’s members rose from 222 to 317. 
  • 2004 - The Treaty establishing the Constitution for Europe enhances the importance of CoR as an institution and furthers its political role.
  • 2007 - After the expansion of the EU to 27 member states, the number of CoR’s members rose from 317 to 344.  
  • 2007 – The Reform Treaty ratified the status and political role of CoR.  

The Committee of the Regions in numbers

  • 344 members representing local and regional authorities and 344 deputy ministers
  • 27 national delegations
  • 4 political groups 
  • 6 thematic committees  

Members of The Committee of the Regions  

344 members and 344 substitutes
Germany, France, Italy, UK ..................... 24 members each
Poland and Spain....................................... 21 members each
Rumania.....................................................15 members each
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungry, Netherlands,
Portugal and Sweden..................12 members each
Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Slovakia, Lithuania.............. 9 members each
Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia.......................................... 7 members each
Cyprus and Luxemburg................................................. 6 members each
Malta………………………………………….……... 5 members each

Chairman

The Committee is headed by the Chairman. He chairs summit meetings and externally represents the Committee.

Chairman for 2008-2010

Luc Van den Brande

Flemish politician Luc Van den Brande, was appointed as Chairman of the EU Committee of the Regions on 6th February 2008. He is the sixth Chairman of the Committee. Luc Van den Brande has been a member of the Committee since its establishment in 1994, and will stay in the post of Chairman for two more years. His predecessor was Michela Delebarrea, Mayor of the French city Dunkerque, who currently holds the post of the First Vice-Chairman. Luc Van den Brande, originally a lawyer, started his political career in 1977 when he was elected to the Belgian House of Representatives. In 1990 he became a member of the body which became a predecessor of Flemish Parliament, and in 1999 was appointed as Senator of the Flemish Community. Between 1988 and 1992, he held a post of Federal Minister of Employment and Labour; afterwards he became President of the Government of Flanders and stayed in this post until 1999.

First Vice-Chairman for  2008-2010

Michel Delebarre

Mayor of Dunkirk and member of the National Assembly of France

  • Chairman and First Vice-Chairman are elected by the members of the Committee for a two- year term of office.
  • Additionally, there is one Vice-Chairman for every member state 
  • Prague and the Committee of the Regions
  • Mayor of Prague, Pavel Bém, is CoR’s Vice-Chairman for the Czech Republic and acts as the head of the Czech delegation
  • Inside of the Committee of the Regions is Pavel Bém a member of the European People’s Party
  • Pavel Bém is a member of the Committee on Culture and Education and the Commission for External Relations. 
  • Prague and CoR jointly held the European Summit of Regions and Cities that takes place in March