Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) lists the European Union (EU) institutions and states that the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission will be assisted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), acting in an advisory capacity.
Article 300 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) states that the CoR consists of representatives of regional and local bodies who either hold a regional or local authority electoral mandate or are politically accountable to an elected assembly. CoR members are not bound by any mandatory instructions and are completely independent in the performance of their duties in the EU’s general interest.
Article 305 TFEU sets the maximum number of members of the CoR at 350 and states that the Council unanimously adopts a decision fixing the CoR’s composition. The Council appoints the members and alternate members for a 5-year term in accordance with the proposals made by each EU Member State. If the political mandate on the basis of which they were proposed comes to an end, their term of office at the CoR also ends, and they are replaced for the remainder of the term of office by means of the same procedure. No CoR member may, at the same time, be a member of the European Parliament.
Article 306 TFEU states that the CoR elects its chair and officers from among its members for a term of 2½ years. It gives the CoR the power to adopt its rules of procedure. The CoR is convened by its chair at the request of the Parliament, the Council or the Commission. It may also meet on its own initiative.
Article 307 TFEU requires the Parliament, the Council and the Commission to consult the CoR where provided in the treaties or when they consider it appropriate, in particular on matters which concern cross-border cooperation. CoR opinions must be forwarded to the Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
The rules of procedure set out how the CoR operates and is organised.

KEY POINTS

Members

CoR members are proposed by the governments of the 27 Member States and appointed by the Council for 5 years. Council Decision (EU) 2019/852 sets the number of members at 329 following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.

National delegations of members reflect the overall political, geographical and local/regional balance of each Member State as follows:

Germany, France and Italy: 24 each;
Spain and Poland: 21 each;
Romania: 15;
Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Sweden: 12 each;
Denmark, Ireland, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland: nine each;
Estonia, Latvia, and Slovenia: seven each;
Cyprus and Luxembourg: six each;
Malta: five.

Members also form political groups reflecting their political views.

The CoR’s role in the legislative procedure

The Council and the Commission must consult the CoR before taking decisions on:
- economic, social and territorial cohesion, Structural Funds, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund;
- employment and social policy;
- education, youth, vocational training, culture and sport;
- environment, energy and climate change;
- transport and trans-European networks; and
- public health.
The Parliament, the Council and the Commission may also consult the CoR on any other issue they consider appropriate. The CoR may deliver opinions on its own initiative if it considers that an issue is relevant.
The CoR is informed when the EESC is consulted, and may also issue an opinion on the same issue if it considers that it involves regional interests.
The CoR may bring actions before the Court of Justice of the European Union if it considers that:
- it has not been consulted when it should have been (according to Article 263 TFEU);
- the consultation procedures have not been applied correctly.
Under Protocol No 2 annexed to the treaties (Article 8) on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, the CoR may also ask the Court of Justice to assess whether a legislative act that required the consultation of the CoR before its adoption complies with the subsidiarity principle.

Organisation of work

Commissions prepare draft opinions, reports and resolutions which are then adopted at the plenary session. The six commissions are the following:

The composition of the commissions reflects that of the CoR as a whole. Each member belongs to at least one but not more than two commissions. Exceptions may be made for members from Member States with fewer members than the number of commissions. Commission meetings are normally open to the public.

Plenary sessions are chaired by the President of the CoR and decide by a majority of the votes cast, unless the rules of procedure provide otherwise. Sessions are always streamed on the internet. The plenary adopts:

opinions, reports and resolutions;
the CoR’s draft estimates of expenditure and revenue;
the CoR’s political priorities at the beginning of every 5-year term.

It also:

elects the president, the first vice-president and the remaining members of the Bureau;
sets up policy commissions within the institution;
adopts and revises the rules of procedure;
decides whether to bring an action before the Court of Justice.

The Bureau draws up the CoR’s political programme and oversees its implementation. It also coordinates the work of the plenary assembly and the commissions. It consists of the president, the first vice-president, 27 other vice-presidents (one for each Member State), 26 other members and the chairs of the political groups.

The president is the CoR’s representative and directs its work.

Interregional groups are platforms where local and regional authorities in the Member States and beyond can exchange views and develop new ideas. Groups comprise at least 10 CoR members from at least four countries or a group of regions representing a cross-border cooperation project. They have been set up on a number of issues, such as Brexit, health and insular regions.

The CoR also coordinates networks to enable regions and cities to exchange best practices.

Secretariat-General

The CoR has a Secretariat-General headed by a secretary-general. The secretary-general is appointed by the Bureau by a two-thirds majority of its members for a period of 5 years, and ensures that the decisions taken by the Bureau or by the president are carried out.

FROM WHEN DO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE APPLY?

They have applied since 22 July 2023.

BACKGROUND

The CoR is based in Brussels and shares some of its permanent secretariat services (those related to logistics, ICT and translation) with the EESC.

For further information, see:

CoR (European Committee of the Regions).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union – Title III – Provisions on the institutions – Article 13 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 22).

Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union – Part Six – Institutional and financial provisions – Title I – Institutional provisions – Chapter 3 – The Union’s advisory bodies – Article 300 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 177).

European Committee of the Regions – Rules of Procedure (OJ L 184, 21.7.2023, pp. 83–108).

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The European Committee of the Regions

SUMMARY OF:

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE ARTICLES AND THE RULES OF PROCEDURE?

KEY POINTS

FROM WHEN DO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE APPLY?

BACKGROUND

MAIN DOCUMENTS

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