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 A Europe of RegionsThe Committee of the Regions was set up to give local and regional representatives a say in EU legislation. The aim is to make the citizen feel more directly involved in the European Union by including representatives from the levels of government that are closest to them. Established in 1994 under the Treaty of Maastricht, the CoR was part of a process designed to change fundamentally the relationship between the EU and the citizen. The Treaty explicitly called for citizens to be more involved in EU legislation and introduced the principle of subsidiarity, under which decisions have to be taken at the level closest to the citizen. It also defined the concept of European citizenship and gave citizens in all the member states (12 at the time) the right to vote in European and municipal elections. The CoR plays a key role in bringing the EU closer to the citizens by involving elected local representatives in determining European policy. The representatives are well placed to explain the EU process to the people in their regions and cities, and so ensure that the process is more democratic. The regional level of government involves a wide variety of administrations, yet their presence in the CoR constitutes a key democratic component in the EU legislative process. To perform this task effectively, the regions have to have adequate funding and staff. They also need to work with other regions in a wide range of areas. The expansion of the EU and the emergence of strong regions has had an impact on Brussels Region. Its government is increasingly involved in the CoR to ensure that its voice is heard in the drafting and implementation of European Union policy. As a result, Brussels Region increasingly looks beyond its own borders and cooperates with other regions on a wide range of topics. Rue de la Loi 61-63, 1040 Brussels, Tel 02 233 03 02, Fax 02 280 04 40.
Representatives: Pascal Goergen (pgoergen@europ.irisnet.be)
Economic advisor : Bernd Schneider (bschneider@europ.irisnet.be) |
