Committee of the areas

The Comité of the Areas (CdR) is a body (and not an institution) of the European Union. Created following the Treated of Maastricht, the March 9th 1994, he is the political assembly which makes hear the voice of the territorial collectivities, including the ultraperipheric areas, within the European Union.

Role

The Committee of the Areas was created to bring closer the Europe of citizens and to call on the European level with the representatives of the local government agencies and regional, because it is with them that it returns to implement most of the community legislation.

The treaties of Maastricht and Amsterdam impose on the European commission and the the Council of Ministers to consult CdR for any decision having repercussions at the local level in the following fields: economic and social cohesion, health, education and culture, environment, professional training, transport.

The Committee of the Areas can also give opinions of initiatives and day before to the respect of the Principe of subsidiarity enacted by the Treaty of Maastricht, according to which the decisions must be taken on the level nearest to the citizen.

Composition

The committee is composed of 344 members named by the various European governments for 4 years renewable and acting as any political independence, according to the following distribution:

Four groups are represented at the assembly: European Socialist party (PSE), European Popular party (EPP), Left European the liberals, democrats and reforming and European free Alliance.

Organization

The president and a first vice-presidents is elected for mandate a two years by the members of the committee.

The Office , composed of 56 members whose president and the first vice-president, are elected for two years. It is responsible for the implementation of the political program of CdR.

The committee also comprises six Committees :

TO DIMENSION - Commission of the policy of territorial cohesion
ECOS - Commission of the economic policy and social
DEVE - Commission of sustainable development
EDUC - Commission of the culture and education
CONST - Commission of the constitutional deals and the European governorship
RELEX - Commission of the foreign relations

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