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Participation of the autonomous communities and Local Entities in the committee of the regions

TheCommittee of the regions(CDR) is a consultative body representing local and regional bodies of the european union was created by the treaty of Maastricht, and is regulated by article 13, paragraph 4, of the treaty on european union (TEU); articles 300 and 305-307 of the treaty on the functioning of the european Union (TFEU), and a number of decisions of the council. The first meeting of its full was in 1994.

The mission of the cor is to involve regional and local entities in the european decision-making process, thus facilitating the participation of citizens. The Drc issued opinions in cases of mandatory consultation covered in the treaties, in cases of optional and on their own initiative if it considers it appropriate. Thus, the Commission, the council and parliament must consult the committee of the regions before european decisions in areas of local and regional impact (such as employment policy, the environment, education, economic and social cohesion or public health); otherwise, the drc can bring the matter to the court of justice. In this way, when the CDR receives a legislative proposal, drafts and adopts an opinion and sends it to the relevant institutions of the eu.

The activity of the DRC has two legal constraints: it does not give an opinion on all proposals for community and its views are not binding.

The committee of the regions currently has 329 members, and the same number of alternates, from the 27 eu countries. Members are responsible for regional and local entities and must be held by an electoral mandate a regional or local level or who have political responsibility to an elected assembly. The Council appoints the members and alternate members for a period of five years, on the proposal of the eu countries. The number of members of a country depends on its population and every country selects its members according to their own rules, but all delegations reflect the political balance, geographical and regional/local levels in your country.

The CDR holds six full year, in which it establishes its overall policy and adopted its views. There are six committees charged with studying the different policies and working out the opinions that are discussed in plenary:

· Territorial Cohesion and the eu budget (COTER)

· Economic Policy (ECON)

· Social Policy, education, employment, research and culture (SEDEC)

· Environment, climate change and energy (ENVE)

· Citizenship, governance and Institutional and Affairs (CIVEX)

· Natural Resources (NAT)

The Commissions prepared draft Views which are then discussed in any of the Full annual and, if passed by majority vote, the drc introduced Views to the commission, the council and the European Parliament. The committee also adopted resolutions on political issues.

A chairman and a first vice-president are elected from among the members of the committee.

Moreover, the bureau is the body of momentum of its activity, that is what makes the political agenda of the DRC at the beginning of each mandate, monitors the implementation of this programme and coordinates an overview of the work of the full and of the committees. In general, the bureau meets eight times a year: prior to each of the six full of Brussels, plus two extraordinary meetings, in the two countries engaged in the rotating council presidency. The Bureau is required to reflect pluralism, especially political, of the general constitutes the drc. With this spirit, the bureau provides as follows: president; the first vice-Presidents; 27 (one per member state); 26 members, and the chairmen of the political groups. As well as the president, the bureau serves for two and a half years.

There are currently six political groups that reflect the different political affiliations: the european people's party (EPP), the party of european socialists (PSE), Renew Europe, the group of the european alliance (AE), the european conservatives and reformists (CRE) and the greens, although members can also choose not to be part of any political party (non-attached members).

Spain has 21 members in the committee of the regions. Of this total, 17 represent the autonomous communities and 4 to local entities, with the autonomous communities propose officers constituting the delegation at the autonomous community and the FEMP representatives of local entities. This system was adopted by a Motion adopted by the senate on 20 october 1993.

In most cases, the representatives of the NATIONAL holders are their presidents, but typically the activity is carried out by such alternate representatives, which can be counselors or senior officials, and even the delegate of the community in brussels.