Committee of the Regions (CoR)
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The Committee of the Regions was created through the Treaty on the European Union 1993. It is composed of 222 representatives of local and regional bodies (mayors, councillors, District Chief Executives, Minister Presidents). The members of the CoR are appointed by the Council at the suggestion of the national governments.
The Committee of the Regions was founded in order to take into account the local and regional special features in the development of EU policies. The CoR must be heard on all questions which concern the regions. It especially works to maintain the principle of subsidiarity, based on which the Union can only carry out measures if they cannot be carried out more efficiently by the member states or municipal authorities and regions.
Thus, it exercises an advisory function from a regional and local point of view and performs this work within the framework of 7 specialist agencies, of which the most important for the area of rescue service and civil protection are:
- Regional policies, structural funds, economic and social solidarity, cross-border inter-regional cooperation,
- Social policies, health care, consumer protection, research and tourism,
- Employment, economic policies, single European market, industry,
- Education, professional training, culture, youth, sport and civil rights.
In view of the composition and the tasks of the CoR a political representation of interests and maintenance of contacts appears particularly useful on state and local level. The maintenance of contacts with the members of the CoR from their region can only be carried by the regional groups of the SAINT member organisations.
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