[autom.vertaling] Comité van de regio's en het EuropeesParlement ondertekenen pact versterking samenwerking (en)
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Parliament today signed a cooperation agreement which seeks to solidify the political relationship between the two EU institutions. The terms of the agreement signed in Strasbourg will optimise administration resources and strengthen the role and further engage the CoRs' members in Parliament activities within the EU legislative process.
CoR President, Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, said today that this was a defining moment and considered it as mutually beneficial for both institutions. President Valcárcel commented: "After twenty years of the EU's Committee of the Regions, the new partnership agreement with the European Parliament is a great moment for the two EU institutions. It sets out a more structured way of working which will strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the European Union and provide new avenues of participation for regional and local authorities throughout the EU decision-making process".
Approved by the CoRs' members, the cooperation agreement recognises the importance of autonomy and independence of the CoR and will create, "a new intensified cooperation procedure involving future CoR rapporteurs and the parliamentary committee will be established. This new procedure will offer an opportunity to CoR rapporteurs to directly contribute and influence the outcome of eventual trialogue meetings in a certain policy dossier of her/his expertise". The change will see an increase in the involvement of CoR rapporteurs in the EU legislative process, enabling members to participate in discussions in the European Parliament's Committees. Furthermore, the agreement includes a section on streamlining administration reflecting efforts by the institutions to improve services whilst reducing costs.
In addition the agreement will see:
CoR members able to use on the expertise of the new Parliament Research Service providing analysis and studies;
active involvement of the CoR in the European Semester Works of the Parliament, including the participation of a CoR delegation into the European Parliamentary Week;
enable the CoR to disseminate information via the EP's network of Information Offices.
For more information, please contact:
Tel. +32 2 282 2535