Opinions

As a consultative body to the European institutions, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) issues opinions and resolutions to ensure that local and regional authorities have a formal voice in EU policymaking. 

The European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union must consult the CoR on legislation affecting areas like health, economic policy, education, employment, social policy, territorial, economic and social cohesion, transport, energy and climate. The CoR also issues own-initiative opinions and opinions based on a request received from the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The process for issuing an opinion is democratic: the CoR president assigns the task to a commission, which selects a rapporteur to draft the opinion. The draft is debated and approved in both commission meetings and the CoR plenary before being sent to EU institutions. 

The CoR holds up to six plenary sessions annually, issuing 50–70 opinions and resolutions. It engages with citizens, young politicians, and external partners, and has developed tools like RegHub and territorial impact assessments to support evidence-based advice. Cooperation agreements with the EC and EP reinforce its role in all phases of EU decision-making.