Subnational government is responsible for two thirds of public investment in the EU, one third of public expenditure, and one quarter of tax revenue. This subnational level is made up of approximately one million democratically elected politicians, who are represented at European level by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).
The members of the CoR represent first of all their region or municipality, and are tasked by the Treaty to advise the EU decision makers, and to bring Europe closer to the citizen. The best way to achieve this is for members to increase the knowledge of EU decision makers regarding the situation “on the ground” in terms of policy implementation, best practice, developments in governance, and emerging challenges. The more information EU decision makers have of what is happening in Europe’s cities and regions, the clearer the picture they will have, and the better the legislation will be. This will help to identify what new legislation is needed, and how to revise existing legislation. The better the EU legislates and the more effective it is in delivering results for Europeans, the closer citizens will feel to the Union.
