The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an advisory body of the European Union, created to represent the voice of local and regional authorities in the European legislative process. Composed of elected representatives, the CoR issues opinions on proposals from the European Commission and can be consulted by the Parliament and the Council on issues of regional impact.

The Region of Murcia actively participates in the CoR, defending local interests on key regional development issues. Currently, the President of the Region and the Director General for EU Relations represent Murcia on the committee.

The work of the CoR is carried out in six specialized committees responsible for drafting opinions and resolutions, which are then presented in plenary session for adoption.

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) comprises the following committees:

Committee on Citizenship, Governance and External and Institutional Affairs (CIVEX)
Committee on Territorial Cohesion Policy and the EU Budget (COTER)
Committee on Economic Policy (ECON)
Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE)
Committee on Natural Resources (NAT)
Committee on Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC)
The Region of Murcia is currently a member of two committees:

Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE)

This committee coordinates the work of the Committee in the areas of the European Green Deal, biodiversity, the circular economy, water resilience, zero pollution, climate change, and energy.

Natural Resources Commission (NAT)

The Region of Murcia actively participates in the Natural Resources Commission (NAT) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), addressing strategic issues such as agriculture, rural development, tourism, and civil protection.

You can subscribe to the CoR Newsletter to receive updated information.

Members
The CoR is composed of 329 members from the 27 Member States. Spain has 21 members on the Committee, 17 of whom represent the Autonomous Communities and the remaining 4 the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.

CoR members are nominated by their respective national governments and approved by the Council of the EU. They are organized into National Delegations, regardless of their political affiliation. Currently, Extremadura holds the Presidency of the Spanish Delegation to the CoR.

In the current legislative term, the President of the Region of Murcia is a member of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), as the primary member, and the Director General responsible for EU relations is a substitute member.

Currently, Galicia holds the Presidency of the Spanish Delegation to the CoR.

Functioning
The CoR receives inquiries from the Parliament, the Council, and the Commission on new legislative proposals formulated in areas of local and regional impact.

The CoR can also issue opinions on its own initiative, resolutions on important and current issues, and forward-looking opinions, which are contributions that help shape future EU policies, allowing the CoR to participate in the development of European policies at an early stage.

The role of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) was recognized and strengthened by the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. The Committee must be consulted at all stages of the legislative process and has the right to bring an action before the Court of Justice when it considers that EU legislation infringes its institutional rights or ignores national, regional, or local governments. Consequently, the CoR's relations with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council have intensified.