Policy Areas
​​An instrument originally set-up to help the Committee of the Regions (CoR) carry out in its advisory role within the EU institutional framework, the Subsidiarity Monitoring Network covers the same policy areas as the CoR. This includes policies where the consultation of the CoR is mandatory under the Treaties as well as fields where "optional consultation" applies as part of the legislative process.
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There are currently 10 areas of mandatory consultation, a list which has been continually extended by the different Treaties reforming the EU institutional framework:
  • Transport
  • Employment
  • Social policy
  • Education, vocational training, youth and sport
  • Culture
  • Public health
  • Trans-European networks
  • Economic, social and territorial cohesion
  • Environment and climate change
  • Energy
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In addition to the policies on which the CoR must be consulted, many other European policies are also of importance for local and regional authorities.
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There are therefore a number of areas of optional consultation on which the Committee may issue opinions; equally, the other EU institutions also regularly consult the CoR on these policy areas. The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, the single market, enterprise and industrial policy, external relations, agriculture and fisheries, tourism, civil protection, services of general interest, the information society and research are just a few of the policy areas that the CoR covers in its working programme and on which it is regularly consulted by the other institutions. These other policy areas are therefore also included in the Subsidiarity Monitoring Network
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The various areas of mandatory and optional consultation are divided between the Committee of the Regions' six thematic commissions. These are the:
  • Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX)
  • Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy (COTER)
  • Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS)
  • Commission for Education, Youth, Culture and Research (EDUC)
  • Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE)
  • Commission for Natural Resources (NAT)
     

POLICY FIELDS OF MANDATORY CONSULTATION

All of the policy areas on which the CoR must be consulted under the legislative procedure cover areas where competences are either shared between the Union and the Member States or where the Union enjoys competences to support, coordinate or supplement Member State policies (see Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union - TFEU). The subsidiarity principle applies in all of these areas (see Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union - TEU). Furthermore, local and regional authorities have important legislative or policy making competences in many of these areas and/or are responsible for implementing legislation or policies adopted at EU or national levels.
 
Please find below a detailed description of these policy fields: