The Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

The EP, the Council, and the Commission are assisted by an Economic and Social Committee and a Committee of the Regions with advisory functions. The Economic and Social Committee consists of representatives of employers’ and ^[1]

employees’ organisations and other representatives of civil society. The Committee of the Regions consists of representatives of regional and local bodies who either are elected to a regional or local authority or are politically accountable to an elected assembly. Members of these committees shall not be bound by any instructions, but must act in the Union’s general interest, and be completely independent (Art

300 TFEU).

The number of members for each of the committees should be maximum 350. They are appointed by the Council on a proposal by the Commission. The committees shall be consulted by the EP, the Council, or the Commission in the cases provided for in the Treaties. They may also, on their own initiative, deliver an opinion in cases deemed appropriate.

For countries with federal systems and those that consist of autonomous regions, the Regional Committee can be an important forum for participation in the work of the EU.

• [1] The address is . Earlier judgments can be found on .