COR/08/49

COR/08/49 Brussels, 28 February 2008

11th Europa Forum Lech: CoR President Van den Brande meets EU leaders for talks on energy and Western Balkans

Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Luc Van den Brande has accepted an invitation to join EU leaders at this weekend's traditional 'winter summit' in Lech, hosted by Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. Other participants at the 11th Europa Forum (29 February-2 March) will include Janez Janša, President of the European Council and Prime Minister of Slovenia, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.

The mini-summit is an opportunity for EU and regional leaders to discuss current issues in an informal setting. This year the Forum will focus on energy questions including security of supply, competitiveness and sustainability, and the Western Balkans in terms of the region's European future.

Mr Van den Brande will participate in a press point at 19:00 on 1 March at the Hotel Post in Lech.

The Committee of the Regions

Around two-thirds of EU legislation is implemented by local and regional authorities in Member States. The Committee of the Regions is a consultative body, which was created in 1994 to give representatives of local government a say over the content of these laws. The CoR organises five plenary sessions a year, where its 344 members vote on reports, known as opinions, issued in response to proposed legislation. The European Commission, which initiates EU laws, and the Council of Ministers, which determines the final content of the legislation (usually in tandem with the European Parliament), are obliged to consult the CoR on a wide range of policy areas including the environment, employment and transport.