Enlargement countries 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The CIVEX Commission of the CoR is responsible for the institutional position on EU enlargement policy. To promote dialogue and cooperation between local and regional authorities in the EU and the enlargement countries, and to support them on their path towards the EU, two kinds of institutional platforms have been created:​

  • the Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs)
  • the Working Groups (WGs)​
Contents

​Joint Con​sultative Committees (JCCs)

Mission statement

A JCC provides a consistent and stable form of cooperation with the local and regional authorities of a country seeking to join the EU. Among others JCC activities contribute to:

  • preparing local and regional representatives for EU membership
  • assessing the impact of EU policies from a local and regional perspective
  • a direct two-way information flow on political developments in the relevant countries and in the EU
  • monitoring negotiations, focusing on areas of particular relevance to local and regional authorities

How is a JCC established?

  • At request from the government of the country concerned
  • On the basis of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA)
  • In an official declaration of the Stabilization and Association Council between the Council of the European Union and the candidate country

Who takes part in the JCCs?

  • Half of the representatives in a JCC are local or regional representatives from the country concerned, and half are members of the European Committee of the Regions
  • A JCC is co-chaired by one representative from the country concerned and one member of the European Committee of the Regions

How do JCCs work?

  • Decisions are taken jointly
  • Each JCC adopts its own Rules of Procedure
  • JCCs meet twice a year; once in Brussels in connection with Enlargement Day, and once in the partner country.
  • Montenegro



    Co-Chairs

    European Committee of the Regions
    Montenegro
    • Dušan Raičević

      Mayor of Bar

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
    Montenegro
    • Nikola ĐURAŠKOVIĆ

      Mayor of Cetinje

    • Olivera INJAC

      Mayor of Capital City Podgorica

    • Vladimir JOKIĆ

      Mayor of Kotor

    • Marko KOVAČEVIĆ

      Mayor of Nikšić

    • Petar SMOLOVIĆ

      Mayor of Bijelo Polje

    • Dario VRANEŠ, Observer

      Mayor of Pljevlja

    • Radoš ŽUGIĆ

      Mayor of Žabljak

  • Republic of North Macedonia

    Legal basis​: ​Decision of EU – Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Stabilisation and Association Council, 24th July 2007​​

    Creation: 2009

    Co-Chairs

    European Committee of the Regions
    • Jasna GABRIČ (Slovenia / Renew Europe)

      Member of the municipal council, Municipality of Trbovlje

    Republic of North Macedonia
    • Danela ARSOVSKA

      Mayor of City of Skopje

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
    • József BERÉNYI (Slovakia / EPP)

      Vice - Chairman of Trnava Self – Governing Region

    • Dimitrios BIRMPAS (Greece / PES)

      Municipal Councilor of Egaleo

    • Dan BOYLE (Ireland / The Greens), Observer

      Member of a Local Executive: Cork City Council

    • Loredana CAPONE (Italy / PES)

      President and Member of the Regional Council of Apulia

    • Allessia CLAES (Belgium / EA), Observer

      Member of a Regional Assembly: Flemish Parliament

    • Juraj DROBA (Slovakia / ECR)

      President of the Bratislava Region

    • Deirdre FORDE (Ireland / EPP)

      Member of a Local Executive: Cork City Council

    • Andries GRYFFROY (Belgium / EA)

      Member of a Regional Assembly: Flemish Parliament

    • Tilo GUNDLACK (Germany / PES)

      Member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

    • Bruno HRANIĆ (Croatia / EPP), Observer

      Mayor of the Municipality of Vidovec

    • Raymund KOVÁCS (Hungary / ECR), Observer

      Member of a Local Assembly: Local Government of District 16 of Budapest

    • Jonny LUNDIN (Sweden / Renew Europe)

      Member of Västernorrland County Council

    • Rait PIHELGAS (Estonia / Renew Europe), Observer

      Member of a Local Assembly: Järva Rural Municipality Council

    • Niina RATILAINEN (Finland / The Greens)

      Member of a Local Assembly: Turku City Council

    • Ivan ŽAGAR (Slovenia / EPP)

      Mayor of the Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica

    Republic of North Macedonia
    • Erkan ARIFI

      Mayor of the Municipality of Lipkovo

    • Blerim BEDZETI, Observer

      Mayor of the Municipality of Saraj

    • Visar GANIU

      Mayor of the Municipality of Chair (Skopje) and ZELS’ Vice President

    • Goran GERASIMOVSKI

      Mayor of the Municipality of Centar (Skopje)

    • Orce GJORGJIEVSKI

      Mayor of the Municipality of Kisela Voda (Skopje), President of ZELS

    • Kostadin KOSTADINOV

      Mayor of the Municipality of Strumica

    • Pero KOSTADINOV

      Mayor of the Municipality of Valandovo and ZELS’ Vice President

    • Darko KOSTOVSKI

      Mayor of the Municipality of Butel (Skopje)

    • Kiril PECAKOV

      Mayor of the Municipality of Ohrid

    • Aco RISTOV

      Mayor of the Municipality of Radovish

    • Aleksandar STOJKOSKI

      Mayor of the Municipality of Gjorche Petrov

  • Serbia

    Legal basis:  EU – Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia, 2014

    Creation: 2015

    Co-Chairs

    European Committee of the Regions
    • Franz SCHAUSBERGER (Austria / EPP)

      Representative of a regional body with political accountability to an elected Assembly: State Parliament of Salzburg

    Serbia
    • Dragana SOTIROVSKI

      Mayor of Niš, Nišava District

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
    Serbia
    • Boban DJUROVIĆ

      Mayor of Vrnjačka Banja, Raška District

    • Nataša MIJATOVIĆ

      Member of Municipal Council, City Municipality of Vračar, Belgrade

    • Nikola NIKODIJEVIĆ

      Chairman of the City Assembly, City of Belgrade

    • Jasmina PALUROVIĆ

      Mayor of Kruševac, Rasina District

    • Antonio RATKOVIĆ

      Mayor of Sombor, West Bačka District

    • Aleksandar SOFIĆ

      Provincial Secretary for Regional Development, Interregional Cooperation and Local Self-Government, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

​Working Groups (WGs)

The activities of the Working Groups contribute to:

  • fostering cooperation with local and regional authorities in the country or countries it covers
  • assessing the impact of EU policies from a local and regional perspective
  • a direct two-way information flow on political developments in the relevant countries and in the EU
  • exchanging good practices in specific fields of cooperation

How is a WG established?

  • Via a CoR Bureau decision, in accordance with the CoR Rules of Procedure

Who takes part in the WGs?

  • Members of the CoR
  • Local and regional representatives from the partner countries, depending on the topics discussed and the location of the meeting

WGs meet twice a year, once in Brussels in connection with Enlargement Day and once in a partner country

  • Türkiye

    Legal basis: Cooperation agreement, 1963​

    Creation: 2006 ​​

    Chair

    European Committee of the Regions

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
    • Nedzhmi ALI (Bulgaria / Renew Europe)

      Member of a Local Executive holding an electoral mandate: Dzhebel Municipality

    • Dan BOYLE (Ireland / The Greens)

      Member of a Local Executive: Cork City Council

    • Daniela CÎMPEAN (Romania / EPP)

      President of Sibiu County Council

    • Karine GLOANEC-MAURIN (France / PES)

      First Deputy Mayor of Couëtron au Perche

    • Mihkel JUHKAMI (Estonia / EPP)

      Member of a Local Assembly: Rakvere City Council

    • Anders KNAPE (Sweden / EPP), Observer

      Member of a Local Assembly: Karlstad Municipality

    • József KÓBOR (Hungary / EA)

      Member of a Local Assembly: Local Government of Pécs with county rights

    • Robert KOŚCIUK (Poland / ECR)

      Mayor of Krasnystaw

    • Michael MURPHY (Ireland / EPP)

      Member of Tipperary County Council

    • Robert Sorin NEGOIȚĂ (Romania / PES)

      Mayor of District 3, Bucharest Municipality

    • Mindaugas SINKEVIČIUS (Lithuania / PES)

      Mayor of Jonava District Municipality

    • Dainis TURLAIS (Latvia / Renew Europe)

      Member of Rīga city council

  • Ukraine

    Creation: 2015, under the name 'Task Force on Ukraine'

    Chair

    European Committee of the Regions

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
  • Western Balkans

    ​​Creation: 2006

    This WG currently covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. The designation of the latter is without prejudice to the positions expressed by the EU member states on Kosovo's status, and is in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice Opinion of 22 July 2010 on Kosovo's declaration of independence.​

    Chair

    European Committee of the Regions

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions

Latest news

Events

Upcoming events

Past events

Studies

  • Challenges and opportunities of LRAs’ involvement in the reconstruction of Ukraine

    Publication date: 19/09/2022Theme:Ukraine, Eastern PartnershipAuthor:Tetiana Anakina, Paulina Salek-Lipcean and Halyna Kovalchuk
  • EU financial assistance available to local and regional authorities in the candidate and potential candidate countries for EU enlargement

    Publication date: 21/09/2018Theme:EnlargementAuthor:Andrzej Dziurdzik, Katarzyna Sidło and Klaudia Wolniewicz-Slomka (Center for Social and Economic Research - CASE)
  • Regional Development in Ukraine: Priority Actions in Terms of Decentralization

    Publication date: 17/01/2017Theme:European Structural and Investment Funds, UkraineAuthor:Dr Tomila Lankina (LSE Department of International Relations), Dr Claire Gordon (LSE Teaching and Learning Centre) and Professor Svitlana Slava (Uzhhorod National University, Department of Economics and Business)
  • The Place of Local and Regional Self-Government in Eastern Partnership Policy-Making and Delivery

    Publication date: 23/09/2015Theme:International cooperationAuthor:Dr Claire Gordon and Dr Tomila Lankina (LSE Enterprise).

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