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 countries and in the EU
  • monitoring the negotiations, focusing on areas of particular relevance to local and regional authorities

How is a JCC established?

  • On request from the government of the country concerned
  • On the basis of the "Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA)"
  • Or 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 are local or regional representatives from the country concerned
  • The other half are Members of the Committee of the Regions
  • There are two co-chairs, representing the categories mentioned above

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 the framework of the Enlargement Day event and once in the partner country
  • Montenegro

    ​Legal basis :  Decision of the EU – Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Council, 21st June 2011 ​

    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

    • Vladimir JOKIĆ

      Mayor of Kotor

    • Marko KOVAČEVIĆ

      Mayor of Nikšić

    • Petar SMOLOVIĆ

      Mayor of Bijelo Polje

    • Veselin VUKIĆEVIĆ

      Mayor of Žabljak

    • Ivan VUKOVIĆ

      Mayor of Capital City Podgorica

  • Republic of North Macedonia

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

    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 and President of ZELS

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
    Republic of North Macedonia
    • Erkan ARIFI

      Mayor of the Municipality of Lipkovo

    • 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)

    • 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 ​

    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

    • Jasmina PALUROVIĆ

      Mayor of Kruševac, Rasina District

    • Zoran RADOJIČIĆ

      Mayor of Belgrade

    • 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

  • Iceland

    ​JCC Iceland was put on hold soon after its creation in May 2013, as requested by Iceland. 

​Working Groups (WGs)

Inter alia, activities of 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 countries and in the EU
  • exchange of good practice in specific fields of cooperation

How is a WG established?

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

Who takes part in the WGs?

  • Members of the CoR
  • Participation of local and regional representatives from the partner countries varies according to the topics discussed and the location of the meeting

WGs meet twice a year, once in Brussels in the framework of the Enlargement Day event and once in a partner country

  • Türkiye

    ​Created: 2006 ​​

    Chair

    European Committee of the Regions
    • Antje GROTHEER (Germany / PES)

      Vice-President of Bremen State Parliament

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
  • Ukraine

    Created: 2015 (as "Task Force on Ukraine")​

    Chair

    European Committee of the Regions

    Members

    European Committee of the Regions
  • Western Balkans

    • ​Created in 2006
    • Currently covering: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo*

    * This designation is without prejudice to the positions expressed by the EU Member States on Kosovo's status and is in line with 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
    • Uroš BREŽAN (Slovenia / The Greens)

      Mayor of Tolmin

    • Loredana CAPONE (Italy / PES)

      President and Member of the Regional Council of Apulia

    • Roberto CIAMBETTI (Italy / ECR)

      President and Member of the Veneto Regional Council

    • Antje GROTHEER (Germany / PES)

      Vice-President of Bremen State Parliament

    • Ivan GULAM (Croatia / Renew Europe)

      Mayor of the Municipality of Pirovac

    • Tilo GUNDLACK (Germany / PES)

      Member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

    • Jaroslav HLINKA (Slovakia / PES)

      Mayor of Košice - South

    • Tanya HRISTOVA (Bulgaria / EPP)

      Mayor of Gabrovo Municipality

    • Roman LÍNEK (Czech Republic / EPP)

      Vice-President of Pardubice Region

    • Jaroslava POKORNÁ JERMANOVÁ (Czech Republic / Renew Europe)

      Member of a Regional Assembly: Councillor of the Central Bohemian Region

    • Miloslav REPASKÝ (Slovakia / EA)

      Member of the Regional Parliament of the Prešov Self – Governing Region

Latest news

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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