Increased cooperation opportunities with the European Committee of the Regions
As you know, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) represents the voice of more than a million regionally and locally elected politicians, 300 regions and 90 000 municipalities in Europe, and contributes to the EU policy shaping and decision-making processes from the viewpoint of Local and Regional Authorities (LRAs). At the same time, the Committee’s members contribute to making the Union more effective and bringing it closer to the citizens by implementing EU law and communicating the Union’s policies on the ground.
In his speech on the State of Regions and Cities in the European Union on 11 October 2022, President Vasco Alves Cordeiro paid tribute to the essential work that mayors, local councillors, governors and regional ministers, along with all public administrations across the Union, are doing every day, everywhere.
Our members’ political activity and knowledge of the ground, rooted in the regions and cities, is the Committee’s unique selling point and biggest strength. CoR members are powerful multipliers in their communities and in their national associations of local and regional authorities.
In order to build up synergies and promote exchanges of best practices, the CoR is fostering the secondment of national experts and encouraging time-limited study visits for officials from LRAs’ public administrations.
Opportunities for secondment of national experts to discover the work of the CoR from the inside and to enhance cross-cooperation between LRAs and the CoR
Applying for such a position will allow officials from LRAs’ public administrations to learn how an EU consultative body works from the inside. Our future colleagues will actively contribute to the EU decision-making process from a different point of view while increasing the cooperation between the LRAs and the CoR.
The CoR offers three types of secondment (foreign national experts, national experts with Belgian citizenship and cost-free secondment), in addition to short-term study visits (ideal for government officials already established in Brussels).
During a secondment to the CoR, each national expert will have the opportunity:
- to benefit from a tailor made programme adapted both to their needs and expectations and those of the CoR;
- to have a fully equipped working environment, including access to our networks, working tools and training programmes;
- to work on a time-limited assignment beneficial for both the CoR and LRAs’ public administrations;
- to be actively involved in the main activities of the institution;
- to attend CoR plenary sessions;
- to see how our opinions are drawn up;
- to discover any other aspects of our work.
In return, the CoR would like assistance in organising local dialogues in EU regions together with our members and alternates. This would allow your regional concerns and your voice to be properly heard when discussing the future of Europe so that its shape and direction also reflect the needs and expectations of the European regions.
The possibilities for secondments involving the payment of daily allowances being limited, we strongly encourage local, regional and national governments to consider cost-free secondments (without payment, by the CoR, of any additional allowance to the national expert in addition to the salary provided by the employer of the expert). Even during a cost-free secondment, the CoR would provide the national expert with an office space, a work station/appropriate working tools, training possibilities, networking opportunities, and a dedicated mentor to make their stay a fruitful and useful experience for them and their region.
Secondments are limited in time (minimum six months and maximum two years, renewable up to four years in total).
Several cost-free seconded national expert positions are expected to be filled in 2023. Potential candidates interested in a secondment to the CoR are free to register at any time on our website. They can choose up to three profiles/areas of interest in which they would like to work (by order of priority). The specific requirements for a secondment are listed in appendix 1 and 2. Please consult our Jobs page to find the decision on the rules applicable to national experts seconded to the CoR.
I am happy to welcome you and your region to the CoR and look forward to increasing our cooperation. Let’s work together to meet the challenges of the future of Europe!
Petr Blížkovský
“electronically signed”