Polish delegation to the European Committee of the Regions

The Poles have been participating in the works of the European Committee of the Regions since July 2003, when 95 observers members from 10 countries, which were to enter the European Union on the 1st May 2004, were accepted in this EU body. Since the latter date Polish delegates have been participating in the CoR meetings as full members.

The works of Polish delegation

The principal task of the members of our national delegation to the European Committee of the Regions is the representation of Polish local and regional government interests on the European forum. They fulfil it by the participation – by preparation of opinions – in the EU legislative process and by the resolutions taken up by the CoR in the area of current political issues. The tasks of the CoR members also include informing the EU forum about the issues which are important to the regional and local authorities in Poland, as well as the promotion of activities taken up by the European Union in their own environment in their home country.

Although Polish delegation members, just like the representatives of other countries, belong to supranational political groups (at present there are six such groups), they participate in the national delegation meetings in order to inform one another about their works and to discuss the issues which are the most important from the Polish perspective. The representatives of the European Commission, the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU and of other institutions are also often invited to Polish delegation meetings. Apart from the participation in the commissions meetings and plenary sessions, the delegates also participate in different conferences, seminars and meetings organized in co-operation with the CoR both in Brussels and in many EU member states.

The works of Polish delegation are co-ordinated by the Information Office of the Wielkopolska Region in Brussels.

The composition of Polish delegation

Polish delegation to the European Committee of the Regions in the 2020-2025 term has 21 full members and 21 alternate members. It is the fourth biggest national representation in the CoR.

Head of the Polish delegation is Marek Woźniak – President of the Wielkopolska Region. He has held this function since April 2008 (and he has been a CoR member since February 2006). At the same time he has been a Bureau member and the vice-president of the CoR.

Members:

Aleksandra DULKIEWICZ - Mayor of Gdańsk (CIVEX, ECON)

Mariusz Rafał FRANKOWSKI - Councillor of the Capital City of Warsaw (CIVEX, ECON)

Olgierd GEBLEWICZ - President of the Westpomerania Region (CIVEX, NAT)

Paweł GRZYBOWSKI - Mayor of Rypin (NAT, SEDEC)

Krzysztof IWANIUK - Mayor of Terespol Municipality (CIVEX, ECON)

Robert KOŚCIUK - Mayor of Krasnystaw (NAT, SEDEC)

Witold Rafał KOZŁOWSKI - President of the Małopolskie Region (COTER, ENVE)

Krzysztof MATYJASZCZYK - President of Częstochowa (ECON, SEDEC)

Władysław ORTYL - President of the Podkarpackie Region (COTER, ENVE)

Cezary PRZYBYLSKI - President of the Lower Silesia Region (SEDEC, ENVE)

Grzegorz Zenon SCHREIBER - President of the Łódzkie Region (ECON, SEDEC)

Jarosław Piotr STAWIARSKI - President of the Lubelskie Region (COTER, ECON)

Dariusz Antoni STRUGAŁA - Mayor of the Town and Municipality of Jaraczewo (NAT, ENVE)

Mieczysław STRUK - President of the Pomeranian Region (COTER, NAT)

Adam STRUZIK - President of the Mazovia Region (COTER, ENVE)

Rafał Kazimierz TRZASKOWSKI - Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw (ECON, ENVE)

Marek WOŹNIAK - President of the Wielkopolska Region (COTER, CIVEX)

Hanna ZDANOWSKA - Mayor of Łodź (SEDEC, ENVE)

Alternates:

Adam BANASZAK – Member of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Assembly

Andrzej Krzysztof BĘTKOWSKI - President of the Świętokrzyskie Region

Rafał BRUSKI - Mayor of Bydgoszcz

Andrzej BUŁA - President of the Opolskie Region

Marian BURAS - Mayor of Morawica

Piotr Franciszek CAŁBECKI - President of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region

Jakub Piotr CHEŁSTOWSKI - President of the Śląskie Region

Jacek GAJEWSKI - Member of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Assembly

Robert GODEK - Member of the Strzyżów District Council

Wojciech Jan KAŁUŻA - Vice-President of the Śląskie Region

Jakub Michał KWAŚNY - Head of the Tarnów City Council

Mirosław LECH - Mayor of the Korycin Municipality

Beata Małgorzata MOSKAL-SŁANIEWSKA - Mayor of Świdnica

Elżbieta Anna POLAK - President of the Lubuskie Region

Piotr Paweł PSIKUS - Mayor of the Town and Municipality of Kępno

Ludwik Jerzy RAKOWSKI - Member of the Mazowieckie Regional Assembly

Łukasz Jakub SMÓŁKA - Vice-President of the Małopolskie Region

Joachim SMYŁA - Member of the Lubliniec District Council

Marek Andrzej TRAMŚ - Head of the Polkowice District Council

Tadeusz TRUSKOLASKI - Mayor of Białystok

The Nice Treaty signed in 2001 established that the CoR members must be elected members of a local or a regional body or be politically accountable to an elected local or regional assembly.

Polish delegates to the CoR are designated by the following local government corporations: the Union of the Provinces of the Republic of Poland (10 members and the same number of deputy members), the Association of Polish Counties (3), the Association of Polish Cities (3), the Union of Polish Metropolises (2), the Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland (2), the Union of Small Polish Towns (1).