The number of members of the Committee of the Regions shall not exceed 350. The Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt a European decision determining the Committee's composition.
The members of the Committee and an equal number of alternate members shall
be appointed for five years. Their term of office shall be renewable. No member
of the Committee shall at the same time be a member of the European Parliament.
The Council shall adopt the European decision establishing the list of members
and alternate members drawn up in accordance with the proposals made by each
Member State.
When the mandate referred to in Article I-32(2) on the basis of which they
were proposed comes to an end, the term of office of members of the Committee
shall terminate automatically and they shall then be replaced for the remainder
of the said term of office in accordance with the same procedure.
The Committee of the Regions shall elect its chairman and officers from among
its members for a term of two and a half years.
It shall be convened by its chairman at the request of the European Parliament,
of the Council or of the Commission. It may also meet on its own initiative.
It shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.
The Committee of the Regions shall be consulted by the European Parliament, by the Council or by the Commission where the Constitution so provides and in all other cases in which one of these institutions considers it appropriate, in particular those which concern cross-border cooperation.
The European Parliament, the Council or the Commission shall, if it considers
it necessary, set the Committee, for the submission of its opinion, a time-limit
which shall not be less than one month from the date on which the chairman receives
notification to this effect. Upon expiry of the time-limit, the absence of an
opinion shall not prevent further action.
Where the Economic and Social Committee is consulted, the Committee of the
Regions shall be informed by the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission
of the request for an opinion.
Where it considers that specific regional interests are involved, the Committee
of the Regions may issue an opinion on the matter. It may also issue an opinion
on its own initiative.
The opinion of the Committee, together with a record of its proceedings, shall be forwarded to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission.
(Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Council of Ministers document CIG 87/1/04 REV 1 of 13 October 2004)