Brussels, 17/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - The members of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) will elect the successor to their current president, Mercedes Bresso, at their plenary session on 18 July. Ramon Luis Valcarel Siso, the president of the Spanish region of Murcia, is expected to succeed her, respecting the rules of changeover in the presidencies of the CoR.
His election will give place to a presentation of the institution's priorities over the coming months, in accordance with the European Commission's work programme. In addition, the Cypriot Presidency will set out for the CoR members its agenda for the next three months. The locally elected representatives will be able to question Andreas Mavroyanis, Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the priorities of the Presidency.
Another distinguished guest - Werner Hoyer, the president of the European Investment Bank (EIB) - will answer questions from the CoR members. He will lay out how the CoR and the EIB can work together to better support local economies through development projects.
The CoR members will vote on a series of opinions on 18-19 July relating to the environment (on cities, how to measure CO2 emissions and an action programme), immigration and asylum. Four opinions on the latter should be adopted, which means that European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom will also be present. She will give the Commission's point of view to the CoR before the vote on these opinions. (MD/transl.fl)