Brussels, 04/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - British national Albert Bore, Mayor of Birmingham, is to be the Socialist Group's candidate (PES) for the Presidency of the Committee of the Regions. Michel Delebarre, from France, who is Mayor of Dunkirk and Regional Councillor for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, takes over the leadership of the PES Group at the Committee of the Regions. These two appointments were decided unanimously during a meeting of the group on Thursday 31 January. The PES specifies in a press release that it "remains the largest political group of the Committee of the Regions". The priorities of the PES Group for the third mandate of the Committee will be to reinforce the role of this organisation in the elaboration and the implementation of Community decisions that have territorial impact, examine the impact of these decisions on the different territories, and assess the correct application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality during decision-making and the implementation of decisions. The election of the Committee's president will take place on 6 February at the opening of the inaugural session of the third four-year mandate of the Committee of the Regions (see EUROPE of 25 January, p.17).