European Union

European Committee of the Regions

The Committee of the Regions (COR) is the European Union’s assembly for representatives of regional and local authorities across the EU member states. It advises on new EU legislation concerning cities and regions. The COR website provides details of plenary sessions, a list of current members, a collection of studies published from 1999 onwards, information about current and closed consultations. There is also a link to the COR’s Electronic Document Register (under Engage – Resources – Access to Documents).

European Economic and Social Committee

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is an EU consultative body, representing social and economic interest groups. It issues opinions on draft EU legislation. The EESC website provides information about its plenary sessions and about meetings of its special-interest sections and groups and the Commission on Industrial Change. The Our Work section of the site makes available EESC opinions, studies, reports, position papers, plenary session summaries and other documents.

2018 Reform of EU Data Protection Rules

This page on the European Commission website provides information on the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force in May 2018. The GDPR will establish one set of data protection rules for all companies operating in the EU and gives people more control over their personal data. There is information aimed at businesses and organisations on what they must do to comply with the new rules and a section aimed at the general public on how their personal data is protected.

Register of Commission Expert Groups and Other Similar Entities

Searchable directory cover the groups of experts and similar bodies that are involved in the preparation of EU policy initiatives, legislative proposals and delegated / implementing acts. There are basic and advanced search facilities and for each group the register gives basic details, documents and other information. The Register is provided by the European Commission. It is accompanied by a meeting schedule, news items and background information about the use of expert groups by the EU.

IPEX

IPEX is an online platform for the exchange of information between the European Parliament and the parliaments of the EU member states. The IPEX website's Documents Database covers draft legislative proposals, consultation documents and other material from the national parliaments, the European Parliament, the European Commission and other bodies.

European Parliament Public Register of Documents

Online register of internal European Parliament (EP) documents. Though launched in June 2002, it covers documents from the around the late-1990s onwards. The Public Register is searchable by key word, author, document type, reference number and other criteria. Many of the documents are available in full; where this is not the case members of the public can apply for access via the Request a Document page. The Public Register website also provides the European Parliament’s annual reports and resolutions on public access to documents, from 2002 onwards.

Document Register

Online register of internal documents produced by the Council of the European Union, 1999 onwards. Covers minutes of meetings, preparatory legislative documents, agendas and other material. The Register is searchable by key word, subject, reference number and other criteria. Many of the documents are available in full; where this is not the case members of the public can apply for access via the Request a Document link at the bottom of the search page. The interface is available in all the EU languages, but not all the documents are in every language.

Register of Commission Documents

Online register of internal documents produced by the European Commission from 1 January 2001 onwards. The register is searchable by document reference, Commission department, title, document type and other criteria; key word searching is offered on a separate ‘Full text search’ tab. There is also browseable collection of minutes and agendas from Commission meetings. If a document is not available in full via the register, it is possible to submit a request for it. The Register is available in all the languages of the EU, but not all the documents are in every language.

Comitology Register

The Comitology Register monitors the procedure by which the European Commission makes implementing legislation with the help of committees of representatives from the member states. It can be used to track the progress of this legislation. The main register covers the period from April 2008 onwards, but there is a link to the ‘Old comitology register’ for information from 2003 to March 2008. There is a search facility for documents and another for committees.

European Consortium for Church and State Research

The European Consortium for Church and State Research is an organisation of academics from across Europe with an interest in ecclesiastical law. The purpose of the Consortium is to promote the “development of studies of Ecclesiastical Law and of the relations between states and religious confessions in Europe”. The Consortium holds annual meetings the proceedings of which are made available on the site. Meetings in recent years have focused on law and religion in the workplace, religious adjudication and the state and public authorities and the training of religious personnel in Europe.

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