Committee members are institutional representatives of all territorial subdivisions, regions, cities and municipalities of the European Union. They are nominated by the governments of EU countries and are appointed by the Council of the European Union for a four-year, renewable term. Members of the Committee must also have a mandate from the authorities that they represent and be politically accountable to them.

The Committee of the Regions elects from among its members a President for a term of two years. At present, 350 members and as many of their deputies that come from all twenty-eight Member States of the EU participate in the works of the Committee of the Regions.

On an everyday basis, Members of the Committee of the Regions live and work in their region, fulfilling their duties and responsibilities in the territorial governments or regional authorities. Thus they are aware of the views and opinions of the societies that they represent and then they can share this knowledge in the very heart of the policymaking processes during the meetings of the Committee in Brussels.

The way in which the work of the Committee is organised also aims at “bringing the Union closer to society” in its literal meaning through conferences and meetings of various committees that often require travelling as well as the Bureau convened in different regions of the 28 Member States.

The members and their deputies from one Member State form a national delegation. Each national delegation shall establish its own internal rules and elect a chairman.