Renew Europe in the European Committee of the Regions


Renew Europe is a political group in the European Committee of the Regions, bringing together liberal and democrat city mayors, regional presidents and ministers, and local and regional councillors to contribute to the European Union's legislative procedure. The group is the successor to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Committee of the Regions which existed from 2004 to 2019, which in turn succeeded the ELDR-CoR group which had existed since 1998. The group consists of members from several European political parties, including Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and the European Democratic Party. The Renew Europe group in the European Committee of the Regions is the sister group of the Renew Europe political group in the European Parliament.
WWW alde-cor.eu

History

In 1998 political groups were established in the European Committee of the Regions, and as a result the liberal and democrat members formed the group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (European Parliament group). In 2004 the group was renamed to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party reflecting a similar change in the group in the European Parliament and incorporating new members along with the change. In 2019 the group was renamed to Renew Europe following the change in the group in the European Parliament.
In 2016, Bart Somers, Mayor of Mechelen and leader of the liberal group in the Flemish Parliament, was elected as new Renew Europe President by the group. He served as president until the end of the European Committee of the Regions mandate. In 2020, François Decoster was elected as the new President of Renew Europe CoR. Decoster, currently Mayor of Saint-Omer, France and President of the Hauts-de-France regional government, is no stranger to the European Committee of the Regions and European politics. In January 2025, Decoster was re-elected President of the Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions.
The list of Renew Europe presidents:
No.TenureNameMember stateGroup Name
11998-2002Graham TopeUnited KingdomELDR
22002-2006Kent JohanssonSwedenELDR / ALDE
32006-2008Ivo OpsteltenNetherlandsALDE
42008-2012Flo ClucasUnited KingdomALDE
52012-2016Bas VerkerkNetherlandsALDE
62016 – 2020Bart SomersBelgiumALDE / Renew Europe
72020–2025François DecosterFranceRenew Europe
82025 - presentFrançois DecosterFranceRenew Europe

Renew Europe Bureau

The Renew Europe Bureau consists of the Presidency, Chairs, Vice-Chairs of CoR Commissions belonging to the Renew Europe Group as well as four elected members. The Bureau is primarily tasked with preparation of meetings of the CoR Bureau as well as the subsequent Renew Europe meetings. The Bureau meets the day before each plenary session of the CoR.
The list of the Renew Europe Bureau for the 2025 - 2030 CoR mandate:
TitleNameMember state
PresidentFrançois DecosterFrance
First Vice-presidentKarīna MikelsoneLatvia
Second Vice-presidentWilly BorsusBelgium
Third Vice-presidentMirja VehkaperaFinland
Bureau MemberArthur van DijkNetherlands
Bureau MemberLuciano CaveriItaly
Bureau MemberHanne RoedDenmark
Bureau MemberTsvetelina Simeonova - ZarkinBulgaria
Bureau MemberJozef ViskupicSlovakia
Ex-officio Bureau MemberGunars AnsinsLatvia
Ex-officio Bureau MemberIvan GulamCroatia
Ex-officio Bureau MemberMagali AltounianFrance
Ex-officio Bureau MemberGillian CoughlanIreland