Abstract
The construction of the European Union is, and has always been done by states. Since the Maastricht treaty however, sub national authorities have an official advisory body from which they can influence the making of the European policy: the Committee of the regions. This committee is made of 317 members; each country has a representation corresponding to its population. This month, the committee celebrates its 12th birthday. On that occasion, I will try to see how effective the Committee of the regions is at providing an effective representation of the local and regional authorities at Union level. To do that, I will first see how the Committee works, how it is composed, what its problems are. Then I will turn to its relations with the European institutions which will allow us to estimate its possible influence. Finally, I will look at its actions and what impact they were perceived to have.
