Governance and citizenship

For those who would have missed the last episodes, here is a summary of the latest developments at the Committee of the Regions...
 

Secretary general : Vincenzo Falcone is no longer CoR's secretary general. One of the candidates who did not get the job back in 2000 had sued the CoR over Falcone's nomination. On 18 September, the Court ruled that the recruitment procedure was flawed, and annulled Vincenzo Falcone's nomination.
 

Falcone declined the offer to become acting secretary general until the nomination of his successor. The Bureau of the CoR has now launched a new recruitment procedure.
 

Gerhard Stahl, Director of Consultative works has been appointed as acting secretary general of the CoR.
 

Vice-president : The CoR has also lost its first vice-president, Reinhold Bocklet, from Bavaria (EPP,D). In the wake of a reshuffle in the Bavarian regional government, Reinhold Bocklet has lost his ministerial functions. In line with the rules set in the Maastricht Treaty, he was obliged to resign from the CoR. Reinhold Bocklet was widely tipped to succeed Albert bore as CoR President next February.
 

Report from the Anti fraud Office (Olaf): on 20 October, Cor President Albert Bore issued a statement following Olaf's report on alleged irregularities in the CoR.
 

Albert Bore stated that, from the conclusions of the report, no fraud has been detected in the CoR. However, Olaf has highlighted errors with regard to the attribution of some contratcs and irregularities in connection with the reimbursement of members' expenses.
 

Olaf's director general is said to have told the CoR that the case is now officially colsed, and that there are no grounds to warrant refering the case to judicial authorities.
 

Link to CoR website : www.cor.eu.int