Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region
The Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region was promoted through a series of co-operation meetings and in 1994 adopted a permanent structure, providing a springboard for the creation of the Council, in which it obtained observer status. Every two years, representatives of the national legislative assemblies, the European Parliament and the indigenous communities meet in a conference during which recommendations to the Council, the governments of Member States and the European Commission are formulated. The Committee monitors how governments implement the recommendations adopted by the Conference and proposes new initiatives according to the choices made by the Council.
The Arctic parliamentary body has contributed to increasing co-operation by combining initiatives for Arctic ecosystem protection with actions for the defence and promotion of indigenous communities in the area, thus developing the debate on democracy and human rights. The Committee of Parliamentarians has also committed itself to organising national and regional seminars and promoting meetings of experts to attract the attention of international institutions and civil societies on the issues and needs of the region.