The purpose of this call for tenders is to enable the Committee of the Regions' services to have at their disposal a framework contract for the provision of scientific, legal, documentary and editorial assistance services to the Committee of the Regions' bodies, members, rapporteurs and services. This request for services entrusted to external experts is one of the measures taken to provide members with better services in order to strengthen and enhance the Committee of the Regions' consultative work within the framework of the legislative process. Within the scope of this contract, consisting of two lots, the CoR would like to use external expertise in the fields relevant for the remits of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER).

The spheres of activity covered by this call for tenders reflect the CoR's political priorities from the perspective of local and regional authorities in the following indicative areas of activity:

Lot 1: Cohesion Policy and Urban policy:

(a) EU budget and multi-annual financial framework,

(b) economic, social and territorial cohesion,

(c) cohesion policy funds,

(d) territorial development, including the territorial agenda,

(e) urban policy,

(f) spatial planning and housing,

(g) territorial cooperation including cross-border cooperation and macro-regional strategies,

(h) regional statistics and indicators.

The spheres of activity covered by this call for tenders reflect the CoR's political priorities from the perspective of local and regional authorities in the following indicative areas of activity:

Lot 2: Transport Policy

Transport policy, Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) and missing links.

The contractor shall follow developments in these areas in the context of the European Union's overall activities, institutional structure, legal system and from the perspective of local and regional authorities. The contractor shall also be able to make references to possible future developments of strategic meaning in those policy areas.