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.

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:

— Area of Freedom, Security, Justice and Rule of Law (in general),

— The Future of Europe,

— Promoting the European way of life,

— Policies in the fields of migration, integration and asylum,

— Policies regarding deradicalisation,

— Policies regarding active citizenship and promoting the European way of life

— Policies regarding hate speech and disinformation

— Policies concerning external borders and the Schengen system,

— The local and regional dimension of judicial and police cooperation,

— Security policies,

— EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,

— Links between the above domains and other aspects of EU policies,

— Links between the above domains and policies related to Eastern Partnership, Southern Mediterranean and EU enlargement,

— The external dimension of the area of freedom, security, justice and the rule of law.